Antique Silver Swiss Lever Hebdomas style Pocket Watch | 8-Day Movement

Antique Silver Swiss Lever Pocket Watch | Hebdomas Style | 8-Day Movement | Exposed Balance

Description

An early 20th-century Swiss pocket watch built in the celebrated Hebdomas style: an 8-day movement with the balance wheel and regulator exposed through an aperture at 6, beating in plain view beneath the crystal. The white enamel dial is signed F. L. & Co and framed by silver flower inlays, with bold Roman numerals and original blue steel hands above the engraved balance bridge.

The 50mm open-face case is 0.800 silver, topped by a brass pumpkin crown. The back cover opens to reveal the movement's engraved mainspring cover, signed "Spiral Breguet Levees Visibles, 8 Jours, Ancre, Qualite Superieure Garantie", a period declaration of its week-long power reserve and superior construction. While not signed Hebdomas, it carries every design element that made that name legendary.

Key Features

• Swiss lever 8-day movement, exposed balance and regulator
• White enamel dial signed F. L. & Co, silver flower inlays
• Original blue steel hands and glass crystal
• 0.800 silver open-face case, no front cover
• Brass pumpkin crown
• Engraved and signed mainspring cover under the opening back
• Circa 1910

Specifications

• Style: Hebdomas-type 8-day pocket watch
• Case: 0.800 silver, open-face, back cover opens to mainspring cover
• Dial: White enamel, Roman numerals, exposed balance at 6, signed F. L. & Co
• Hands: Original blue steel
• Movement: Swiss lever, 8-day power reserve, signed on mainspring cover
• Crystal: Original glass
• Crown: Brass pumpkin crown
• Case Diameter: 50mm
• Case Thickness: 15mm
• Movement Diameter: 36mm
• Weight: Approx. 90g
• Period: Circa 1910
• Origin: Swiss

Condition Report

• Dial: White enamel in excellent condition with no cracks or hairlines. Silver flower inlays intact, signature crisp.
• Hands: Original blue steel hands with light patina, in good condition.
• Crystal: Original glass with minor scratches consistent with age, free of cracks or chips.
• Case: 0.800 silver open-face case in good condition, with light wear and tarnish. Back cover opens smoothly.
• Movement: Clean and functional. Winds smoothly and keeps time accurately. The engraved mainspring cover shows some tarnish and marks consistent with its age.
• Crown: Original brass pumpkin crown.

Historical Significance

The Hebdomas 8-day pocket watch, patented in Switzerland at the close of the 19th century, was one of the most recognizable horological designs of its era. Its week-long power reserve meant winding only once a week, and the exposed balance turned the movement itself into the spectacle. The design was so admired that many Swiss workshops produced their own versions, of which this F. L. & Co signed example is a fine survivor, its engraved mainspring cover proudly advertising "8 Jours" and guaranteed superior quality more than a century on.

Offered by ReWrist. Each piece is inspected and photographed in-house. Vintage Luxury, Redefined.