A few years ago, I acquired a free-sprung, keyless Gabriel PL hunter in hopes that it had a Victor Kullberg movement. More about that in a moment.
William Gabriel was a London retailer and watchmaker, e.g., of half-chronometer pocket watches entered in Greenwich trials. A major reason for thinking that the movement in my Gabriel was made by Victor Kullberg is its unusual bridge-type free-sprung balance, something Kullberg used, calling it his curiosity balance. Several experts, including one of the most knowledgeable English experts, have told me that they believe that the movements in my Gabriel and similar Gabriels were made by Kullberg. Another expert collector who owns a similar watch doubts that. He told me that all Kullbergs with which he is familiar have reverse fusees, which these Gabriels do not have. He points out that other English makers used bridge-type balance assemblies.
Apart from the Gabriel markings, the movement is entirely unsigned except for a JP stamp, referring to Joseph Preston, a leading Lancashire firm, which at least made the ebauche.
This watch is in an 18k hunter case made by Fred Thoms, one of the top English case-makers. It has London hallmarks for 1892 and a serial number that matches the one on the dial and the movement. Cased, it is 49mm in diameter and 12mm thick. It weighs 115.5 grams. It is a very nice watch even if the movement wasn't made by Kullberg.
Interestingly, although the dial and the movement have the same two-part serial number, the sequence on the dial is the reverse of that on the movement, which I take to be the mistake of a dyslexic dial maker.
I would appreciate any views you have about this watch, especially whether it was made by Kullberg.
William Gabriel was a London retailer and watchmaker, e.g., of half-chronometer pocket watches entered in Greenwich trials. A major reason for thinking that the movement in my Gabriel was made by Victor Kullberg is its unusual bridge-type free-sprung balance, something Kullberg used, calling it his curiosity balance. Several experts, including one of the most knowledgeable English experts, have told me that they believe that the movements in my Gabriel and similar Gabriels were made by Kullberg. Another expert collector who owns a similar watch doubts that. He told me that all Kullbergs with which he is familiar have reverse fusees, which these Gabriels do not have. He points out that other English makers used bridge-type balance assemblies.
Apart from the Gabriel markings, the movement is entirely unsigned except for a JP stamp, referring to Joseph Preston, a leading Lancashire firm, which at least made the ebauche.
This watch is in an 18k hunter case made by Fred Thoms, one of the top English case-makers. It has London hallmarks for 1892 and a serial number that matches the one on the dial and the movement. Cased, it is 49mm in diameter and 12mm thick. It weighs 115.5 grams. It is a very nice watch even if the movement wasn't made by Kullberg.
Interestingly, although the dial and the movement have the same two-part serial number, the sequence on the dial is the reverse of that on the movement, which I take to be the mistake of a dyslexic dial maker.
I would appreciate any views you have about this watch, especially whether it was made by Kullberg.
