The Vintage Wrist Watch Company

Description

Antique J W Benson full hunter pocket watch.

The watch has a good quality 17-jewel Swiss stem-winding movement which is working nicely. The movement has screw-set jewels in gold settings and a Breguet hairspring for enhanced precision. The movement has been identified as by Revue Thommen. The movement is signed with the name of the original retailer of the watch, J W Benson, London.

J W Benson originated in 1847, founded by James William Benson and Samuel Suckley Benson. They were regarded as one of Victorian London’s most prestigious retail jewellers and they also manufactured their own watch movements. The company flourished and proudly boasted an elite client base made up of both British and European royalty and a selection of well heeled industrialists and business figures including the King of Siam, the King of Portugal, the King of Denmark, the Emperor of Japan, the Tsar of Russia and the King of Greece. J W Benson also supplied watches to Queen Victoria and the Prince of Wales.

As with many watch manufacturers, J W Benson embraced the newly introduced wristwatch during the first World War. Up until this point, the company 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, including Cyma and Revue Thommen.

The movement is protected by an inner hinged cover which has some scratching where it has been opened in the past.

The watch measures 50mm diameter excluding the winding stem and the loop. The case is gold filled and it is in good condition. The winding crown pushes in to open the front cover. Inside, there is an acrylic lens which is in good condition.

The signed dial is in lovely condition with original blued steel hands, a subsidiary seconds dial and outer minute markers.

The watch comes in a new presentation box.

ALL PRICES INCLUDE UK POSTAGE.

Please contact us for international shipping prices.

The Vintage Wrist Watch Company operates on a Delivery Duty Unpaid (DDU) basis which means that the international buyer is responsible for any import duties, taxes & customs which may be necessary to release an order from international customs. Tax and import duty varies from country to country so we recommend you check with your local tax office to see if any fees will be payable. If the customer refuses to pay any duty and customs charges and the parcel is returned to sender all shipping and associated charges will be deducted from any refund.

Due to Customs regulations, we are unable to send watches / precious metals to certain countries. If you are unsure about your country’s regulations, please contact us and we can check for you. Any orders from prohibited countries will be refunded, less any Paypal fees which are non-refundable.

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 can be made over the telephone on 01386 750238 or you can proceed via the \'Buy Securely\' 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.