Featured Great Grandmother's necklace question

Discussion in 'Jewelry' started by wiscbirddog, Feb 13, 2019.

  1. wiscbirddog

    wiscbirddog Well-Known Member

    This is a picture of my Great Grandmother showing her wearing a pin from which is hanging a watch. I am the proud owner of the pin & gold filled watch. My question is: what would you call the necklace she is wearing and why does it loop up & appear to attach to the watch or pin? TY Lucinda1.jpg
     
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  2. Marie Forjan

    Marie Forjan Well-Known Member

    Yes, the watch pins on the dress and is also attached to the chain. Just to the right of the watch there is a slide on the chain, very pretty!!!! Do you have the chain and slide?
     
  3. Bronwen

    Bronwen Well-Known Member

    She could unhook the watch to check the time without fear of dropping it while also being able to hold it far enough away to read it. Thank you so much for posting this. I see many brooches with a hook for a watch; I also have one of these long chains with a little slide & a 'dog leash clip' at the end. Guess you could call it a watch leash.

    I use the chain for the loupe I take with me to jewellery shows. This make perfect sense, because the slide slides very easily; too easily to stay in place when all of the chain hangs straight down.
     
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  4. wiscbirddog

    wiscbirddog Well-Known Member

    No I don't have the chain & slide. Is there a specific name to call the slide chain? Am thinking about looking for one to go with the watch & pin.

    She was swept away in a flood in 1923 & never positively identified in the bodies found. I know she got the watch & pin as a present for graduation years before. I have one picture of her mother, showing the same watch & pin, so I'm not sure if it was handed 'down' or perhaps her mother borrowed it for her photograph.
     
  5. kyratango

    kyratango Bug jewellery addiction!

    In France we call these chains "sautoir", in English you call them long chain or guard chain:)
     
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  6. wiscbirddog

    wiscbirddog Well-Known Member

    Thanks for explanation for why someone would use 2 forms of securing the watch. Didn't dawn on me that being pinned to your dress would make it impossible to use to check the time.
     
  7. Bronwen

    Bronwen Well-Known Member

    I lie. I have a vintage watch on the one with the slide, which does not have a clasp. The loupe chain is slide-less & does have a clasp, although it is not needed.

    Watch leash 1.jpg Watch leash 2.jpg
     
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  8. Bronwen

    Bronwen Well-Known Member

    To keep the watch from jumping out of your hand?
     
  9. kyratango

    kyratango Bug jewellery addiction!

    Good explanation :hilarious:
    But in fact... IDK the origin of this name :sorry:
     
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  10. wiscbirddog

    wiscbirddog Well-Known Member

    Thanks for the French word! I'm French by marriage with a last name that ends in "ais" - 99% of Americans never pronounce it right - lol
     
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  11. Bronwen

    Bronwen Well-Known Member

    An eBay search for 'Victorian slide chain' returned more than 200 results. First ones up are just the sort of thing you are looking for.
     
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  12. wiscbirddog

    wiscbirddog Well-Known Member

    Thanks Bronwen! Off to have a look on eBay.
     
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  13. Bronwen

    Bronwen Well-Known Member

    In photo, looks as though the watch is attached to show the decorative case outward instead of the watch face. She would really need to be a contortionist to read the time without removing it from its hook.

    I have my grandmother's little, inexpensive, pocket watch. My jeweller, who has worked some wonders, including with the little watch shown above, was unable to get it running. Cosmetically it's still OK. Sometime must put watch & chain together with this watch pin & wear to some vintage jewellery event.

    Hour4DayStoneB.PNG
     
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  14. evelyb30

    evelyb30 Well-Known Member

    If it's a full hunter case, you'd have to do something. Half hunters could just be flipped up. They still make nurse's watches that hang from a pin, upside-down. You pin the watch to your uniform and flip it up with the back of a hand/wrist. If you're a medical professional, you may not want a watch where it's going to get wet or get other gunk on it.
     
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  15. wiscbirddog

    wiscbirddog Well-Known Member

    @Bronwen Would I be better off calling this a watch locket? It is decorated the same on both sides & you push down on the winding knob to pop it open.
     
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  16. Bronwen

    Bronwen Well-Known Member

    My grandmother's watch is just the same. I would just call it a ladies pocket watch, but believe the watch-world term is 'hunter':

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pocket_watch
     
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  17. Bronwen

    Bronwen Well-Known Member

    Sorry evelyb. Following tag alert took me on down past your post. I'd always wondered what 'hunter' meant in horological terminology. I always seem to see it in connection with men's timepieces, so thought it was something sporting.
     
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  18. Fid

    Fid Well-Known Member

    nurse watch.
     
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  19. wiscbirddog

    wiscbirddog Well-Known Member

    It is a full hunter case.
     
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  20. wiscbirddog

    wiscbirddog Well-Known Member

    Just took the watch & pin out of the display case. . .the brooch's "pin" part goes thru the round loop above the winding knob. . .so you couldn't take the watch off the brooch. . .so now I'm back to wondering why the slide chain is needed?
     
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