# Need Help Identifying Pocket Watches



## skaterava

Hello, although I am not much of a watch enthusiast, I recently aquired 9 pocket watches... Having no experience or expertise in the field, could anyone help me identify and value these watches.

The first seems to be Russian, Communist-era, as it says "Made in USSR" at the bottom, nd i'm pretty sure it's a Molnija but that's been written in Russian. It also says "18 Rubis" instead of 18 Jewels. Can anyone give an approximate age/value?










The second watch is also a Molnija, although it seems newer. The back of it depicts a small boat sailing to shore as the sun sets. This watch also has a sub-dial showing the seconds and says "made in Russia".










The third looks very recent, a Sekonda 18 Jewels.










The fourth, I found a similar one online, and the owner suspected his was well over 50 years old. It's another Molnija.










"Made in Russia" , with a small picture of a tree by a river down a steep canyon.

All the watches are wind-up.

I would post more pictures but there's a photo limit on the site If you want more pictures to help you work out what they are and from how long ago, let me know.

Thanks for your help


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## skaterava

Because i am not allowed to post too many pictures in one post, i've had to double post to show you the other, non Russian ones i have. Like above, it would be great if someone could identify and/or value them.

Above are the Russian ones, but these are some Swiss made and British made ones too.

The first is an "express" railway pocketwatch with an engraving of a train on both outer sides.










The second is also an "express" watch, Swiss made.

The next is also British, on the clock face "London Watch" is written. It has no engravings on its covers. Whether or not it is made of gold i do not know.










I also have a Grants Of Dalvey "Voyager" WGI clock/alarm with chain, which, once opened, has a map of Europe on one face, and a map of the Phillipines on the other. Around the edges, various capital cities are named with their respective time zones. I have seen this watch online and the newer model is currently for sale at $115.

Thanks for your help


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## skaterava

Can anyone help me? I'm desperate for some info on these watches as i can't find anything online. Thanks you..


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## Shangas

These watches look to be of modern manufacture. As such, value may not be very high. The watches in the first post seem to be Russian in manufacture, but that's all I can say, really.


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## skaterava

thanks for the info. When you say the price will not be that high, how low are we talking here?

Also, i'm a bit confused about the fourth Molnija (the one with the slightly golden coloured face). After some heavy researching, i can find some Molnija's similar to this that are over 50 years old, whereas i can find others that are only 30 or so years old, despite having identical clock faces.

On top of that, I cannot find any information whatsoever the Swiss made "Express" watch, and the 17 Jewels "London Watch" ion the internet. No photos, nothing. Before i sell these, i would really love to know where they are from and how old they are.

By the way, the Sekonda 18 Jewels (pic above) is now on Ebay. It's not my cup of tea :blush:


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## Shangas

I really couldn't say. You'd have to check Ebay to see how much similar watches are selling for, but I wouldn't expect it would be much. Probably only a couple of hundred bucks if you're lucky, but that's a VERY rough guess.


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## Chascomm

The first Molnija says "Express" on the dial. I don't know if the word is really used much in Russian or if it was chosen just for the sound of it. The style of the watch is a variant of the watches that Molnija built for Serkisoff, an Istanbul jeweller who supplied watches to the Turkish National Railways. Molnija seems to have sold Serkisoff-branded watches on the domestic market too, alongside otherwise identical watches signed Molnija. For export to the UK they were branded Sekonda (like your other watch) and in Canada they were branded Marathon.

The London Watch has a sweep second hand. In a modern pocket-watch that always means it has a wristwatch movement (apart from the Chinese Meihualu, but that was never exported). Is it quartz or mechanical? And what is written below the 6?


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## Chascomm

skaterava said:


> On top of that, I cannot find any information whatsoever the Swiss made "Express" watch, and the 17 Jewels "London Watch" ion the internet. No photos, nothing. Before i sell these, i would really love to know where they are from and how old they are.


The position of the sub-dial on the Swiss 'Express' indicates that it has a wristwatch movement inside. If it is a mechanical watch (not quartz) then I'd guess it was made some time in the 1970s.

The London watch was probably made in Switzerland in the 1970s or Hong Kong sometime between the 1970s and the present, or mainland China in the last 10 years or so. I don't think the word 'London' is indicative of its origins. What is written under the 6? A photo of the movement should reveal much about this watch.


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## skaterava

Chascomm, under the 6 on the "London Watch" is written "MED MOVT"

I have absolutely no idea if the watches are quartz or mechanical, i am completely new to pocket watches and watches in general.

the Molnija with the enamelled, painted cover is the one that interests me the most. It's sub-dial is located at the side, does the position of the sub-dial mean anything?

This is the front of the molnija i am talking about.










Here are a some more pocket watches i have obtained:

This "Express" Watch, again, swiss made.



















A Grants of Dalvey "Voyager" Clock, identical to this one. Mine is dated 1993, although it isn't very old, the newer model gets sold at Â£70

http://s7ondemand4.scene7.com/is/image/Signet/6293379?$detail475$


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