M.S Bronikoff

M. S Bronikoff, Viatka, Russia, circa 1870.Very rare and fine watch entirely made of box-wood and bone, in its original fitted case and accompanied by its original carved-wood chain and key. Double-body, entirely made of box-wood. Wooden with Arabic numerals on bone cartouches and subsidiary seconds. Bone hands. Entirely made of wood,with pinned wooden bridges, excluding the mainspring, balance-spring and pivots, with going barrel, cylinder escapement, plain wood three-arm balance.Signed inside back cover. Diam. 50 mm. Notes This watch is published in the Ruscitti book, as no. 74.BronikoffThe First Russian Exhibition of Folk Art held in 1837 in Viatka presented works by S.I. Bronikoff, a carpenter's son, who demonstrated that wood is suitable not only for lacquer boxes and wooden spoons but also for such complex devices as watches. His watches attracted the attention of the young Russian Emperor Alexander Romanov, who purchased one. Wooden watches became the Bronikoff family tradition. Various sorts of wood were used -wart, honeysuckle, palm-wood and ivory- according to the partf the watch to be made. Bronikoff watches drew great interest wherever they were shown and won a number of awards, including the Honor Prize for wood and ivory watches at the St.Petersburg exhibition in 1870, a Silver Medal for a palm-wood watch with a palm-wood chain at the Nizhny Novgorod Russian Art Exhibition in 1896. In 1900, Bronikoff watches were sent to the Paris Universal Exhibition. Bro Read more…