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Depollier or Waltham pocket watch?

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I've recently inherited my grandfathers pocket watch. It's a Depollier but I've heard it may be a Waltham either. There seems to be a lot of knowledge on Depollier/Waltham here so maybe someone might be able to shed some light on it.
Here are a couple of pics of the face and the inside. Would anyone here have seen similar? I've been looking online and have seen a few similar but nothing matching it. Thanks

Depollier Web.webp IMG-1662.webp
 
JimInOz
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It's a Depollier with a Swiss movement using a Helvetia style shock absorber.
Depollier had to use Swiss movements after US manufacturers declined to sell movements to him after he declined to pay for them.

Hard to know who made the movement, the bridge shapes are slightly similar to the Longines 18.79ZZ but the balance cock has been separated.
If you can measure the exact diameter of the movement in millimetres it may help to identify the maker.

Maybe Carl (@Helvetia History) can help identify the ebauche maker?
 
JimInOz
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PS: The shock absorber was known as the Depollier/Brun shock absorber, possibly based on the earlier Helvetia style.
 
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JimInOz JimInOz
PS: The shock absorber was known as the Depollier/Brun shock absorber, possibly based on the earlier Helvetia style.
Thanks very much, it's a lovely watch so it's nice to get little bits of the history of them.
 
Canuck
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I have a suspicion that the crystal is very old, and very yellow. Might be worth investigating, and possibly changing it for an original glass one. I suspect there will be a major improvement in the appearance of the dial.
 
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I may have omitted the most important photo. The back of the case. It has B&B Royal, a probable serial number and I'm guessing the initials of the watchmaker. This might shed some light on it's origins.

WatchCase.webp
 
Canuck
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Makers of watch movements very seldom (if ever) made watch cases. The B & B would likely be the case maker’s trade mark which has little to do with the maker of the mechanism. The initials you refer to are watchmaker numbers which are meaningless to anyone but the watchmaker that put them there.
 
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I'm on a steep learning curve here. The case could be made by one company, here B&B; the timing mechanism by another, someone in Switzerland; what did Depollier or whomever on the front of the watch make?
 
JimInOz
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G Glandore
Depollier or whomever on the front of the watch make?
Nothing.

In that era (and still today) there were many "watch companies" that sourced cases/movements/dials/hands from various manufacturers and assembled them under their brand name.
 
Canuck
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I have included a link to a site that will tell you quite a bit. Depolier was (apparently) a U S firm, but the movement in the subject watch is (IMO), Swiss. There are watch companies that manufactured their own movements, and sold them with their own name on the dial. Few (if any) of those companies made their own cases. Although there is a chance that the cases they used were by a separate subsidiary company.

https://www.helvetiahistory.co.uk/post/helvetia-the-depollier-watch-corp
 
G
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Canuck Canuck
I have included a link to a site that will tell you quite a bit. Depolier was (apparently) a U S firm, but the movement in the subject watch is (IMO), Swiss. There are watch companies that manufactured their own movements, and sold them with their own name on the dial. Few (if any) of those companies made their own cases. Although there is a chance that the cases they used were by a separate subsidiary company.

https://www.helvetiahistory.co.uk/post/helvetia-the-depollier-watch-corp
That's fascinating, thank you for sharing it
 
Helvetia History
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Hello all, sorry just seen this. I have actually replied to the OP on another forum where he posted something similar.

You are correct @JimInOz the movement is a General Watch Co/Helvetia one.

It is a version of their Orta movement. I've attached an ad below.

As @Canuck mentions this is from the period I talk about in the post when Helvetia were using the Depollier/Brun shock protection system and providing movements for Depollier to use in a few Depollier Watch Corp branded watches about 1926-28.

It's an interesting watch, there are only a few I've found that use Depollier branding on Helvetia watches. Most interesting of those are with Depollier waterproof cases and the shock protection, the first watches I think to have both of these innovations from about 1926.

Thanks. Carl.

DAVOINE_1922.webp 1927 3484783 H631 (1).webp 1927 3484783 H631 (2).webp
 
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Helvetia History Helvetia History
Helvetia had the patent for that crown.

Here is a Helvetia version of the same watch.

1927 3483294 H1730 (2).webp 1927 3483294 H1730 (3).webp
There's lots to digest. Is it something i'd need to get valued or are these relatively common?
 
Helvetia History
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They are not common. Shock protection at this time was still unusual and the Depollier name has a bit of allure.

However that doesn't necessarily translate into desirability or value. I find it interesting because I have researched these watches and collect Helvetia but that said I wouldn't value it at much more than its value as a nice looking Swiss pocket watch from the 1920s.

It's interesting rather than rare and valuable.
 
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Helvetia History Helvetia History
They are not common. Shock protection at this time was still unusual and the Depollier name has a bit of allure.

However that doesn't necessarily translate into desirability or value. I find it interesting because I have researched these watches and collect Helvetia but that said I wouldn't value it at much more than its value as a nice looking Swiss pocket watch from the 1920s.

It's interesting rather than rare and valuable.
Thank you, it will be well cared for on it's return.
 
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I collected the watch over the weekend, it's working beautifully and is shining. They did a lovely job cleaning it and fixing the spring.
Thanks all for your help and advice, I'm delighted to have it back working.

IMG_5695.webp IMG_5697.webp
 
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