Another eBay Scam

I offer the following facts for anybody considering buying this watch, offered on eBay under number 125514090708.

1. It was sold at the auction of Hannam’s Auctioneers (Hampshire UK) on 23 August 2022 (Lot 794) for a hammer price of £65 – so allowing for fees, about £100. It is now being offered on eBay for £745 (although the seller is allowing offers).

2. It is described as being ‘circa 1910’ – in fact it will have been 1897 (not too important).

3. It is described as having 17 jewels – in fact it has 15 jewels.

4. The movement is described as having “The Omega patent MM”. There was no Omega MM patent. The MM patent was also used by other manufacturers – and anyway, this watch is not an MM version!

5. The ‘faint hairline’ needs to be looked at carefully.




eBay description


https://www.ebay.com/itm/1255140907...uITGoWjrf0BOmUbFc7g7PW6f8=|tkp:Bk9SR7Dp75fpYA

1910 METAL CASED OMEGA 8 DAY GOLIATH 17J SUNKEN BALANCE POCKET WATCH WORKING

Antique Circa 1910 metal cased Omega 8 Day Goliath 17 jewels Swiss lever pocket watch in in good working order. The dial is white enamel with black coloured Roman numerals with blued steel hands with sub-dial and marked Drew & Sons Piccadilly Circus London. The Omega patent M&M movement with sunken balance and 17 jewels has a Swiss lever escapement with ruby jewelled end-stone, clean with a good strong tick keeping fair time running a little slow. The back covers are marked to the inside with the number 1 456775.

It is button wind and pin pillar set. The dial and dial glass are clean and clear and free from any chips or cracks apart from a faint hairline to the dial. The case is clean and bright and has worn as to its age with all the covers closing nice and tight. It Measures a big chunky 75mm excluding crown.

It wasn't a Brevet, it was a Patent (not Swiss). It led to the illumination of the dial (powered by batteries in a rather large stand). As I wrote, also used on watches other than Omega. You will have seen them. Dating to the turn of the (Victorian) century – when most houses were without electricity.
I assume that the seller of this watch doesn’t know what he’s talking about (as we see) and is just after a quick profit (as we see) – after all, Christmas is coming. He has probably ‘copied and pasted’ without any understanding, hence his errors. His watch has no connection with the MM patent!
There is an example in AJTT (p.206), except that Marco wrote that it “…has been electrified, no doubt by its owner” – whereas in fact hundreds (if not thousands if we include other makes) were made.

We’re talking about the period (approximately) 1890 – 1915. The ‘Goliaths’ (as you know) were typically about 7 cm in diameter – with versions up to 14 cm (the same calibre in a larger case/dial). Although in the shape of a pocket watch, they were of course for display, not for the pocket. There was nothing to stop the owner taking his watch on his travels (often in a specially-lined suitcase) – but I don’t think that was the intention: they were for display.

The ‘man in the street’ would not have been able to afford a watch – so these watches would have been for more wealthy people. The stands were covered (sometimes) in leather (still a big industry) or silver. The silver industry in the UK was centuries old and was still big (in those days – almost all gone now!). Silver-fronted stands were also produced in a few other countries – but the majority were produced in UK.

So (as you know from yours), the display stands were quality issues themselves, maybe silver-fronted and lined with silk and velvet. A different age!

Were they used as Shopfront watches as well ? Would be quite spectacular at night in these Days.... Rgd. the Dial : " Hairline crack " is quite the understatement as well.....