Pocket Watch: A Fabulous Premium-quality English Chronograph Pocket Watch by Murgatroyd & Horsfall of Halifax 1893

A stem-winding, premium-quality, English Chronograph pocket watch by master watchmaking and jewellery business partners, Frederick William Murgatroyd and Ernest Horsfall, of 2 & 4 Corn Market, Halifax, Yorkshire, from where this watch would have been made. Murgatroyd was born in Halifax in 1866, Horsfall, (born a year later in 1867) was from Elland, near Halifax. It is believed that the pair first met and became great friends, whist undertaking their apprenticeships under the watchmaking partnership of (John) Hardaker and (James) Rook & Co., in Bradford. Having served their time as apprentice watchmakers, the pair soon became partners as watchmakers, under the name of “Murgatroyd & Horsfall”, commencing their operation from King Cross Street in Halifax circa early 1891 and relocating to 2 Corn Market, Halifax, in 1892. By 1893, the pair opened a second retail outlet at 4 Corn Market, this becoming a jeweller’s shop. The two business became very successful into the early 1900’s, but by c1918 (with both men now in their 50’s), the pair decided to focus solely on their jewellery operation and closed down their watchmaking activities at 2 Corn Market. The jewellery business then continued into at least the early part of the 1930’s. On 1 April 1935 however, the partnership was “…dissolved by mutual consent”, after which, the jewellery business continued to operate under the name of “Murgatroyd & Horsfall”, yet only being run and owned by Murgatroyd going forward. What happened to both men after 1935 is not known, yet it is interesting to note, that there is a very successful and well-known jewellery brand operating in Halifax today, called ‘Lister Horsfall’, which commenced life around the same time as the Murgatroyd & Horsfall partnership first commenced…A coincidence, or a family legacy? This fabulous and substantial chronograph was hallmarked in Birmingham 1893, and has a gold crown, and gold hands set and start/stop slide buttons. The watch has a Murgatroyd & Horsfall, signed white enamelled dial with its original gold main hands and blued sweep centre seconds hand, Roman hour numerals and 0-300 chronograph scale Arabic numerals. The signed movement has a three-quarter plate, bimetallic balance, and ruby end stone, and the case maker was Charles Harris, (“Ch”), of Norfolk Street, Coventry, the case and movement serial numbers being the same, “17123.” The watch comes securely packed, together with instructions on how to wind and set the watch time, plus additional notes and images on the Murgatroyd & Horsfall partnership. Note: This watch does not come with a chain or fob. If you require a silver chain/fob from our large stock, please contact us for advice. Payment - We Accept: - Debit / Credit Cards. - Bacs Transfer (Faster Payments). (Our bank details are on our invoices). - PayPal. (Via this site).