# No Makers Details



## northumbrian (Feb 5, 2008)

I have a number of watches from my grandfather and one in particular is a puzzle to me. It has several marks - the Swiss woodgrouse, a german crescent and crown, and a crown with an entwined S or serpent. I would like to give it an approximate date so that I can be more sure who it actually belonged to.

The woodgrouse and other mark would seem to put it post 1880's, but why would it have 2 different country marks on it?

And what is the third mark that I cant find anywhere?

There is a name inscribed that you may see on the pic, but that is the name of either my gfather or my gggfather. Strangely, the marks seem to have been stamped over the top of the inscription.

My gggfathers brother was a watchmaker in Newcastle, UK. I had really hoped that it would have been made by him (or assembled!) hence the lack of makers details, if it was just a one he had made for his broother. Snag with this theory is that he died in 1859 and the watch would seem to be quite a bit younger than that!

Any info from any of you knowlegeable folk out there would be much appreciated


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## Mikrolisk (Jan 23, 2008)

A nice pocket watch! 15 jewels, a swiss movement (ebauche).

That watch was swiss-made, but was sold in germany, as you see the hallmarks in the back lid:

Above is the wood grouse, the swiss silber mark, the 0,800 is the silver percentage of the case. So that watch was made in switzerland.

Right hand is the halfmoon with a crown, the germany silver mark ("Reichs-silber-stempel"), that had to be on silver watches sold in germany.

Left side, the crown with a 'S' is the makers mark, in this case for "Staiger", propably the still existing "Kundo Staiger GmbH Uhrenfabrik"

Address is:

Kundo Staiger GmbH Uhrenfabrik

Bundesstr. 10

78112 Sankt Georgen im Schwarzwald

(Germany)

That means, Staiger got only the movement, finished, encased and sold it.

The watch should be dated to the late 1880/90ies, perhaps a look on the dial (style) could help.

Andreas


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## northumbrian (Feb 5, 2008)

Thanks for that. Amazing! How on earth can you tell all that (number of jewels etc)!

I've taken a pic of the dial.

Teh strange thing about the markings is that the inscription of my gfathers name - John H. Wintrip - appears to be UNDER the swiss stamps. John H Wintrip died in 1875 and the next John H Wintrip wasn't born until 1913.


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## Mikrolisk (Jan 23, 2008)

Jewel counting is quite easy. Here we have:

4 jewels belong to the balance wheel bearing (2 bearing jewels + 2 end stones)

1 jewel for the impulse jewel

2 jewels are the pallets of the lever

2 jewels for the lever bearing

2 jewels for the escapement wheel (bearing)

2 jewels for the second wheel

2 jewels for the third wheel

makes 15 jewels.

The center wheel does not have jewels in your watch.

Now when I look on the dial, I would date the watch a little bit later... those gold points for the minute indexes are more common in the early 20th century... so perhaps about 1905-1915.

If you look day by day on pocket watches you also could know all of that.

Kind regards,

Andreas


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## Mikrolisk (Jan 23, 2008)

by the way... the pusher for setting the time and the crown are absent...

Andreas


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## northumbrian (Feb 5, 2008)

Andreas

Many many thanks for your expert information. I can now pin down the person to whom the watch belonged.

By the way, you have an excellent website!

Thanks again

Ian


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## Egger (Feb 3, 2008)

Hi,

I agree this is a very interesting and excellent website !

Its reassuring to know that the people on here are willing to share their knoweledge which at times is invaluable.

Superb !


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## Mikrolisk (Jan 23, 2008)

Thanks alot!

Maybe sometimes I will made an english version of my website...

Andreas


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