Kembery Antique Clocks Ltd has dated this piece to the 1920s.
A rotating bezel with fluted edges to the front of the case which controls the movement of the hands. The design of the watch case with no crown was intended to seal the watch from any dust which could get in whilst winding or adjusting hands. A 15 jewel automatic bumper style mechanism, marked patent numer 106583. case inner marked with London import marks for 1929. The mechanism is signed 'Harwood Self Winding Watch Co'. The inner case back bears the number 92758.
John Harwood was an English watchmaker who wanted to counteract the effects of dust and moisture had on other watches at the time. His design incorporated a bezel which rotated to adjust the hands backwards and forwards, therefore no dust or moisture could get in through a crown. His design of an early version of a 'bumper' self winding movement was the first mass produced automatic mechanism in history. The design was later used as a base for many other watchmaking brands, such as Rolex and Omega. It is estimated that around 30,000 of these watches were made and models in 18K gold are extremely rare.
Case width 28mm.
Kembery Antique Clocks Ltd has dated this piece to the 1920s.
You can view the stock and full dealer information on the Kembery Antique Clocks Ltd Profile Page
1929 Harwood Automatic 18k Gold Wristwatch
