Pocket Watch: Antique Silver J W Benson Pocket Watch & Chain

The watch has a Swiss stem-winding movement, identified as by Revue, which is working nicely. The movement is signed J W Benson, 62 & 64 Ludgate Hill, London, by Warrant to HM The Late Queen Victoria. The movement is protected by an inner hinged cover. Up until the first World War, J W Benson was still manufacturing its own movements in the UK but after its factory at Belle Sauvage Yard was hit during a bombing raid in 1914, it purchased mechanisms from a number of quality movement producers in Switzerland. The watch measures 50mm diameter excluding the winding stem and the loop. The case is silver and there are hallmarks inside both of the case backs for London (import mark), 1918 with a sponsor’s mark for J W Benson. The case is in good condition, just a small indentation on the side, next to the winding stem, and a hint of unevenness to the back but not too serious at all. The glass lens has small marks if you look very closely but is very acceptable (some natural light reflection showing in the main photo). The signed dial is in lovely condition with original blued steel hands. The watch comes with a single silver chain, 27cm long including the T-bar and the clasp. The chain is hallmarked for Chester 1924, with a maker’s mark for the Birmingham silversmith Edwin Page. The chain weighs 28g. The watch and chain come in the original J W Benson presentation box. All prices include UK postage (excluding Northern Ireland). Please contact us regarding international shipping costs. Some countries do not allow the importation of antiques / watches / precious metals. Please contact us prior to placing an order if you are unsure about your country and we can check this for you. The international buyer is responsible for paying any import duties and taxes. All of our watches are checked over before listing and are also checked for accuracy which is usually within around +/- two to three minutes over 24 hours (unless otherwise stated), which is considered respectable for a vintage watch. We are a VAT registered company and all purchases are covered by Consumer Regulations. Credit / debit card purchases up to £300 can be made over the telephone on 01386 750238 or you can proceed via the red 'Buy Now' button on each listing page. We are an on-line only business and do not have facilities for callers. Our offices are open from Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm. With regards to appraisals / valuations, we receive a huge number of information requests each day and unfortunately do not have the manpower to deal with them all individually. Our advice would be to contact a local auctioneer for a full appraisal.