Museum Collection
Silver Prize Watch
Early in the XX century, Ivan Shiryayev, a noncommissioned officer of the 6th Company of the 12th Don Cossack Regiment, was awarded a silver prize pocket watch for his skill in fancy riding. Such a watch was rather a popular award in the total system of encouragement for the lower ranks of the Russian army. The mechanical balance watch has a round body and three lids (one front and two rear ones). The dial is covered with white enamel, has a full digitizing and a side second hand. The upper part of the dial bears an inscription “ПавелБуре” (Paul Buhre). On the outer side of the upper lid, in the centre, there is a picture of a group of horsemen galloping; in the foreground a horseman is standing on the back of the horse. The circular edge bears an inscription “Prize for Fancy Riding”. The inner side bears an inscription in three lines “To Ivan Shiryayev, the officer of the 6th Company of the 12th Don Cossack Regiment”.
On the outer side of the inner lid covering the watch mechanism, there is a picture of a Small Coat of Arms of the Russian Empire and a three line inscription “Pavel Buhre, a supplier of the courtyard of His Majesty”. On the inner side there are assay marks 875 of Switzerland for silverware, a sample of the metal in the Stamp board and a serial number 214849, which enables to determine the dating of the watch as 1907–1908.
The watch was produced by the Trading House “Pavel Buhre” founded in 1815 by Paul-Leopold Buhre in St.Petersburg. From December, 1879 it gained a title of a Supplier of the Courtyard of His Imperial Majesty. In 1899, the firm was awarded a title of the Supplier of the Imperial Court. In 1917, the trading house ceased its operations in Russia.
Lyudmila Kochetova
 |
 |
 |
 |
