Fitted Pocket Watch Box in Silk and Velvet, c.1900
A wooden presentation box for a pocket watch, made around 1900 to hold a single open-face watch of about 40mm.
The lid is lined in padded pale-blue silk, the base in dark navy velvet with a shaped crescent cushion that cradles the watch. It closes on a brass pin hinge and a small sprung catch on the front edge, both still working: the lid snaps shut and holds. The timber is unmarked, with no maker or retailer name anywhere, and reads as a fruitwood or mahogany. It carries honest surface wear, fine scratches and some darkening across the wood, though the box itself is complete and undamaged, the silk and velvet sound and nothing missing.
Boxes like this were made to travel with a watch and to present it when it was not being worn. Few survive whole, with their linings intact and their catches still closing. It measures 8 by 10 cm and stands about 4 cm deep when shut.
