Calling all Pocket Watch Buffs

That would be 18 years between the estimated production date of the pocketwatchdatabase site, and the engraving on the case. By 1920 or so, the wrist watch had surfaced as the watch of choice, so there’s a good chance your Waltham was NOS. It appears to be as perfect as an 85-year old watch can be. The MOON designation inside the case back is explained here.

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The Dennison case was made by the firm founded in Britain by Aaron Dennison who was one of the founders of the firm that became the Waltham Watch Co. He was the point man in Great Britain for Waltham and associated companies for many years, for sourcing parts. He was also the agent for Waltham in Great Britain. Very nice!

An American made watch, made for the English market, in an English case, with the name ROYAL on it! No co-incidence, really. Royal Robbins was the scion who took Waltham from almost broke, to a powerful watch company. The Royal name was in honour of Royal Robbins!

Here is my 18-size R E Robbins (Royal E) watch named for the same Royal Robbins, but 30 years before yours was made.

When I saw GHCE’s watch I sent a pic to an old friend and jokingly asked if he had family in NZ. Same last name. When he immediately replied “yes, I want to send it to them” I phoned him. I sent ghce a message to see where this leads. If I were ghce I would ignore duracuir’s messages and hang on to this watch! Beautiful.

I managed to move the hands on my old watch by using the key. Perfect fit and the watch did tick for a few seconds. The key is too large to crank the movement. For now, it’s in a shadow box.

Co-incidence piled on co-incidence, piled on co-incidence! I keep saying the pocket watches really are more interesting than many other (ahem) collectibles. @ghce now not only has added a watch to his collection, it is a watch with a story! What more can you ask?

Still enjoying my Hamilton grade 952 which I will use to see in the New Year. This is the 19-jewel version of the venerable 23-jewel grade 950. Not commonly seen nowadays, as there were not a lot of them made. Made circa 1910, 114 years ago. It’ll still be in someone’s collection long after I depart this mortal coil. Amazing how recyclable these old blisters are!

https://pocketwatchdatabase.com/search/result/hamilton/753325

Put it down to the photogenic nature of the objects we love. My photos are beggared by the quality of the photos of some of the enthusiasts who frequent hereabouts. A lot of my photos are taken using my portable photo lab, my iPad, or my Olympus Pen camera. I am not a skilled photographer!

The one pictured was brought to me for repair about 25 years ago. I contacted the owner with an estimate which he declined. I put the watch in a “pending” box and forgot about it. It was presented by a lodge in Ireland in 1927, to a member of high regard. The story is engraved on the inner cuvette of the case. I stumbled upon it one day, and decided to fix it up and add it to my collection. I enjoyed it for a few months, but one day, I phoned the number on the repair bag. A lady answered, and I asked for the owner, to be informed that he had died three years earlier (circa 2018). I explained why I was calling and sent her photos of the watch. I read her the legend in the case back of when her father-in-law (?) had been presented with it all those years ago, and asked her if the family was interested in having it back. She spoke to her son (whose grandfather was the recipient in 1927). Yes! They were interested in having it. I told them they could have it back for $250.00 (the price I quoted for the repair). This is another example of a watch that was a presentation, and over many decades, received little or no wear. The blue vitreous enamel in the etched front cover is intact, and perfect! Very unusual for cases like this to survive so well. The style is called a Demi-hunter on which the time can be read without opening the front cover. Note the hour hand so typical of a Demi-hunter.

Made circa 1920, and certainly not a rare movement, and not high grade, but the case, condition, and provenance make it rather unusual.

Here’s another example of a watch that has survived nearly pristine. A Keystone Howard series V ,19-jewel, 16-size, that was made circa 1908. The original owner was a locomotive engineer working for CPR. He was killed in a head-on collision at Tappen, British Columbia (west of Salmon Arm) in 1912. The watch is dented near the 11, but it survived in remarkable condition. It was removed from his body at the site of the wreck, and presented to his mother at his funeral, one week later, never to be used again. It came my way circa 2010 when it came to me for appraisal. Again, remarkable condition for its age.

The case is likely Swiss, as is the movement. The .875 of course, refers to the silver content in the case. My source (link included) indicates that was the highest silver content alloy made by the Swiss. I don’t see any other standard marks as stamped into the front or rear covers, in the pictures you posted. As to the movement? It is not uncommon to be unable to pin down who made the movement, but it was not likely made by a firm whose name we would recognize. These watches were often produced by cottage industry, components produced by specialists, parts gathered, and the finished watch assembled by an anonymous technician. Attractive hand engraving.

I found the Helega name on Mikrolisk. Not a lot of help, I’m afraid.





https://www.vintagewatchstraps.com/swisshallmarks.php#gold

While on the subject of silver. Take a look at my new acquisitions. Two questions for the experts (one is a 2 part question).

1) The thick one could use a bit of dusting. Not necessarily polishing, but there’s dust in there. Dawn dish detergent and water perhaps?

2) what’s missing to wear this? (besides the watch); and how would these have been worn?

The two silver chains next to my Smiths and new thinner lanyard.

There are several styles of pocket watch chains. Waldemars, Dickens, Alberts, and double Alberts. There are variations thereof, of course. Generally, the Waldemar will be long enough ( ~ 10-12 inches), to permit the watch to be worn in a vest pocket, the chain going through a button hole, and a (generally) pocket knife in a pocket across the vest. The long one you show is a double Albert. The “T” bar goes through a button hole. On occasion, that “T” bar will have a short chain below it where a (usually) signet is carried. In the days of the quill pen, the pen knife was used to cut a new quill pen, the letter sealed with wax, and the signet pressed into the soft wax. The symbol in the signet might be a family crest in a mirror image that left a positive image in the wax. The signet might be carved onyx, bloodstone, sardonyx, banded agate, or langenstein ( blue onyx). A single Albert is half a double Albert. Watch in pocket, “T” bar through a button hole. Your selection doesn’t contain a Waldemar. The leather lanyard would be best suited to carrying a watch in a watch pocket as it is too short for a Waldemar, but also not suited to going through a button hole. If it had a spring ring at one end, it could be used as an Albert.

I have a 9-karat gold English pocket watch chain that is different to all the above. It is a Waldemar with a signet, zodiac sign, medallion, or coin hanging about 4” from one end of the chain. See picture. I have an English half-sovereign on mine.