Hello Wil,
Thank you sending in this pocket watch to mearto.com for an appraisal. I shall do that for you today.
TITLE:
Gent’s, gold-plated base metal, pendant wound/set, hunting case pocket watch with a modern era flexible watch chain, mechanical movement made in Hong Kong using the “General” name on the dial, made circa 1980s.
DESCRIPTION:
Case: 37/38 mm diameter, three leaf, gold plated base metal hunting case pocket watch with fluted push button pendant and embossed gilt bow attached to the polished flexible link watch chain. The pendant stem and one cover is engine turned, the cover also is embossed with foliate patterns while the front cover has an embossed fisherman in bas relief. The interiors of the covers have circular damascening.
Dial: White enameled dial with Roman hours, open bar minute ring with green dotted half hour markers (most are slightly off the half hour mark), red flowers on green vines decorate the dial center, shiny black rococo fenestrated hands while the dial is marked, “General” above, ‘Antimagnetic’ below and ‘Hong Kong’ at the base of the dial.
Movement: Not shown but most likely a movement significantly smaller than the diameter of the case with three quarter steel or nickel plate, monometallic balance wheel with hairspring, Swiss type of index regulator with +/- marks for faster and slower. The movement may be signed on one of the two exposed gears, the ratchet and crown wheels. Low jewel count.
Condition: Case – Poorly executed and the depiction of the fisherman is without real clarity while the floral cover is slightly better. The dial is typical of the Hong Kong watches made toward the end of the 20th century with a plethora of faux brand names, Dial: Fairly typical of the modestly painted Hong Kong dials. Movement – not shown and most were made with inexpensive mechanical movements while some were made with quartz movements.
HISTORY OF Hong Kong watches, SEE:
https://www.hkmemory.hk/MHK/collections/postwar_industries/manufacturing_industries/clocks_and_watches/industry_focus/index.html
COMPARABLES:
~https://www.ebay.com/itm/283808854891?chn=ps&norover=1&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-117182-37290-0&mkcid=2&itemid=283808854891&targetid=1068323858350&device=c&mktype=pla&googleloc=9003761&poi=&campaignid=10454522063&mkgroupid=104612011340&rlsatarget=aud-622524041478:pla-1068323858350&abcId=2146002&merchantid=6296724&gclid=CjwKCAiAjp6BBhAIEiwAkO9WuqjfO1_bcIvG8SEgut-8dyCanamOyhkM0K07VR_J0MT6vQPv8nn47hoC1kQQAvD_BwE (sold recently for $30)
~https://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Hong-Kong-Railroad-Train-Pocket-Watch-See-Description-/114660306309?hash=item1ab2496d85%3Ag%3ANxsAAOSwRhVgFyHv&nma=true&si=wXx14D7J%252Ba89sQhX6q55mb4EXpQ%253D&orig_cvip=true&nordt=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557 (offered with locomotive for $75 but went unsold)
~https://www.ebay.com/itm/VINTAGE-REMINGTON-POCKET-WATCH-ANTIMAGNETIC-EMBOSSED-HORSES-MADE-IN-HONG-KONG-/324382144527?hash=item4b86aeb80f%3Ag%3Adl8AAOSwdg9fDxot&nma=true&si=wXx14D7J%252Ba89sQhX6q55mb4EXpQ%253D&orig_cvip=true&nordt=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557 (offered for $29.99 and sold for less than that figure.)
PRICING:
The fair market value of your pocket watch would be in the range, $20-$30. These were never used as railroad watches for several reasons. In the USA (where you are located) railroad watches had to have at least an Arabic dial and more than 21 jewels.
Thank you for choosing mearto.com for your appraisal.
David