Pocket Watch

[Lee Brooks]

Hello to All. I have a pocket watch from my mothers collection of jewelry. On the backside of the watch it says Louis Dubois. Underneath in a scrolled box is the word LOCKE. Inside the back cover are the numbers 6, underneath the 6 is 8448. There appears to be three boxes at the top with some type of small pictures (one looks like a crown) The face of the watch has no identifying marks. It is white with roman numerals. The numerals and hands are black. Can anyone tell me who might have made this watch? The watch is approximately 1-1/4" in diameter. Thank you

[Lee Brooks]

Hello to All. I have a pocket watch from my mothers collection of jewelry. On the backside of the watch it says Louis Dubois. Underneath in a scrolled box is the word LOCKE. Inside the back cover are the numbers 6, underneath the 6 is 8448. There appears to be three boxes at the top with some type of small pictures (one looks like a crown) The face of the watch has no identifying marks. It is white with roman numerals. The numerals and hands are black. Can anyone tell me who might have made this watch? The watch is approximately 1-1/4" in diameter. Thank you

[Oliver Mundy]

The word read as 'Locke' should probably be understood as 'Locle' or Le Locle, a Swiss town near the French border which was one of the principal centres of watchmaking in Switzerland. If the watch is key-wound it probably dates from between about 1850 and 1880; if it is stem-wound it will be later (perhaps about 1900). It seems just possible that the case is English, since Swiss cases did not usually carry much in the way of hallmarks; if so it may be possible to work out an exact date from these marks. Some pictures of the case marks, and also of the back of the movement (visible when the inner back cover is opened), would help in establishing the date.

I hope someone who has access to the late Katherine Pritchard's all-important (but very expensive) book on Swiss makers will be able to throw some light on Louis Dubois.

Oliver Mundy.

[Lee Brooks]

Thank you for your help. I have also found out the following information on the watch myself. It is a ladies watch, called a time keeper. It is wound by depressing a small button near the stem. What I don't have information on is the age period of the watch or the maker Louis Dubois. Can anyone help me out with this?