Heavy 18ct gold half hunter pocket watch by Frank Hyams,…

• Frank Hyams Ltd. - Frank Hyams purchased a jewellery business in Princess Street Dunedin in 1885. As well as a manufacturing jeweller, he was a silversmith and goldsmith and specialised in jewellery incorporating New Zealand greenstone. At the New Zealand and South Seas Exhibition in 1890 he secured "first order of merit" for the manufacture of gold, gem and greenstone jewellery.
  
  Concurrent with his Dunedin store, in 1902 Frank Hyams registered a limited company, Frank Hyams Ltd., and established a business in London, at 167 New Bond Street, and later at 128 New Bond Street, London, trading as 'artistic jewellers, gold and silversmiths, and dealers in gems of rarity'.
  
  Frank Hyams established a reputation within the English aristocratic and upper class social circles for his unique one-off curiosity pieces incorporating materials and design influences from his New Zealand homeland.
  
  The British Museum has a collection of 36 badges manufactured by Frank Hyams Ltd., circa 1906.
  
  According to the London Gazette, in 1913 at an Extraordinary General Meeting it was voted that the company be voluntarily wound up and Frank Hyams was appointed liquidator.
• Half Hunter - A half-hunter (or "demi hunter") pocket watch is one in which the outer lid over the face of the watch has a cut out centre section, enabling the owner to view the hands to tell the time, without having to open the lid. On some half-hunter watches, the hours are marked on the outer lid.
• Keyless Watch - A keyless watch is a type of pocket watch or wristwatch that does not require a separate winding key to wind or set the time. Instead, a keyless watch is wound and set by a small knob or button located on the side of the watch, called a crown.
  
  Keyless watches were first introduced in the late 19th century and quickly became popular due to their convenience and ease of use. Prior to the development of keyless watches, pocket watches were typically wound and set using a small key that was inserted into a hole in the watch case. The key would be turned to wind the watch's mainspring, and then turned again to set the time.
  
  With the introduction of the keyless watch, watchmakers were able to simplify the winding and setting process by eliminating the need for a separate key. Instead, the crown on the side of the watch could be pulled out to set the time, and then pushed back in to wind the watch's mainspring.
  
  The keyless watch design has since become the standard for most modern watches, both pocket and wristwatches. In addition to being more convenient to use, keyless watches are also typically more reliable and accurate than earlier models that used winding keys.
• Movement - The technical name for the workings of a clock or watch, and does not include the dial or case.
• Hunter - A hunter pocket watch is the type where the case includes a spring-hinged circular metal lid or cover, that closes over the glass face of the watch, protecting it from dust, scratches and other damage or debris. The majority of antique and vintage hunter-case watches have the lid-hinges at the 9 o?clock position, suiting the right handed user.

This item has been included into following indexes:

• Hyams, Frank (New Zealand) - silver and jewellery 15
• pocket watches, case type - half-hunter, gold cased 106