ROTHERHAMS, London. No 356225
Rare all-English 18ct gold wristwatch with enamel dial, in fine condition.
£1,995.00
3-piece yellow gold ‘cushion’ case with its English button, fixed lugs and snap-on back nicely engraved with its presentation to a Robert Craig by Lever Brothers, hallmarked Birmingham 1927, sponsor’s mark R&S (Rotherham & Son). Rotherhams smaller sized ‘Super Grade’ three quarter-plate gilded movement. St-line, club-tooth detached lever escapement. Compensation balance, balance-spring with overcoil. Enamel dial with skeleton numerals and hands, originally with radium, now with appropriately coloured paint. 32 mm across corners. Together with a contemporary watch box issued by A Fattorini, Harrogate, a known retailers of Rotherham’s watches.
Rotherham & Son, Coventry and London, suppliers of most of the good quality wristwatch movements found in English work. They produced two sizes of movement used in their wristwatches, in two basic qualities, both jewelled to the 3rd. They were expensive when sold and survivors of these all-English made wristwatches are now very rare, particularly in such good condition.
NB: Both the lager and smaller sized movements were sold as ‘gentleman’s wristlet watches,’ as can be seen in the page I have reproduced from Rotherham’s 1926 catalogue, this ‘Cushion shape’ model with their best quality movement costing just over £30 in 18ct – luminous dials and hands were extra. The firm also produced wristwatches for women but these cases do not have wire lugs for leather straps, though I am sure that many women will have worn them as, evening wear watches apart, Rotherham’s standard designs would be better thought of as unisex.
For more information about early English wristwatches see my Profile No 2 ENGLISH wristwatches: the untold story. Please also note that this case style is not waterproof and all English wristwatches of this date are best kept well away from damp conditions.
A rare 18ct English made watch on new pigskin padded leather strap, in fine condition showing just a few general signs of age and wear, including some very hard to see hair line cracks in the dial – I have not handled a better example of this model and it must rate as a very fine presentation watch of the period. The box also showing some signs of age but it has done its job of protecting the watch. Serviced for its previous owner and working well, but it can be freshly serviced if required – my likely cost around £200.
Item available
Description
3-piece yellow gold ‘cushion’ case with its English button, fixed lugs and snap-on back nicely engraved with its presentation to a Robert Craig by Lever Brothers, hallmarked Birmingham 1927, sponsor’s mark R&S (Rotherham & Son). Rotherhams smaller sized ‘Super Grade’ three quarter-plate gilded movement. St-line, club-tooth detached lever escapement. Compensation balance, balance-spring with overcoil. Enamel dial with skeleton numerals and hands, originally with radium, now with appropriately coloured paint. 32 mm across corners. Together with a contemporary watch box issued by A Fattorini, Harrogate, a known retailers of Rotherham’s watches.
Rotherham & Son, Coventry and London, suppliers of most of the good quality wristwatch movements found in English work. They produced two sizes of movement used in their wristwatches, in two basic qualities, both jewelled to the 3rd. They were expensive when sold and survivors of these all-English made wristwatches are now very rare, particularly in such good condition.
NB: Both the lager and smaller sized movements were sold as ‘gentleman’s wristlet watches,’ as can be seen in the page I have reproduced from Rotherham’s 1926 catalogue, this ‘Cushion shape’ model with their best quality movement costing just over £30 in 18ct – luminous dials and hands were extra. The firm also produced wristwatches for women but these cases do not have wire lugs for leather straps, though I am sure that many women will have worn them as, evening wear watches apart, Rotherham’s standard designs would be better thought of as unisex.
For more information about early English wristwatches see my Profile No 2 ENGLISH wristwatches: the untold story. Please also note that this case style is not waterproof and all English wristwatches of this date are best kept well away from damp conditions.
A rare 18ct English made watch on new pigskin padded leather strap, in fine condition showing just a few general signs of age and wear, including some very hard to see hair line cracks in the dial – I have not handled a better example of this model and it must rate as a very fine presentation watch of the period. The box also showing some signs of age but it has done its job of protecting the watch. Serviced for its previous owner and working well, but it can be freshly serviced if required – my likely cost around £200.
