An antique Russian silver Imperial award pocket watch FOR EXCELLENT SHOOTING with portraits of Tsar Nicholas II and Empress Alexandra Feodorovna.
It is a very rare type of Russian award pocket watch. Double portraits of Nicholas and Alexandra were used to decorate watches only for a brief period of time, approximately between 1894 (the year of the wedding) and 1896 (the year of the coronation).
This rare type is missing from Prize Watches of the Russian Imperial Army by A. Vilkov.
The black & white enameled portraits on the dial are similar to c.1896 official portraits of the Imperial couple.
The lid of the silver case is engraved with two crossed rifles laid on a target and inscription FOR EXCELLENT SHOOTING.
The watch was made in Switzerland. The silver case is marked with both Swiss and Russian silver standards (875 – 84 zolotniks).