Bidspirit auction | Antique Swiss Open-Face Nickeloid Sidewinder

Antique Swiss Open-Face Nickeloid Sidewinder Pocket Watch - An antique open-face pocket watch featuring an unsigned Swiss manual wind movement housed in a nickeloid case by the Keystone Watch Case Company. The movement features a bridge-plate design with a regulator plate engraved with the French terms avance and retard, characteristic of Swiss manufacture for the American market. This is a sidewinder configuration where a movement originally intended for a hunting case has been fitted into an open-face case, resulting in the subsidiary seconds dial being positioned at the 3 o'clock mark instead of 6 o'clock. The watch features a white enamel dial with black Roman numeral hour markers, an outer Arabic numeral minute track from 5 to 60, and ornate gold-tone Louis XIV style hands. The case is constructed of Nickeloid, a proprietary nickel-copper alloy trademarked by Keystone. The interior of the case back is stamped with the Keystone Watchcase logo, the word Nickeloid, Made in U.S.A., and serial number 390482. Multiple hand-etched watchmaker service marks are visible on the interior case back, including sw 6/25 and 20-9/202. The watch is in running condition. Case size: 50mm. The watch is in good overall antique condition. The case displays surface scratches and light wear consistent with age and regular use. The white enamel dial is in excellent condition with no visible hairlines, chips, or repairs. The movement appears clean and complete. The watch is in running condition, though timekeeping accuracy has not been tested over a long period.