Gents 1950s J W Benson Wrist Watch

Gents 1950s J W Benson wrist watch.

The watch has a good quality Swiss 21 jewel ETA hand-winding movement which is working nicely.

The movement is signed with the name J W Benson, London.

J W Benson originated in 1847, founded by James William Benson and Samuel Suckley Benson. They were regarded as one of Victorian London’s most prestigious retail jewellers and they also manufactured their own watch movements. The company flourished and proudly boasted an elite client base made up of both British and European royalty and a selection of well heeled industrialists and business figures including the King of Siam, the King of Portugal, the King of Denmark, the Emperor of Japan, the Tsar of Russia and the King of Greece. J W Benson also supplied watches to Queen Victoria and the Prince of Wales.

As with many watch manufacturers, J W Benson embraced the newly introduced wristwatch during the first World War. Up until this point, the company was still manufacturing its own movements in the UK but after its factory at Belle Sauvage Yard was hit during a bombing raid in 1914, it purchased mechanisms from a number of quality movement producers in Switzerland, including Cyma. From a collector’s point of view, both the British and Swiss made J W Benson movements are desirable and comparable in quality.

The watch measures 33.5mm diameter excluding the winding crown and the lugs. The case is stainless steel, there is some light marking but overall it is in good condition for a 1950s piece. The case back states that the watch is waterproof but, as with any vintage watch, it should be kept away from water and moisture.

The lens is in good condition.

The signed dial is in its original finish with original hands, seconds sweep and outer minute markers.

A new leather strap has been fitted.

The watch comes in a new presentation box.

ALL PRICES INCLUDE UK POSTAGE (because of GPSR legislation, we no longer post items less than 100 years old to Europe, including Northern Ireland).

Please contact us regarding international shipping.

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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