# 1921 Coventry pocket watch



## Andyj56 (Dec 12, 2015)

My Dad gave me this many years ago, a nine crt gold watch, dated 1921 by Matthew Wilcox Coventry, which is where I was born! Still works very well too! Another watch I would never sell lol!


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## mel (Dec 6, 2006)

Verrrry Nice Piece that - - not that I'm *JEALOUS Oh no!*


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## davidcxn (Nov 4, 2010)

Beautiful watch. So many of these have been destroyed in recent years due to the gold value which is very sad. I'm glad this one is staying in the family and has an appreciative home. :yes:


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## Andyj56 (Dec 12, 2015)

davidcxn said:


> Beautiful watch. So many of these have been destroyed in recent years due to the gold value which is very sad. I'm glad this one is staying in the family and has an appreciative home. :yes:


 I hate to see quality items going into the melting pot, one of my pet hates, once it has gone it can never return! There is no family after us, so I might see about leaving it to the Coventry watch museum, somewhere safe from the dreaded pot! :thumbsup:


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## eri231 (Jun 28, 2015)

the casemaker W.S was Wlliam Sexton in 23 Allesley Old Road Coventry

regards enrico


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## Andyj56 (Dec 12, 2015)

Thanks Enrico, great information! :thumbsup:

The house is a listed buiding, master watch maker, great to research this history with a vintage watch or clock!

http://www.britishlistedbuildings.co.uk/en-218404-23-allesley-old-road-#.VuWoIainzMI


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## Always"watching" (Sep 21, 2013)

Thanks Andy (if I may call you that) for showing us that lovely pocket watch. I am an absolute sucker for those clean white dials with nicely proportioned hands and minimum fussiness. I also regret that when gold prices went through the roof not long ago, many simple and lovely watches will have been scrapped, and not only old pocket watches. I fear that some gold wristwatches with very early quartz movements may have gone the same way, such as Seiko Astrons.

Have you done any research on the watch? I have had a look for information briefly, and there is a Matthew Wilcox listed in the 1861 census as a Watch Jeweller at the Coventrry Works in Earlsden. I was not able to verify the name of Matthew Wilcox in an online list of English and Irish watchmakers up to about 1940, but given that the watch was actually made by an R. H. Cox, it would seem that Matthew Wilcox was a company boss, perhaps a watch retailer, at the time your watch was made, rather than a jobbing watchmaker. I suppose there is an outside chance that Mattthew Wilcox could have been the recipient of the watch, but I doubt it since the dated name is engraved on the movement and not on the case.

A final note on this - I also discovered a forum query on RootsChat.com for information on Coventry watchmakers c.1841-1900 but no-one came up with either the Cox nor the Wilcox names. If I do discover anything else then I will let you know.


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## Andyj56 (Dec 12, 2015)

davidcxn said:


> Yes, Andy is fine! I also found the 1861census, can find no trace of Arden Row on Google maps, all seems to be Earlsdon in Coventry though and I was born in Earlsdon!
> 
> By the way for some reason the forum is quoting the wrong perdon, no idea why?


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## Peixian (Feb 29, 2016)

Fantastic ! that maybe an antique! a historical collection!


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