1915 Silver Invar Pocket Watch, 2oz Case

1915 silver Invar pocket watch, 2oz case.

The watch has a 15-jewel stem-winding movement which is working nicely. The movement is signed Invar.

The Invar Watch Company was founded in 1901 by Achille Hirsch in Le Chaux de Fonds, but the name was not registered until 1925. Mr. Hirsch was a rather prolific watch distributor around the turn of the century, who registered hundreds of trademarks, so to some degree this watch represents an attempt to profit from the new material, Invar.

Invar is an alloy which, when used in watches, makes them non-magnetic and good steady time keepers through a wide range of temperatures. Invar was invented in 1896 by Swiss scientist Charles Édouard Guillaume. He received the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1920 for this discovery, which enabled improvements in scientific instruments.

The watch measures 50mm diameter excluding the winding stem and the loop. The watch has a heavy 2oz silver and it is hallmarked for Birmingham 1915, together with the maker’s mark for the English watch case maker Dennisons of Birmingham, a prolific manufacturer and supplier to various watch makers. It was often more economical to import movements and case them in the UK, thus avoiding import tax on precious metals.

The front and monogrammed case back, both screw on fitting, are in good condition. There are a few small “dings” to the side of the case.

The acrylic lens is in good condition, just very minor marking.

The dial has some damage to the bottom edge but otherwise it is in good condition.

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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