2280

Choice Gold Watch and Gold Quartz Chain, 1870's, Virginia City, Nevada

Currency:USD Category:Collectibles / Mining Start Price:5,000.00 USD Estimated At:10,000.00 - 17,500.00 USD
Choice Gold Watch and Gold Quartz Chain, 1870's, Virginia City, Nevada
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This is the finest gold watch with gold quartz chain from Nevada in existence. The only other comparable piece we've seen was from Seven troughs that sold for approximately $25,000 about ten years ago.

Beautiful size 18 Elgin pocket watch with 7-jewel hunter case movement. Key wind and set. Single sunk white "M.M. Fredrick" dial, black roman numerals, blued spade hands. The glass crystal is in excellent condition, with no scratches or chips. Dial bears hairline cracks. The gold filled case is a G.W.L., serial number 22368, with no other markings save for small initials representing various entities who once handled or repaired the watch. The Elgin 7-jewel full-plate mechanism is a J. T. Ryerson with a 200353 serial number indicating this watch mechanism was manufactured in 1872. "M. M. Fredrick/ Virginia, Nev" is also engraved in the mechanism. The lightly embellished case is worn through to the brass on the front and rear of the crown post. Included is a fabulous 13" gold quartz chain with an additional 3.5" connected to a T-bar, and a 1" segment bearing a gold quartz locket fob. The chain consists of six 1.5" segments of gold in quartz (alternating pink and black quartz samples) and the fob is gold in pink quartz on one side, with samples of gold in green and black quartz on reverse. The 1.25" x 1.5" locket is empty, but has space for a 0.75" x 1" photo in each half. The T-bar also bears pink and black quartz with gold, with only slight chipping on the black sample. This stunning chain and watch represent a fine work of art by the Pioneer Watch Maker. Winding key included.


The M. M. Fredrick business was truly one of the pioneer jewelry businesses in Nevada. It began as Eaves & Nye in Virginia City in late 1862 or early 1863. William T. Eaves and Emanuel Nye started their jewelry store on the corner of C and Union Streets. Eaves lived in the building, perhaps in an apartment in the back or upstairs as was the common practice in Virginia City at the time. Nye, a carpenter in 1862 in Virginia City, lived on Stewart. Eaves was not present in 1862 for inclusion in Kelley`s First Directory of Nevada Territory [Ref: 1862 and 1863 Nevada Territory Directories]. Nye took over the partnership in the mid-1860s. By 1867 the firm was known as Nye & Rothenbucher, according to Langley`s Pacific Coast Business Directory for 1867. Emanuel Nye may have briefly left Virginia City in the early 1870s. The name does not appear again until much later, and then as a saloon proprietor. In 1871, the firm Nye & Co. was run by Issac Fredrick, probably a relative of M. M. Fredrick. Both the Nye & Co. and Fredrick businesses were listed at the same address, 36 South C Street in the 1871 Langley Pacific Coast Business Directory. They were listed as watch makers and jewelers. M. M. Fredrick took over the business and began using his own name in 1872, calling himself a manufacturing jeweler. The business made it through the fire of 1875. By 1877 Fredrick was billed as the Nevada Jewelry Manufactory, as listed on his billheads and in the Bishop`s Directory of Virginia City and surrounds in 1878. Meanwhile, Fredrick`s business was doing so well that he opened two other businesses. The M. M. Fredrick House, a lodging establishment on the north east corner of Union and C Streets, was opened about 1876 and run by his son, M. M. Fredrick, Jr. He also ran an auction business in 1876 [Ref: 1876 Langley Pacific Coast Business Directory]. By 1883, Fredrick was known as the Pioneer Watch Maker, still located at the old shop address, 36 South C. His store and business was then twenty years old [Ref: McKenney`s Oregon State Directory for 1883]. City: Virginia City State: Nevada Date: hwac# 36216