I know some of you folks are past masters at this but I'm trying to piece together a purchase from the weekend so, with no more clues, can anyone identify this movement?

I promise to give full details of the watch later. It's running strong and to my (poor) eyes looks as clean as a whistle inside but the date is bothering me which is why I'm asking here without adding other details. Look forward to any information/guesses.

 

Looks to me like A Schild 363, or any one of a number of A Schild movements contemporary to it. Image from Dr. Roland Ranfft's movement archive. It can probably be identified with a look behind the dial.

 

I don't think it's a 363, unless somebody has the wrong info.

My Paulsons shows a 363 like this.



Whereas the OPs movement looks more like the 340 family.



But even more confusing is the mention of a date, so maybe it's an AS806?

Pic from Dr Ranfft.






What is the diameter of the movement?

 

Thank you both for your input - it really is appreciated.

So, I measure the movement at 24mm. The watch in question is something I bought at the weekend because the dial reminded me of the Ernest Borel dials. I'm not sure if it's his or not but it's a lovely little engine turned thing. And it is little - the case measures 26mm. It's going to go to the spa to have a gentle clean and a full service, after which it will get new boots and go for sale ...

....but it's become a bit of a detective game to identify it. This is why I asked if anyone knew the movement without me giving details of the watch.

The case has the infamous "hammer" mark and is worn. The numbers are 12x with the x probably being a 4. There are two known examples of this mark one beig a 1930 Rotary the other a 1926/1927 unidentified watch with a Glasgow import mark. Well, guess what - this has a Glasgow import mark and a date letter for 1926 ... except the lozenge is the wrong shape. The lozenge doesn't correspond to any British date mark. Maybe it's a sponsor's mark, but the case also carries the J<heart>W mark. James Weir was a well known sponsor/importer but his mark was JW within a heart shaped lozenge. So, have I got a 1926 watch with faked marks that was smuggled in to avoid duties? It's entirely possible. Or, this is an unregistered variation of James Weir's mark with a very poor strike on the date letter?

So, after all that, I'm no closer to identifying a maker; it certainly looks like one of the AS movements but they were supplied to a number of companies. It may or may not have been imported by Weir through Glasgow but it probably is right for 1926. Regardless, we'll have it cleaned up and serviced then find it a loving new home.

Threads are useless without pics:

 

Did this watch come out of Eastern Europe?

There is no question it's an AS movement.

 

No, it's a house clearance via auction from the UK. It might be marked up to avoid tax (smuggled in) but I'm thinking that it's right in all other respects. It's not a lot of money, I think I paid £10 over scrap but I liked the dial and I know a man who can work wonders ... should end up being really pretty.

 

We have a swiss hammer that should have a number in it, but looks to small to ever have had the number for the case MFG in it.

I've got a theory though...

I am pretty Sure the case is sponsored by James Wier, the "H" is a bad/worn punch for imported Glasgow
http://www.vintagewatchstraps.com/sponsorsmarks.php#j

So we have an imported UK 9k mark, JW sponsor mark, and Glassgow importation mark.

If you have a better picture of the upper right mark, I can tell you the year of the hallmarks as I bet that is the date punch. It might be a 1926 Glasdow "d"


That's not everything as it still appears to be missing a makers mark. Unless the theory holds true that the symbol between the j and w denotes the maker.

Hopefully this can get you down the right path.

 

Sorry, I should have said I've read the marks already.

The "FF" for Glasgow is absolutely clear in the flesh. The hammer mark does have a number ... it's 12x and I think the x was once a 4 (the right downstroke top is visible, nothing else). The datemark is a lower case d (or possibly p). The problem with the datemark is that it's in a rectangular lozenge. There are no "divots" to show the bottom and it's not worn. If it's a lower case p, that puts it at 1938 and the style just doesn't chime with that date so 1926 seems a better fit. Alternatively, the date mark is a forgery. Then to the sponsor's mark: it's not coming up in the registry search. That said, I can't find a mark for them after 1925: https://www.silvermakersmarks.co.uk/Makers/Glasgow-GJ.html#J

So, given that two of the marks are not quite right (date and sponsor), I'm thinking that the marks might be forged. It's not a great worry at this point in time because the swiss mark seems absolutely legit (if rubbed). Case tests as 9k which marries with the other marks.

The shame is that I can't put a maker to it. That would have just rounded off the watch's story.

Edit: the orientation of the date mark suggests a d rather than a p as well.

Double edit: the watch is two feet away from me, running, and sounds wonderful.

 

My link states the J symbol W is James Wier and they closed in 1928. So the lower case d is correct.

Hammer mark 124 here

http://www.vintagewatchstraps.com/swisspdm.php#pdm2

 

Ah, great - we're all legit then. Maybe there'll be some clues under the dial when it goes to be looked after. If there is, I'll update the thread. Thanks for your time and research.

 

Check my update about the hammer

 

Got it and already found the same reference... so, possibly Rotary?

 

I think it was just a locally assembled watch where a jeweller (possibly in Glasgow) bought the movement/dial/hands and cased into an imported silver case. I've often seen these examples in Australia, usually with the jewellers name on the dial though.

24mm puts it at 10 1/2 ligne so I would be going for an AS caliber 340 or one of the variants of that family.

Seeing the dial obviously negates my mention of a date, I now realise you were talking about the date of the movement, not a function of the movement.

The 340 series began around 1925 going by Dr Ranfft.

 

Like Jim I doubt it's a rotary. Just a locally assembled watch. JW sponsored aka imported for more then a few people. I'm pretty sure Rotary was a maker in the U.K. Not the case maker.

I doubt we will ever know who put it together.

 

Thanks both. She's still a cute little thing and a month or two from now she'll be looking the part and ready for a new home.