# Old Pocket watch info



## Elemental1979 (Nov 16, 2016)

Hello I'm new to the forum please excuse me if my forum etiquette is off. I am wondering if anybody can Identify and age a pocket watch for me that I have recently inherited from my dad he has many many watches in peices I never knew he was such a watch hoarder. I have googled but to be honest I'm bamboozled the watch face is printed with DuBois in italics on a peacock embossed dial with a second hand in a subdial it's a really nice looking watch and I prefer to watch the actual movement workings than the watch itself, is that weird? It has two backplates with D=B .900 and a moon and lion printed inside both backplates the plate that covers the movement the prints are more pronounced and easy to see on the movement it is printed PH DuBois & Fils and is silver in colour. The watch winds and works is slightly fast over 24 hours by a couple of minutes and it's temperamental as it only works laid on its back I was wondering if it would be economical to service I don't know if it needs a repair or just a service and clean also I have no idea of its age or origin as a search for Dubois opens up a maze of information I know nothing about, any info and advice would be much appreciated. I'm sure I'll be asking about his other watches too there was literally a draw full and I've never seen him wear a watch! I don't know how to add pictures otherwise I think it would be easier for someone to Identify.

many thanks.


----------



## Always"watching" (Sep 21, 2013)

I am surprised that no-one has yet jumped in to offer you some info on your watch. I can tell you that, if genuine, your pocket watch was manufactured by the company of Philippe DuBois et Fils SA, founded in le Locle, Switzerland in 1785. In fact the DuBois family had been selling and then also producing watches prior to that date, but with the 1785 name change, caused by Philippe Dubois' sons joining the business, came the establishment of what has been dubbed the oldest watch factory in Switzerland, and the brand is thought of as one of the oldest Swiss watch brands. The original DuBois "maison", still in family hands, is now a "B&B", where guests eat breakfast off the original work bench in the studio, and the house also has two first floor offices used by the current DuBois company.

The original Philippe DuBois et Fils watch company is now no longer a continuation of the family firm. It was purchased in 2010 by Thomas Steinemann, who had links with Fossil, and the brand was revamped and relaunched in 2013.

Pocket watches were the mainstay of Philippe DuBois et Fils until the firm began to deal in wristwatches as well. Subsequently, they started making wristwatches and in 1931 launched the "autorist", with its special automatic winding system. In 1950, the firm decided to focus on small limited editions only. The pocket watches had a high reputation and the company began exporting them to the US in 1804 - meanwhile a number of well known figures owned Dubois watches including the King of Prussia.

I am not sure what happened to the brand in more recent times, in the 1990s and 2000s before its acquisition by Thomas Steinemann, but that is not too worrying because your pocket watch was ceertainly made well before then. I would love to be able to date your watch accurately but without pictures, this is impossible. The marks indicate that the case is 900 grade silver and Continental. The lion and moon marks will probably designate the country's silver standard and town of origin, and I would hazard a guess that the case is Swiss-made. Interestingly, the mark "D=B" is also included and this is probably the maker's mark, relating to the initials of "DuBois."

The embossed peacock dial sounds really lovely, and if the watch is in silver, and has a DuBois signed movement, it must be a visual and tactile treat. Although I cannot date the watch exactly, I can say that the dial form and the use of a peacock emblem probably puts it into the late 19th century up to the 1920s.

A 14-carat gold Philippe Dubois et Fils hand-wind pocket watch with anchor escapement movement apparently dating to about 1925. Note the use of this form of upper-case branding on the watch, which may have been more widely used after about 1900 (pics from assets.catawiki.nl):



















Simple but beautiful Dubois watch in coin silver (800 standard) featuring a 15-jewel hand-wind movement C.1880 (pics from Ranfft.de):



















A very rare Dubois keywind pocket watch with engraved dial and curved strip display, not dated in the source material but probably about 1800 (pic from chrisnsue.files.wordpress.com):


----------



## Elemental1979 (Nov 16, 2016)

Thanks for your reply I'll try figure a way of uploading the pictures using photobucket or something similar.

Regards.


----------



## Elemental1979 (Nov 16, 2016)

I hope this works I'll use flikr photobucket doesnt seem to work well for me.



Hope these are visible

Regards


----------



## Always"watching" (Sep 21, 2013)

Dear Elemental, many thanks for posting those pictures. Very useful. Many DuBois et Fils pocket watches seem to have unsigned movements, and the company seems to have used movements by a number of movement manufacturers. I am not sure whether DuBois et Fils ever manufactured movements, but my feeling is that they may have done so in the earlier part of the partnership's existence.

The design of your lovely silver watch and the nature of the "DuBois" mark on the dial places your example into the earlier twentieth century. In fact, I would date your watch to about 1920. Note that it is a crown-wind timepiece without a separate key, and the style of the dial and hands is also indicative of an early twentieth century date. The peacock design is subtle and effective, and I love the numbers and the hands. What a treat to see. With regard to the movement, I just wonder if it is one of the 5-jewel examples that DuBois et Fils are known to have used on some of their pocket watches.

You may like to know that I have just posted a topic showing some DuBois et Fils wristwatches, entitled "Dubois et Fils: A Fine Maker Revamped."

And by the way, welcome to the forum. :biggrin:


----------



## Elemental1979 (Nov 16, 2016)

Thank you Always"watching" and thank you for your reply and information. I thought it had a 1920s Art Deco vibe to it with the number styling and embossed feathering I just wasn't sure weather it was just a later repro or something I have done a bit of reasearch on the assay mark on the casing and I believe it to be German 1920s I don't know a lot about watches or the mechanics of them or what jewels are in regards to the movement I do see three maybe four small red looking lugs I'm assuming those are the jewels but I maybe completely wrong I have no idea what purpose they serve I'm a complete novice please excuse me I have found another pocket watch online with identical looking movement and the same PH DuBois & Fils on one of the gears/cogs but that one is gold in colour I think plated with a much nicer and fancier casing I think I will get this watch serviced and cleaned it's a nice keepsake of my dads I can sit and watch the movement working for ages it astonishes me how intricate these things are and the micro engineering gone into it is truly a piece of art in itself.

Regards


----------



## vinn (Jun 14, 2015)

welcome to the forum. for a 5er, you can join the forum. an easy place to send pix.


----------



## Always"watching" (Sep 21, 2013)

Dear Elemental, I would have thought that your DuBois et Fils "peacock" watch is basically sound but needs a service. If the balance wheel oscillates only when the watch is on it's back, I wonder if there might be some wear to the bearing/shaft. Having watches serviced by someone reputable is not particularly cheap these days, but the sentimental value of your watch may make the costs easier to bear. I wish you all the best with it, and hope that your lovely peacock pocket watch gives you years of pleasure. By the way, the red "blobs" you describe, a few of which are visible on your picture of the movement, are the jewels - industrial rubies in this case.


----------

