Today on eBay, I got this for $43; it was improperly listed as a "West & Watch Co." so it wouldn't have shown up on searches for what it really is, the "West
End Watch Co."
Sowar:
I love the (apparently original) cathedral hour hand. It appears to have the original bracelet that came with these, too, which is a bonus.
This company. which started in Bombay, then Geneva, in 1886, was the agent for many brands over the years, including Longines, Cyma, Tissot, Mido, Omega, and IWC.
West End was the only brand for which Longines was producing watches without the Longines name on dial and case.
So this watch might very well have a Longines 10.68z inside for all I know, although a Mido (or AS) might be more likely.... Should be an interesting surprise!
Some additional history (from Wikipedia):
During the
First World War, a large force of British and Indian soldiers was sent from Bombay to the Persian Gulf to reach
Mesopotamia (modern-day
Iraq). They received some West End Watch Company watches.
As for this model:
At the beginning of the 20th century West End Watch Company launched a model called the Sowar -the cavalry man- named after one of the elite troops of the Indian army. This name was selected in honour of Sir Thomas Edward Lawrence (Lawrence of Arabia) because it is said that he and his soldiers wore West End Watch Company watches during the war.