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Art Nouveau Watches

ART NOUVEAU STYLE

Art Nouveau — generally considered to have begun in the late 1800s and ended with the start of World War I — was a movement in the decorative arts that drew inspiration from natural forms, such as trees, flowers and, of course, the human figure. The three main themes present in Art Nouveau jewelry and watches were flora, fauna and women.

Art Nouveau, which reached its pinnacle in the year 1900, spawned from artists who rejected the historicism of their predecessors to create an entirely new visual vocabulary. As compared to Art Deco jewelry’s geometric patterns and sharp lines, the extravagant style of antique Art Nouveau jewelry is characterized by curvilinear forms and whiplash lines, vibrant materials and dramatic imagery.

The first art and design movement of the 20th century, Art Nouveau was also a reaction against the Industrial Revolution, and took its inspiration from the theories of the Symbolists, the art of the Pre-Raphaelites, the ideas of John Ruskin and his follower William Morris and, most importantly Japanese crafts. (The country was a fertile ground for inspiration after it was opened to the West in 1854.) The Art Nouveau style touched all manners of the arts, including the most exultant jewelry.

Nature was a favorite muse for artists going back to the 18th and 19th centuries, but in the hands of 20th-century artists, it was depicted in new ways. For example, a withering flower was considered just as beautiful as one in full bloom. Winged creatures, such as insects and birds, were also a popular subject. Dragonflies and butterflies were particular favorites because they morphed so dramatically in different life stages.

This was also a reference to women, whose role in society was evolving. It was not uncommon to see a piece of jewelry that would at once reference a woman as a winged creature (think René Lalique’s famous Dragonfly brooch, circa 1897–98, at the Gulbenkian Collection in Lisbon). However, just as women’s roles were ambiguous, so was their image, as the femmes nouvelle were simultaneously eroticized and romanticized.

In addition to Lalique, vital figures in Art Nouveau jewelry included Louis Comfort Tiffany in the United States, Vladimir Soloviev, who designed jewelry for Peter Carl Fabergé in Russia, Fuset Grau of Spain, Karl Rothmuller of Germany and Philippe Wolfers of Belgium.

Art Nouveau jewelers used every “canvas” imaginable, looking beyond brooches and necklaces to belt buckles, fans, tiaras, dog collars (a type of choker necklace), pocket watches, corsages and hair combs. Multicolored gems and enamel could complete this vision better than diamonds. Jewelers also favored pearls, particularly baroque pearls, for their large size and irregular shape. However, opal was the most popular stone — its iridescence harmonized perfectly with the enamel, and it could be carved into any shape. Art Nouveau jewelry was primarily set in yellow gold.

Find a range of antique Art Nouveau jewelry today on 1stDibs.

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Period: Early 1900s
Style: Art Nouveau
Elgin National Watch Co. Solid 14K Gold Pocket Watch in Mint Condition
Located in Laguna Beach, CA
Circa 1900 Beautiful Antique Elgin Pocket Watch has Ornate Cobalt Blue Hands and dedicated seconds dial 14k Solid Gold Case with Beautiful Engraving on both sides Black Arabic Numer...
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Early 1900s American Antique Art Nouveau Watches

Materials

14k Gold

Waltham 14k Yellow Gold Hunters Cased Pocket Watch Circa 1900 Hand Engraved
Located in Long Beach, CA
FACTORY / HOUSE: Waltham Watch Company STYLE / REFERENCE: Hunters Case Pocket Watch METAL / MATERIAL: 14Kt. Solid Yellow Gold CIRCA / YEAR: 1900 DIMENSIONS / SIZE: 45mm Diameter MOVEMENT / CALIBER: Manual Winding / Jewels 17 / Caliber 12 Size Royal DIAL / HANDS: White Enamel Dial with Roman Numerals / Blued Steel Spade Hands WARRANTY: 18 months on the movement This is a "vault find" watch, it has been locked up for nearly 50 years, which means it needs a service. We will give it a factory quality service by our finest watchmaker as part of the purchase price before it is shipped out to you. This will delay shipping for a few days of course. LIFETIME SERVICE COMMITMENT This solid gold watch is entirely hand made and hand engraved. It is in excellent original condition. The dial is done in Kiln Fired Enamel and the movement is high grade. The workmanship is exceptional and as is the condition of the watch itself. This watch is supplied with a gold filled pocket watch chain, or a solid gold pocket...
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Early 1900s American Antique Art Nouveau Watches

Materials

Yellow Gold

Elgin Gold Filled Pocket Watch with Unique Floral and Initials Engraving 1900s
Located in Long Beach, CA
FACTORY / HOUSE: Elgin Watch Company STYLE / REFERENCE: Pendant Style METAL / MATERIAL: Yellow Gold Filled CIRCA / YEAR: 1901 DIMENSIONS / SIZE: Diameter 35mm MOVEMENT / CALIBER: ...
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Early 1900s American Antique Art Nouveau Watches

Longines 18kt. Yellow Gold Art Nouveau Style Presentation Watch Box and Papers
Located in Long Beach, CA
FACTORY / HOUSE: Longines Watch Company STYLE / REFERENCE: Art Nouveau METAL / MATERIAL: 18Kt. Yellows Gold CIRCA / YEAR: 1900's DIMENSIONS / SIZE: Diameter 35mm MOVEMENT / CALIBER: Manual Winding / 17 Jewels DIAL / HANDS: Kiln Fired Enamel Dial with Filigree Hands WARRANTY: 18 months on the movement LIFETIME SERVICE COMMITMENT This is a "vault find" watch, it has been locked up for nearly 50 years, which means it needs a service. We will service it for you as part of the purchase price before it is shipped out to you. This will delay shipping for a few days of course. It is rare that we find watches with their original box and papers that are this old. This unique pendant was presented as an award for shooting contest. The watch comes with original documentation as well discussing the event which was a woman's shooting contest. The watch is in excellent original condition and can actually be worn and counted on all the time. This is a truly unique item. The company was founded in 1832 by Auguste Agassiz, a Swiss watchmaker. He was also the brother of renowned biologist Louis Agassiz. Agassiz started the company with two partners, lawyers Henri Raiguel and Florian Morel. The company's original name was Raiguel Jeune & Cie. In 1846, Raigeul and Morel retired from the watch industry, leaving Agassiz as sole company head. Several years later, Agassiz brought in his bright, enterprising nephew, trained economist Ernest Francillon, into the business. Francillon was the mastermind behind several impressive innovations that would distinguish the company from its competitors. In 1880, Francillon trademarked the Longines name and its winged hourglass logo. The winged hourglass is a symbol of precision and timekeeping, and it has become one of the most recognizable logos in the watch industry. In 1912, Longines became the official timekeeper of the Olympic Games. The company has held this position ever since, and it has been involved in every Olympic Games since then. Longines has also been the official timekeeper of many other major sporting events, including the World Championships in Athletics, the Formula One World Championship, and the America's Cup. In 1931, Longines invented the Lindbergh Hour Angle watch. This watch was designed specifically for Charles Lindbergh, the first person to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean. The watch featured a special bezel that allowed Lindbergh to calculate his longitude. In my own personal collection, I have the Longines Caliber 13 ZN Chronograph that Commander Richard Byrd took to Antarctica in 1928. It was purchased at the time from Abercrombie and Fitch in New York along with all the other equipment used on the expedition, it still runs well and keeps good, even after 100 years. In the 1980’s I was privileged to view their “collection” in their vaults. It was not open to the public, but a contact arranged it. There were examples of all the finest pocket and wristwatches they had ever produced. This included all the pieces that had received navigational and chronometer ratings. They were not even arranged for presentation; they were merely in drawers. I was shown the collection by their renowned “springer.” I have forgotten his name, but he was responsible for adjusting the watches to win the chronometer ratings. He was probably 80 years old at the time. Interestingly but not surprisingly he could only speak to me about adjusting the hairspring but not about the watch in general. This is something that is not uncommon in the watch world. A craftsman will only know about the part of the watch that they are responsible for. When I produced my own watch in Geneva many years ago, I realized that the dial maker and case maker and other associated craftsmen knew almost nothing about what each other did. This seemed odd to me, but it is that way. Lastly, our family jewelry store in Los Angeles was an official Longines retailer so I can speak from personal experience that Longines is an exceptional watch company regarding their service and dependability. They are also famous for the “Ultra Chron...
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Early 1900s Swiss Antique Art Nouveau Watches

Waltham Yellow Gold Filled Art Nouveau Open Faced Pocket Watch from, 1905
Located in Long Beach, CA
FACTORY / HOUSE: Waltham Watch Company STYLE / REFERENCE: Open Faced Pocket Watch / 16 Size / Hand Engraved METAL / MATERIAL: Yellow Gold Filled CIRCA / YEAR: 1905 DIMENSIONS / SIZE: Diameter 50mm MOVEMENT / CALIBER: Manual Winding / 17 Jewels DIAL / HANDS: Flawless Kiln Fired Enamel with Arabic Numerals / Blued Steel Hands ATTACHMENT / LENGTH: Supplied with a Gold Filled Pocket Watch Chain...
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Early 1900s American Antique Art Nouveau Watches

Ferdinand Verger Freres Platinum Tonneau Art Deco Art Nouveau Watch with Diamond
Located in PARIS, FR
VERGER FRERES Founded in 1872 For the discerning ones Wear Verger watch it's integrate the club of famous clients : Mary Pickford, Arletty, Mistinguett, Joan Crawford, Paulette Godard, Katherine Hepburn, Claudette Colbert, Greta Garbo, Marlene Dietrich, Dolores Del Rio, Anne May Wong, Merle Oberon, Mae West, Sonja Henie, Gloria Swanson... Founded in 1872 by Ferdinand Verger, Verger Frères realised the synthesis in its time between Art Nouveau and Art Deco. Due to its recognized know-how during the Roaring Twenties, Verger Frères worked for the most renowned European jewelers such as Boucheron, Van Cleef & Arpels, Hermès, Ostertag or Lacloche Frères, as well as the great American Jewelers such as Tiffany & Co, Marcus & Co, Black Starr & Frost. Thus, Verger Frères became a Jeweler of Jewelers, working for all the major houses, from Place Vendôme in Paris, to Rue du Rhône in Geneva, to 5th Avenue in New York and Rodeo Drive in Los Angeles. A Gerald Genta of its Time. During the 1920s, the city of Paris became the capital of the arts and the privileged meeting place for artists and intellectuals of that time. Thus, Gertrude Stein introduced Picasso, Braque and Matisse to the works of Hemingway and Scott Fitzgerald. The beautiful world frequents the salons of the capital, and Verger Frères is the jeweler of choice for many personalities. A year before the great founding exhibition of Art Deco in Paris, in 1924, French luxury was exported to New York at the Grand Central Palace for an exhibition which, for the first time, brought together Parisian jewelers such as Verger Frères, Cartier, Mauboussin or Templier with fashion designers like the Callot sisters, Paquin, Vionnet, Jeanne Lanvin, or Worth. Thanks to this exposure, it will be able to develop throughout the United States with a presence at Neiman Marcus as well as at the first retailers in major American cities such as Philadelphia (Caldwell J.E.), Palm Beach (Greenleaf & Crosby) or Chicago (Trabert & Hoeffer ) and especially in Los Angeles with Trabert & Hoeffer and Laykin, two of the jewelers, of which all of Hollywood was a customer. Verger deserves immortality, as do most of the objects that they made. As Ralph Esmerian concisely put it: “In terms of their creativity and production, they’re [Verger] right at the top of the French manufacturers, including the great retail names”. Make the perfect gift with this fabulous Art Deco watch by Ferdinand Verger the founder of Verger Frères. The early pieces will bear the early trademark, “FV”, for Ferdinand Verger (after 1872); “VF” for Verger Frères from 1911–1935; Georges Verger...
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Early 1900s French Antique Art Nouveau Watches

Materials

Diamond, Platinum

Remontoir Cylindre 10 Rubis Woman's Swiss Pocket Watch 14 Carat Gold Diamonds
Located in Vienna, AT
Remontoir Cylindre 10 Rubis Woman's Pocket Watch with three lids. Made of 14 ct slight red gold, with eight diamonds (= 0,40 ct in total) decorating...
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Early 1900s Swiss Antique Art Nouveau Watches

Materials

Diamond, Gold, 14k Gold

Leather Cuff Watch in 18kt. Gold with Rose Cut Diamond Bezel
Located in Long Beach, CA
FACTORY / HOUSE: Leather Cuff Watch STYLE / REFERENCE: Custom Made METAL / MATERIAL: 18Kt. Yellow Gold CIRCA / YEAR: 1900's DIMENSIONS / SIZE: Len...
Category

Early 1900s Swiss Antique Art Nouveau Watches

Hampden 18kt Solid Gold Art Nouveau Open Face Pocket Watch Original Dial, 1904
Located in Long Beach, CA
FACTORY / HOUSE: Hampden Watch Co. STYLE / REFERENCE: Open Face / High Grade Movement METAL / MATERIAL: 18Kt Solid Yellow Gold CIRCA / YEAR: 1904 DIME...
Category

Early 1900s American Antique Art Nouveau Watches

Materials

18k Gold

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Waltham Yellow Gold Filled Art Deco Tonneau Shaped Watch from 1934
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Elgin Yellow Gold Filled 1940's Art deco Tonneau Shaped Watch with Original Dial
Located in Long Beach, CA
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Previously Available Items
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Tiffany & Co. 18Kt. Solid Gold High Grade Hand Made Chronograph, circa 1900's
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