A 1930s Thomas Russell Pocket Watch

A 1930s Thomas Russell pocket watch.

The company name of Thomas Russell & Son was established in 1859 when Thomas Russell (who was listed as a watchmaker as early as 1848) handed over the control of the business to Thomas Robert Russell and Alfred Holgate Russell. The company was very well respected and successful and they earned a Royal Warrant, ‘Makers to Queen Victoria’… they continued to benefit from this Warrant even after it ceased upon Victoria’s death in 1901 although its continued use was only tolerated for a short while.

After the partnership split, Thomas Russell continued as the proprietor of the Russell Watch & Chronometer Manufactury and Alfred Russell continued as Thomas Russell & Son. Thomas Russell & Son achieved a Royal Warrant as makers to the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh. In 1881 they started importing watches from Switzerland.

By 1938, the firm had become Thomas Russell & Son Watch Co Ltd.

This particular watch has a 15-jewel Swiss stem-winding movement which is working nicely. It is fully signed and it has the Thomas Russell logo.

The watch itself measures 50mm diameter excluding the winding stem and the loop. The case is the gold plated “Russell” model from the Illinois Watch Case Company. It is in good condition, as is the acrylic lens.

The signed white enamel dial has some damage on the very edge by number 1, mostly covered by the bezel, but otherwise it is in beautiful condition, with blued steel hands, a subsidiary seconds dial and an outer minute track.

The watch will be sent 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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