Victor Kullberg Fusee Pocket Watch with Up/Down Indicator

18kt gold Victor Kullberg Demi-hunter Fusee Pocket Watch with Up/Down Indicator

This watch is English made c.1915 based on the hallmarks on the case. The serial number 6293 on the dial, case, and movement match.

The movement is of top quality and is fitted with diamond end-stones on the balance, a free-sprung Breguet hairspring, temperature compensating balance wheel, the movement is fully jeweled all the way back to the fusee cone, and an English lever escapement.

The case was made by Fred Thoms, regarded as the best London casemaker of his day. The demi-hunter case has blue painted Roman numerals on the front cover. The rear cover is engraved with a crest of a tower and a wheatsheaf emerging from a mural crown, and with a bird on top, which is linked to the Hitchins family. The words "DOMUS ANGLI" engraved below translates to "English House".
The inner rear cover is engraved "Colonel Charles Faunce Hitchins D.S.O."

The enamel dial is in near perfect condition with no visible chips or cracks. A sub-second dial is located a 9 o'clock, and the up/down indicator opposite it at 3 o'clock. The up/down indicator rotates counter-clockwise as the watch is wound up.
Time is displayed via blued steel hands and features its original double hour hand so the time can be viewed through the demi-hunter crystal easily.
Adjusting the time is achieved by opening the front cover and depressing a small lever at 4 o'clock while rotating the crown.

The owner of the watch was Charles Faunce Hitchins, commanding officer of 2/5th Battalion Loyal North Lancashire from 5 July 1916 to the end of the war and was awarded the DSO (Distinguished Service Order) as a New Year honor in 1918. He was an engineer and became MD of the British Vacuum Cleaner Company and died aged 87. As a commanding officer there are some references to him in books on the first world war and his death warranted a couple of small entries in The Times newspaper.

Please feel free to contact us with any questions.