1920s Thomas Russell Hunter Pocket Watch and Chain

A 1920s full hunter pocket watch from Thomas Russell with single albert.

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 the company started importing watches from Switzerland, such as the watch we have here... a stem-winding movement which is working nicely. The movement is protected by an inner hinged cover.

The watch itself measures 53.5mm diameter excluding the winding stem and the loop. The case is “The Russell” model from the Illinois Watch Case Company. Unusually, the case is silver filled which means it is made with “two plates of solid silver with plate of composition between”. There is some surface marking to the case but not too bad at all for a 1920s piece.

The winding crown pushes in to open the front cover. Inside, the watch glass is in good condition. The signed dial, with the Tempus Fugit logo, is also in lovely condition with blued steel hands, a subsidiary seconds dial and an outer minute track.

The watch comes with a silver single albert which measures 34.5cm long including the T-bar and the clasp, and also a 1919 silver fob. The chain and fob weigh 44g.

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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