A WW1 period pocket watch with military markings, but also an air of mystery about it.
HOW DO WE DATE THIS WATCH?
Looking at both the movement style and the markings on the caseback and comparing it to known watches of WW1 it looks to have been made or issued circa 1917.
CONDITION
We have researched this watch fair more than most, but we are afraid to say that we have come up blank. We can not identify the maker of the case, nor the movement, so we are selling this as a military style watch from the WW1 period. Let’s share what we do know.
Underneath the Pheon (or crows foot) the serial number on the screw on case back ends with R. There are two examples of this in the Konrad Knirum British Military Timepieces book, one to an unknown maker and one to Elgin. The Elgin has a very similar case design, but a completely different movement. And the inside of the case back on the Elgin is stamped with their mark, whereas this is not. Plus any Elgin watch would be made in the USA, and this says Swiss made on the dial. The Pheon / broad arrow has been used to mark government property since the 14th century.
The movement design is very similar to an 1917 Omega, also in the same book. But we don’t believe the movement in our watch is made by Omega. The movement also has swan neck adjustment for precise timekeeping, whereas the Omega did not. The movement calibre may be able to be seen underneath the dial, but we are not removing the dial to find out.
The case does not have the serial number anywhere else. The case does not have any indication of the material used either, so we are selling this as a base metal watch and not silver. The case back is not magnetic.
We have shown this watch on military forums, and not had any definite identification. Gruen and Rebberg names were mentioned as possibilities, but we have not been able to confirm this.
So we are confident of the time period, which fits the case back markings. We are confident of the quality, thanks to the screw on case front and back and the swan neck adjustment, and the watch is running well. The hands have lost most of the radium but there is no signs of loose radium anywhere so this must have been removed prior to us getting the watch. The glass does have a 3mm scratch near the centre. The bow is nice and tight. This could be a watch to enjoy researching yourself and we would be interested in hearing what you find out.
This watch will be supplied with a presentation box and our Certificate of Authenticity.
Please see the HD video for more detail. All photos and videos are part of the description and are of the actual watch unless mentioned. We do not photoshop any pictures, and the images are copyright of birthyearwatches.com and should not be used without permission.
SIZE
Width with crown 76.2 mm (excluding bow)
Width without crown 57.4 mm
Case Thickness 18.4 mm
All sizes are approximate.
Included with this watch is a 1 month guarantee and free delivery to UK addresses. If you live outside the UK we can still deliver to most countries. Please see our Worldwide Shipping information, or Contact Us. Payment can be made by most credit or debit cards, bank transfer or PayPal.
