# Made In Where?



## KevinB (Feb 15, 2013)

I have a question sbout the makers of pocket watches.

Around the turn of the 20th century, there were many shops described as "Watch Makers and Jewellers", who did indeed sell watches and jeweller. No surprise there but very often the name of the dealer was put non the porcelain dial as well as being engraved on the brass workings of the watch, but did they make/assemble the watches or did they buy them in and badge them up?

To give an example, JG Graves had a vast mail order business in Sheffield. He had a long association with the Lancashire Watch Company based in Prescot. The watches usually have the words "JG Graves" and "The Express English Lever" on the dial and the words "JG Graves, Sheffield" inscribed on the brass mechanism parts of the watch. But were they assembled by Graves's staff in Sheffield or bought in from the LWC and then badged up in Graves's premises. He did sell 1000's if not 1000000's of watches

Could it be that smaller, one man businesses like Lomas Clapson of Attercliffe in Sheffield bought the parts and assembled the watches themselves before putting "Lomas Clapson" on the dial and internal workings in which case lomas Clapson was the maker whereas lareger companies like JG Graves bought the entire watch in and badged them up, perhaps to emmulate what smaller watch makers were doing?

Graves makes no mention of the LWC connection in the badging of watches and to many it might seem that they were made by Graves.

Any thoughts would be most welcome!


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## Julian Latham (Jul 25, 2005)

Limit in Oldham did very much the same thing from 1912 to about 1964 (bit of a guess with the latter date). They used Revue Thommen movements which were engraved 'Limit' or 'Limit No.2', dials were similarly marked.

I have one example where the dial is marked not only 'Limit' but also 'Cartwright Bros, George St., Newcastle, Staffs - the retailer.

I'm fairly sure that Limit did not manufacture their own cases and movements but offered buyers combinations of movement and case to suit their needs or budget.


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