Jewellery, Watches, Antiquities and Objects of Vertu

A Swiss silver hunter pocket watch made for the Turkish market, by Billodes, circa 1890, the white enamel dial signed ‘K Serkisoff & Co Constantinople’ beneath painted floral spray, with Turkish numerals and subsidiary dial, the inside front case and back case both stamped ‘0.800’ and ‘BILLODES REGISTERED’, with Swiss grouse fineness mark for 800 standard, and with pseudo English hallmarks, the movement signed ‘Billodes’, metal cuvette numbered ‘524366’, together with a silver keyless wind open face pocket watch, import marks for London 1907 and and a 14ct gold wristwatch, floral and foliate engraved to the reverse, on leather strap, first watch diameter 50mm, second 48mm, third 22mm. (3) £80-£100

The Swiss grouse fineness mark was used between 1882-1934.

Billodes was the forerunner to the Swiss watch brand Zenith, and was founded in 1865 by the 22 year old George Favre-Jacot in Le Locle. The Zenith brand name was not adopted as the sole company name until circa 1910.

K Serkisoff & Co was a Turkish wholesale importer established under the Ottoman Empire in Istanbul (formerly Constantinople) and from 1880 were the exclusive suppliers for the Turkish National Railways. Since that date, it has been a tradition to present a Serkisoff railway watch to employees retiring from the Turkish Railways, a tradition that has continued until just a few years ago.