Mikhail Semyonovitch Bronnikov

Mikhail Semyonovitch Bronnikov, (Vjatka, Russia). Made circa 1865. Fine and very rare, pocket watch entirely made of birchwood and bone. Double-body, hinged back cover, polished, bezels with turned ribs at the edges, small circles in the center. Wooden with Arabic numerals on bone cartouches and subsidiary seconds. Wooden hands. Entirely made of wood with pinned wooden bridges, excluding the mainspring, balance-spring and pivots, with going barrel, cylinder escapement with bone staff, plain wood three-arm balance. Signed inside back cover in Cyrillic. Diam. 50 mm. Notes Bronnikov's inventive design features a movement which is an integral part of the case, the dial which serves as the pillar plate and the bridges and cock supported by brackets milled in the back part of the band. The same idea was later employed by the celebrated Albert Potter. Bronnikov A family from Vjatka, Russia that specialized in the making of all-wood and all-ivory watches. The first recorded member of the family was Ivan Bronnikov (c. 1770 - 1860), a joiner and turner. His son, Semyon Ivanovitch (1800 - 1875), made a pocket watch enirely carved out of wood for an 1837 exhibition. The future czar Alexander II is said to have purchased the watch. Two of Semyon's seven sons, Mikhail Semyonovitch and Nicolai Semyonovitch, continued his work. Mikhail's son Nicolai Mikhailovitch was the last watchmaker in the family. Nicolai Mikhailovitch traveled to Moscow in 1909 or 1910 and is said to have work Read more…