Gents Silver Iwc Trench Watch, 1916

A gents silver IWC trench watch, 1916.

The watch has a hand-winding movement, calibre 64, which is working nicely. The movement has the Stauffer & Co mark, together with the Peerless name. These three details tell us that the movement was made by IWC.

The watch measures 33mm diameter excluding the winding crown and the fixed wire lugs. The case is silver and there are hallmarks inside the case back for London (import mark), 1916, together with the initials CN for Charles Nicolet (the director of Stauffer). Nicolet registered this mark in 1877 so that his company could submit items for assay and hallmarking.

There is also a case maker's mark for François Borgel. Borgel patented the Borgel watch case in 1891. At the time, it was a real step forward in the design and manufacture of waterproof and dustproof watch cases, initially pocket watch cases and then subsequently wrist watch cases.

François Borgel was a successful inventor and business man, and his business became one of the most important watch case manufacturers of its time. Early adopters of the Borgel screw case included Longines and IWC. After François Borgel’s death in 1912, the business was carried on by his daughter Louisa.

Overall the case is in good condition, just some surface marking, but nothing serious.

The watch glass is in good condition.

The dial has the odd mark but nothing too serious at all. Originally there would have been painted detail to the pin-set hands and the numbers but this has been removed over the years.

A new leather strap has been fitted.

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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