Antique Kays “Universal” Lever Silver Pocket Watch and Chain

Antique Kays “Universal” Lever silver pocket watch and chain.

The watch has a Swiss stem-winding movement which is working nicely. The movement is protected by an inner hinged cover.

The watch measures 51mm diameter excluding the winding stem and the loop. The case is a heavy 2oz silver case and is hallmarked for Birmingham 1919, with a case maker’s mark for Aaron Dennison, a prolific English manufacturer of cases. Also engraved inside the case back is the name of a previous owner of the watch.

The case is in lovely condition, engine detail to the back of the watch which is still nice and crisp. A vacant cartouche to the centre.

The glass lens is in good condition.

The signed dial is in lovely condition, and the inner red 24 hour numerals are a handsome feature.

William Kay set up Kays of Worcester in 1890. Customers bought items from handbills in a folder and initially the goods on offer were limited to jewellery, watches, clocks and household items. Eventually William’s son Jack took over the running of the business. The company continued to expand and trade successfully, becoming one of Worcester’s largest employers.

The watch comes with a single silver chain, 23cm long including the T-bar and the clasp. The clasp is hallmarked for 1914. Each of the links has the lion silver mark. Also included is a 1901 silver fob with rose gold wash detail to the front. The chain and fob weigh 43g so quite heavy duty.

The watch and chain come in a new presentation box.

ALL PRICES INCLUDE UK POSTAGE (excluding Northern Ireland).

Please contact us regarding international shipping.

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 'Purchase Antique' button on each listing page. Alternatively, there is a Paypal payment link if you scroll down the page and we also accept bank transfers.

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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.