Antique Longines / Thomas Russell Pocket Watch

An antique Longines pocket watch made for Thomas Russell & Sons, circa 1880s.

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 was listed as watch and chronometer manufacturers and machine-made keyless lever and jewellery merchants by appointment to the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh and the Admiralty. 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 key-wound movement which has the Longines winged hourglass logo and the wording Longines Patented Click. The movement is also signed Thomas Russell & Sons Machine Watch. The movement is protected by an inner hinged cover.

The watch itself measures 52mm diameter excluding the stem and the loop. The case is not hallmarked silver but has tested positive, probably Continental silver rather than the higher grade sterling. It is in good condition and the engine turned detail to the back is still nice and crisp.

The watch glass is in good condition, just a few small nibbles to the edge but barely noticeable to the naked eye.

The dial has a faint hairline by number 4, the odd mark and a small amount of nibbling to the centre, but overall pretty good for an 1880s piece.

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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