1910s 15k gold Dreadnought Semi Hunter Wrist Watch manual wind, blue enamel 28mm, serviced.
 
This beautiful semi hunter watch is from 1911, comprised of 15k gold, assayed at Glasgow office. It was imported into the UK from the Swiss maker Dreadnought. Inside you find a 15 jewel manually wound movement from the maker, that has been recently serviced.
 
This is a petite watch at 28mm x 28mm, meaning it would suit a ladies wrist. Undoubtably the main selling points of this watch exist around it's case design. It is of semi hunter design with a beautifully detailed enamel work noting the hours on the front case. The hands tell the time via a deep blue enamel ring, with pale white roman numerals with hour and minute markers. This is in excellent condition for it's age, with a subtle patina with some slight lightening of the inside of the ring. Around the outside of the chapter is a white enamel ring which provides a neat boarder.
 
When this front cover is opened, it exposes two thermally blued hands, with a white enamel dial with roman numerals. The dial has a slight chip, but no hairline fractures.
 
 
Despite the watch having been serviced, the movement had significant wear which means that it does not keep fantastic time, with a 5 minute gain a day.
 
Overall this is a good example considering its 110 years old. It also has some charming design features.
 
The 15ct gold marking is correct and it is official, but it was a very unusual to be used and found in UK gold assay marking.
 
15ct gold in England as a gold standard stopped in 1932 with Commonwealth member countries soon following. It is usually marked 15ct but sometimes 625, in this case it has both. This outlines the gold content percentage of 62.5% gold. The disappearance of this gold standard likely occurred in the early 1930’s the USA's 14K gold standard started to predominate throughout the world.
 
14K gold is slightly harder than 15ct as it had more alloy mixed in so is superior in daily wear characteristics. Many people are of the opinion is that it was not worth the sacrifice of colour. Although the difference between 14ct and 15ct in gold content is only 4%, the colour difference is quite substantial. 15ct still has a strong yellow colour while 14k has a paler yellow colour with a very slight greenish tinge.
 
If you look at this watch, the outside has often matured into a darker colour but on the inside you will indeed see the lovely bright yellow colour.
 
Please see the images as these compliment and aid the description provided below.
 
Dial:
The dial is enamel and is in good overall condition with no hairline fractures. There is however a small chip at 4 o'clock on the edge of the dial.
 
Hands:
The hands are thermally blued and original, in very good condition.
 
Glass:
The glass is plexiglass, which means it has been replaced. It is in very good condition.
 
Hinged front:
The front of the case is in very good condition with light surface scratching. The Blue enamel setting for the roman numerals is in very good condition with some hazing but no chips.
 
Crown:
The crown appears to be era correct and therefore, original. It has a lovely coin edge finish and matches the tone of the case well.
 
Case:
A case that is in very good condition with no large scratches or dints in the watch.
 
Caseback:
In very good condition, with light surface scratching. There is one small dent which is on the inside of the case, dimpling outwards.
 
Strap:
A new 12mm open ended, genuine leather strap.
 
Movement:
The watch has been serviced but due to its age and subsequent wear it is not the best timekeeper. The watch is currently keeping time to approximately 5 minutes slow a day, with an amplitude of 240 degrees and a beat error of 3.6m/s.
 
Case dimensions
Case width: 28mm
Case width with crown: 30mm
Case length: 38mm
Lug to lug length: 31mm
Case depth: 8.5mm
Lug width: 11mm