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The finish of the casing appears almost black in places - but could simply be tarnished.
Any help anyone can give would be appreciated ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
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morgana the secret garden All posts by this member | 2 of 14 Mon 19th Dec 2011 10:26pm Member: Joined Nov 2011 Total posts:1932 ![]() ![]() ![]() |
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K Somewhere All posts by this member | 3 of 14 Mon 19th Dec 2011 10:43pm Member: Joined Nov 2011 Total posts:560 Tony, the case carries the Swiss import mark. If you open the back inner cover (cuvette), and photograph the movement, I can probably give you more information. Question |
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nirvana coventry All posts by this member | 4 of 14 Mon 19th Dec 2011 11:04pm Member: Joined Sep 2011 Total posts:115 I think you will find 925 denotes sterling silver. |
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K Somewhere All posts by this member | 5 of 14 Mon 19th Dec 2011 11:10pm Member: Joined Nov 2011 Total posts:560 Yes it does. Which is used on the Continent too. You often see 0800 silver in cheaper Swiss watch cases, but 935 in better ones. They never used the Britannia standard, 975, which is too soft, really, for watch cases. Question |
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morgana the secret garden All posts by this member | 6 of 14 Tue 20th Dec 2011 12:04am Member: Joined Nov 2011 Total posts:1932 On 19th Dec 2011 11:04pm, nirvana said:
I think you will find 925 denotes sterling silver.
Yes, you're right Bernie, it's silver, my error. ![]() |
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K Somewhere All posts by this member | 7 of 14 Tue 20th Dec 2011 10:49am Member: Joined Nov 2011 Total posts:560 Tony
The date letter suggests 1931; but it's hard to be sure with import marks (the usual assumption is London date letters, but there is no guarantee of that). Anything much after 1900 is unlikely to have an English movement, except for late Ehrhardt watches. They were mostly in Dennison cases, though.
BTW, morgana, the name on the movement means little, and especially with pocket watches. E.g. Rolex pocket watches were actually made by either Cortebert or Revue. And with a Rolex name on the dial they fetch around 10 times as much. Breitling didn't make their own movements (Venus, Landeron, Valjoux). In the 1930s there were 8,000 Swiss brand names, but only about 100 makers.
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morgana the secret garden All posts by this member | 8 of 14 Tue 20th Dec 2011 11:56am Member: Joined Nov 2011 Total posts:1932 Oh! I thought he just wanted to know if it was local or not, on the Antiques Roadshow they always open the watches, clocks, up to see where the movement was made. |
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TonyS Coventry All posts by this member Thread starter | 9 of 14 Tue 20th Dec 2011 8:07pm Member: Joined Jan 2011 Total posts:1549 Yes I did, and thank you so much for all that have helped. I basically did simply want to know whether it might have been made "locally" but that looks highly unlikely now! ![]() ![]() |
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K Somewhere All posts by this member | 10 of 14 Wed 21st Dec 2011 2:07pm Member: Joined Nov 2011 Total posts:560 You should find a slight 'relief' in the inner cover, near the top. Just get a table knife blade in it and twist. It should pop open, but is probably stiff, if it hasn't been used. BTW - is it key or button wound? |
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TonyS Coventry All posts by this member Thread starter | 11 of 14 Wed 21st Dec 2011 3:14pm Member: Joined Jan 2011 Total posts:1549 Thanks for that Keith. It's button wound, but the hands are rather tight to turn and I'm not going to force them |
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K Somewhere All posts by this member | 12 of 14 Wed 21st Dec 2011 4:51pm Member: Joined Nov 2011 Total posts:560 I looked up the casemaker. It's almost certainly George Stockwell and Co, Watch Importer, 126-128 Finsbury St, London and 272 Corporation St, Birmingham (listed 1907-18). All the Coventry GS's are too early. |
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TonyS Coventry All posts by this member Thread starter | 13 of 14 Wed 21st Dec 2011 7:31pm Member: Joined Jan 2011 Total posts:1549 Wow, how did you find that?!
Thanks Keith, I appreciate your help ![]() |
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K Somewhere All posts by this member | 14 of 14 Wed 21st Dec 2011 7:33pm Member: Joined Nov 2011 Total posts:560 I have an awful lot of info here. Like I said, I repair them. Properly. |
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