Gents Silver Wrist Watch, J W Benson, 1936

Gents silver wrist watch, J W Benson, 1936.

The watch has a Swiss 15-jewel hand-winding movement by Cyma which is working nicely.

The watch is a good wearable size at 35mm diameter excluding the later winding crown and the fixed wire lugs. The case is silver and there are hallmarks inside the screw-on case back for Glasgow 1936 with a sponsor’s mark for J W Benson. The case is in good condition for such an early wrist watch, four short scratches on the bezel and some general light marking but overall, very acceptable.

The lens has a small nibble to the bezel, and light marking where an old lens label has been, but otherwise is in good condition.

The dial is signed with the name of the original retailer, J W Benson, London. The main dial is in lovely condition. There are four faint hairlines to the subsidiary seconds dial.

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.

A new leather strap has been fitted.

The watch comes in a new presentation box.

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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.

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