Featured What is this exactly? 14k timepiece

If you don't mind, what is the "bale" of a pocket watch?

 

"bail"

Is this a test? Lol 'Cuz I figured out even that is incorrect. These are watch "rings"



"Bales" are used to connect pendant elements of jewelry.



The watch below has a ring. The topic watch does not.

 

What you are calling watch rings ate usually called 'bows' because they were originally bow shaped, see pre 19th c watches for examples. I would call the the bit the bow fits, the pendant.

These terms may differ in the US, the country that gave us 'proactive' and 'for free'

 

My watch anatomy searches led me to the page of bows, which is what they're called in the catalog - thanks, @afantiques

I think I've dug down far enough

 

Got it open and everything checks out. J Schulz movement swiss 17 jewels. What I am more excited about is that there is a whopping total of 30.3 grams of 14k! Not that I'm a scrapper but it's nice to know. Will bring it to my watchmaker in hopes of seeing it run again!

 

scrap price today...14 Karat.....$26.69/gram........ $ 808.71 total...
not bad !

 

Just a pennyworth....

Before the crisis of 2008-12, watch movements alone here were fairly rare. Almost all were in their original 18ct (almost all French gold watches are / were 18ct) or silver cases. Then the price of gold and to a lesser extent, silver, shot up.

Over the past 10 years or so, I have seen a vast loss of heritage that our descendants will curse us for one day I suspect. People here have been buying later 18C -mid 19C watches in 18ct gold and meting down the cases for scrap. As antique watch prices have fallen and fallen, many now are worth more in scrapping the case and selling the movement separately, than they are as a whole unit. It's only where the watch has a higher value (usually meaning earlier-mid 18C) that the scrap value equation doesn't work and the watch survives intact.

It's a tragedy. I know several professionals who buy and scrap watches, proudly proclaiming they can make $30-$50 "clear profit" by doing so. I've seen 200+ year old pieces, dozens and dozens of them, lost to this - all for the sake of a few dollars/euros/pounds. I have no idea how many older pieces have been lost for this reason - certainly thousands and thousands I suspect.

Worse, the auctions and clearances are now bulging with bags and boxes of nice old watch movements on their own, that have little or no value. Their cases have long since been melted down. Some are kept for spares, some have a little value if they're by a bigger name or have complications.

I accept a buyer's right to do what they want with their items - no controversy intended but for me, as a sentimentalist, it is still sad.

 

I've scrapped a few watches here and there, but they were post-WWII and ladies into the bargain. No style and no loss. People who scrap 18th century watches....

 

maybe if gold wasn't at $ 1440. an oz......
but few today wear pocket watches....& only the finest movements are still sought after........

I remember when I thought gold at $600 was to pricey to buy ! HA !!!!!!