Antique Longines Silver Hunter Pocket Watch and Chain

An antique Longines silver full hunter pocket watch with chain.

The watch has a 19.70 stem-winding movement which is working nicely. The movement has an unusual micro regulator, which relates to an 1892 patent in the name of Ernest Francillon, founder of Longines. The movement has the serial number 1,448,975 which dates it back to 1903/04.

Longines records confirm that this particular watch was sold to Baume & Co, the UK agent and distributor for Longines, in July 1905. They also confirm that it was sold as a silver full hunter so we can be sure that the watch is in the same form as when it was brought to the UK in 1905.

The movement is protected by an inner cover upon which are details of the original retailer of the watch, Sir John Bennett of Cheapside, London, who was also a watch maker... he would have bought the watch from the distributors, Baume & Co.

John Bennett (1814 – 1897) was one of the most controversial characters in British horology and, in many aspects one of the most advanced. He greatly advocated the Swiss methods of manufacture where parts were interchangeable rather than being made for each individual watch. This put him in conflict with many of his colleagues. It was even said that the establishment of the British Horological Institute was designed to protect decent watchmakers from “new brooms” like Bennett.

As well as manufacturing, there was also a rather grand shop in Cheapside, London where this particular watch was retailed from. The building was disassembled and moved to Greenfield Village in 1929.

The watch measures 50mm diameter excluding the winding stem and the loop. The case is silver and there are Swiss hallmarks, as we would expect, inside all three of the covers. The case has a few little “dings” and some fairly gentle unevenness. The back of the watch has the original owner's initials, FB.

The winding crown pushes in to open the front cover. Inside, the lens is in good condition.

The white enamel dial is in lovely condition with original hands, a subsidiary seconds dial and an outer minute track. The hands are set by way of the lever that is tucked into the bezel just underneath the number 4.

The watch comes with a single silver chain which measures 33.5cm long including the T-bar and the clasp. There is also a shorter chain which has a silver and enamel fob from the Smallheath & District Football League.

The watch and chain 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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