Can anyone tell me anything about my pocket watch...?

[HelenB]

Hi All!
I've had this beautiful little pocket watch since I was a child. I've loved looking at it and wondering about it. Now I am a proper grown up, I would actually like to know something more about it, and maybe get it restored...?

Can any of you let me know where I could start, or anything about it? I've attached some pictures. It appear to be a Wilsdorf and Davies, serial number 424339.

Any help or signposting on much appreciated!!

I've attached some pictures- see what you think :-)

Helen

[R.W.T.]

It is a very nice watch. Does it run at all? Most of them have been dropped and have a broken balance staff. The parts for these are very hard to source. Hands would not be much of a problem for a watchmaker with some tenure there in UK.

The watch features a very early contract movement from Rebberg with a nice decoration.

If the balance staff is not broken, as I said a good quality "older" watchmaker with some tenure there in UK could likely clean it and put a glass on and some hands and make it whole again.

[HelenB]

Thanks so much for the information. Would you be able to help me further, by letting me know how to go about finding an experienced watchmaker?

I feel hopeful it can be fixed, it was looked at a few years ago by a jeweller and they felt it was not beyond hope...!

[R.W.T.]

There is surely someone on here from UK that knows someone who could likely get it going.

[R.O.L.E.X]

As you probably are aware, it is made of sterling silver.

I'd first find a watchmaker who is a) capable b) honest c) reasonably priced and find out what is wrong with the movement and whether or not it is serviceable. Following that, I would get appropriate hands for the pocket watch.

[HelenB]

Hi everyone, thanks so much for the above advice. I had this looked at today by a local auctioneer who valued it at £10... £30 if restored, so hardly anything.

Is this correct do you think, or have they missed the Wilsdorf and Davies link? I'm a massive amateur, so would value any help please!

[Styles Bitchley]

Originally Posted by HelenB

Hi everyone, thanks so much for the above advice. I had this looked at today by a local auctioneer who valued it at £10... £30 if restored, so hardly anything.

Is this correct do you think, or have they missed the Wilsdorf and Davies link? I'm a massive amateur, so would value any help please!

Hi Helen,

Try contacting Haywood Milton. https://www.miltonaires.com/

[offrdmania]

Originally Posted by HelenB

Hi everyone, thanks so much for the above advice. I had this looked at today by a local auctioneer who valued it at £10... £30 if restored, so hardly anything.

Is this correct do you think, or have they missed the Wilsdorf and Davies link? I'm a massive amateur, so would value any help please!

Once running with new hands and new glass, I think you would easily be able to get a few hundred for it; that enameling is beautiful!

You may spend that much getting it going so you have to decide if its worth keeping.

[SunTzu]

I would concur with the local auctioneer you took it to. These are VERY common and given it's current state leads to the value. It's hallmarked for sterling silver which when dipped will look brand new. It's kind of cool to decode the hallmarks on it. It tells the watch's story. The crown (used to wind it) is known as an "onion crown" given that it looks like an onion

You can see some of the purple toning it has naturally taken on. Very common for silver to tarnish like that over many years sometimes showing beautiful shades of purple and iridescent blue. The enameling is very cool too.

I think it can be easily serviced with a set of hands, glass crystal, and movement overhaul as these were very common pocket watches with an abundance of parts available. It'll cost you far more to do that than it's worth, but if it has special meaning to you, it would be well worth it. I did that with my dad's cheap watch that he wore while in the military during the Vietnam era.

And if you have a grandchild, it might be nice to pass on to at the age when you first got it. Or maybe just to have for yourself. Sometimes its very cool to restore something to its former glory that otherwise would make it to the trash bin.