Came into possession of this 18k "Riggs & Brother Phila" family heirloom passed down.

Would like to find out about it or how I can research it...only thing that pops up on Newbie looking for info on Riggs & Bro watch google is this website.

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chimes work, haven't tried setting watch, just listening to it.

Can you get a better picture of the movement? That one is pretty blurry.

not sure if this is any better.

Michael, I am no expert on repeaters or European movements but what you have is a very attractive watch with considerable value. It seems to work on the repeating function which is a big plus. I believe the movement is Swiss and with an 18k case would be worth 2500 and up in working condition. Riggs was a high end merchant competing with the likes of Tiffany and similar establishments and your watch was probably a $250 and up buy in 1890 or so. European movements are not as easy to identify as American movements but yours is very nice!!!

To help with the ID process there are things to look for. Look for names and numbers on the movement itself and your posted pictures will need to be in sharp focus.

It appears you have a "repeater" type watch. These actually have "gongs" that will tell a person the time by pressing a slide, lever, or button. Some repeaters are quarter repeaters, half quarter repeaters, five minute repeaters, minute repeaters, and clock watches. These watches are what we call "complicated" timepieces. They are put together with many more complications than a standard watch which merely is wound and has hands that must be observed to know what time it is. Along with a more complicated piece such as yours, comes a much higher maintenance costs when required. It can and may costs literally four figures to work on some of the complicated timepieces.

What advice I can give you, if you are a novice, is to not wind the watch and/or press buttons until the watch is inspected by a competent watchmaker. These watches which generally were made in numbers from the late 1800's until the late 'teens" required maintenance and new oil every year. The old oil was rinsed away along with air born dirt particles and new oil was applied and then the watch was readjusted to keep time. New parts, if needed were also added at that time by the watchmaker.

One real "NO~NO" with a repeater is to NEVER set the time by turning the hands counter~clockwise. This will mess the watch up post haste.

The better quality repeaters are "jeweled to the hammers". This means that the hammers that strike the gong[s] have jeweled bearings that help with a longer life.

To help you further, look for names and numbers on the movement, post pictures in total focus. that way we can help with the ID process. Remember this is a precise and complicated piece of equipment and take your watch to a certified watchmaker for inspection and service immediately. Please quit winding and hitting the slide lever lest you do irreparable damage to this wonderful timepiece.

Your watch appears to be a "complicated repeater" of Swiss origins.

regards,
bb

These Patek Philippe* minute repeaters like yours value to over US$20,000.00. It should be properly appraised. (*Bottom Rt. Pg. 539 2015 Price Guide)

The newest Price Guide I have is the 2012 edition. The Patek Philippe minute repeater it depicts doesn't closely resemble Michael's. We don't even know whether Michael's watch is a minute repeater. I think it likelier that Michael's watch watch is an "ordinary" quarter or minute repeater worth from around $2500 - $5000 depending on maker and condition.

I agree that the Patek (pictured below) is not exactly the same because it is an open face as Mike's is a Hunter. Still the mainspring Bridge and ID tag are the same parts on both pieces.

My Great Uncle Robert's Minute Repeater/Split Second Chronometer Patek with the back sides showing the perpetual calendar and phases of the moon ALSO does not resemble either one of these, but Patek wants it back very badly. It stays in the family!

That is why I also had recommended a professional appraisal.

The watch is a beauty Micheal and Buster gave good advice about handling it. I wonder if the Stauer people could make a Chinese copy for $99 to fit my budget? (Just a little humour folks)

struggling to download hi res pics. On the movement it states Riggs & Brothers Philadlephia 11399 and "ADJUSTED". On the gold back door is 11392 and the second gold back door which opens to the gears is 1 8 (numbers separated by what looks like an S over a J) and underneath 1 1 3 3 3 9 2
Not sure that tells you anything. I will see if I can save the images down to meet the requirements of this site.
Thank you all.

let me know if this provides any additional info.
thanks all.

Much better pictures !! Looks to be Serial # 11392 sure enough.

I will have to guess that it was made by C.H. Meylan for Riggs & Brother, strictly a guess.

I'm sure an expert can ID this movement for you on IHC soon.

regards,
bb

The Riggs does not resemble my signed C.H. Meylan minute repeater (shown below), nor my different-looking Theo. Starr PL minute repeater, which Antiquorum attributed to C.H. Meylan. That doesn't mean that C.H. Meylan didn't make the Riggs minute repeater (I have dozens of C.H. Meylans, the designs of which are all over the map), but the Riggs watch has few of the special characteristics I associate with C.H. Meylan, such as a scalloped winding gear bridge or pointy curved bridges.