Unusual pocket watch dial – origin?

[pkamargo]

Hello to all!
The image attached shows a pocket watch with an unusual dial. I got this image from a facebook post… but I already had a pocket watch with this kind of dial in my hands. It’s not roman nor arabic numbers, and I have no idea about where it is from. These numbers are like a combination of arrows pointing up or down with small signals at left or right, and a zero figure in place of number seven… I found very strange!
Does anybody have any clue about where is this from?

[Bob Tascione]

Hi Pkamargo,
This watch has Turkish numerals and was probably made for the Ottoman Turkish market. Different companies made watches for this market so would need to know more about the movement to nail down it’s origin.

Hope this helps,
Bob

[pkamargo]

Turkish, huh? Interesting!

Thank you very much for this info, Bob!
Now about the movement, the only thing I remember from the watch I had in hands (more than one year ago…) is that it was a cylinder escapement type.

[david pierce]

There may be some significance with the markings between 4:00 and 5:00 to signal a time for prayer. Maybe someone on the forum knows.
david

[pkamargo]

Well, I googled about turkish numerals, and initially it seemed to be different… But then I found a page telling about Ottoman horological numerals http://www.cornucopiahotels.com/we-know-turkey/clock/ , and got a match. And discovered that the watch image I posted at beginning of topic is mirrored – that zero figure is actually number 5.

David, I didn’t get what markings are you referring to… OK, that first image was not the best, blurred and mirrored… maybe you are seeing any shadow introduced by the artwork?…

[david pierce]

Pkamargo,
The chart and the information about the image being mirrored explains it. What looks like 4:00 and 5:00 is actually 7:00 and 8:00. Aparently the dial markings are normal Turkish numerical symbols. I was in Turkey in the early 1990s but the watches and clocks I saw had regular number markings. That watch might be old or of an older design.
david

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