# I've Just Inherited A Pocket Watch!



## Bellroo (Feb 18, 2008)

I just wondered if anyone could give me any hints and tips about how to find more about it. All I know is that it was hand made for my Great great grandma on her 21st birthday. It's 18 carot gold, and it's got the initial "I S' , and I can make out a very old fasioned capital D and there's also a number that is carved on the underside of the back and on the inside where the movement is.


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## blackandgolduk (Apr 25, 2005)

Bellroo said:


> I just wondered if anyone could give me any hints and tips about how to find more about it. All I know is that it was hand made for my Great great grandma on her 21st birthday. It's 18 carot gold, and it's got the initial "I S' , and I can make out a very old fasioned capital D and there's also a number that is carved on the underside of the back and on the inside where the movement is.


Hi there, welcome to the forum!

Sounds like it could be a nice piece - I'm no expert on pocket watches, but if you can post a picture or two, that would help I'm sure.


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## Bellroo (Feb 18, 2008)

blackandgolduk said:


> Bellroo said:
> 
> 
> > I just wondered if anyone could give me any hints and tips about how to find more about it. All I know is that it was hand made for my Great great grandma on her 21st birthday. It's 18 carot gold, and it's got the initial "I S' , and I can make out a very old fasioned capital D and there's also a number that is carved on the underside of the back and on the inside where the movement is.
> ...


http://i256.photobucket.com/albums/hh170/b...rs/watch013.jpg

http://i256.photobucket.com/albums/hh170/b...rs/watch011.jpg

http://i256.photobucket.com/albums/hh170/b...rs/watch010.jpg

http://i256.photobucket.com/albums/hh170/b...rs/watch004.jpg

Here are some photo's of the watch - I'm not a great photographer, but I hope they may help!!


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## Mikrolisk (Jan 23, 2008)

A nice british pocket watch, hallmarked for Chester and the year ... well... is it a 'P'? Then 1853. The date letter does not look for me as a 'D'.

It must be an expensive watch in that times, the jewelled bearing for the second staff was not very common in that years! The balance wheel should be out of rose gold.

An unusual watch for womens watches! Usually womens watches are much cheaper and of less quality!

Hands are 'spade' style, blued steel. Movement with fusee and chain - is the dust cover (or ring) still existing, that covers the movement bevor you will swing it back to the case?

I assume it has an english lever escapement.

Regards, Andreas


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## Bellroo (Feb 18, 2008)

Mikrolisk said:


> A nice british pocket watch, hallmarked for Chester and the year ... well... is it a 'P'? Then 1853. The date letter does not look for me as a 'D'.
> 
> It must be an expensive watch in that times, the jewelled bearing for the second staff was not very common in that years! The balance wheel should be out of rose gold.
> 
> ...


Hi Andreas

Thank you for having a look for me! I know absolutly nothing about watches so your information has been a great help and very interesting too!

I'm not sure what the dust cover or ring look like, so I've taken some more photo's of parts of the watch i had not included in the first photo's. One of them is of the beaded bag the watch came to me with, though I am not sure if it was the original!

I've also spoken to a family member of my family who seems to think we had connections to a family (the Rothchilds?) who were very wealthy so that might explain why it was of slightly higher quality!

thanks

Lizzie

http://i256.photobucket.com/albums/hh170/b...rs/watch015.jpg

http://i256.photobucket.com/albums/hh170/b...rs/watch014.jpg


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## Mikrolisk (Jan 23, 2008)

The dust cap looks like this (over the movement):










Andreas


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## Bellroo (Feb 18, 2008)

Ok, it doesn't have a dust cap then!


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## Mikrolisk (Jan 23, 2008)

Oh, I see that your watch should have only a ring around the movement... you do not have those pins on the movement, where this dust cap could fix itself (with this big spring, you can see two pins at both ends of the spring).

But you have a screw on your movement that could fix a ring:










By the way: What colour is the balance wheel end stone? Just clear?

Andreas


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## Bellroo (Feb 18, 2008)

I've just held it up to the light and I'm certain that the balance wheel end stone is clear.


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## Mikrolisk (Jan 23, 2008)

It could(!) be a diamond then (or a clear sapphir).

Andreas


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## Bellroo (Feb 18, 2008)

Mikrolisk said:


> It could(!) be a diamond then (or a clear sapphir).
> 
> Andreas


 Oh my goodness!! a diamond?! wow..

So would it worth taking it to be valued and get it insured then?


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## Mikrolisk (Jan 23, 2008)

Don't exaggerate  The worth should be below 150 to 200 pounds...

Andreas


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## Bellroo (Feb 18, 2008)

Oh I'm a bit disapointed at that! not that I would ever sell it as it's been in our family for such a long time - but I was thinking it was realy valuable!


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## Shangas (Jan 27, 2008)

Don't be fooled. Just because something has gemstones in it or has gold on it doesn't make it especially valuable. I've seen people make this mistake before with other stuff. A common one is gold fountain pens. They discover the nib is 12, 14 or 18kt gold and they immediately assume it's worth a fortune.

Here's the facts - If you removed all the gold from a fountain pen nib, you'd have a tiny slither of yellow metal worth about five to twelve dollars. The cost of getting the gold would outweigh the value of the gold itself.

It's the same with watches. In some cases, yes, there is enough gold, diamonds, rubies or whatever, on the watch to make it worth something - but usually - there isn't. The amount of gold sometimes really doesn't contribute anything to the value of the watch. If anything, I'd say that the true value would come from how well the watch works, rather than how it looks.


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## Bellroo (Feb 18, 2008)

I didn't think the value would come from the gold or the gem stone, but rather from the fact that it is an antique! Oh well it seems that I am mistaken! It is still fasinating to know that it was hand made for one of my ancestors, just finding out what year it was made was of great interest too! I would love to know who made it .. and more importantly which gentleman bought it for her!


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## mel (Dec 6, 2006)

You'll need a key to wind this if there isn't one with it. If you get one, be very careful in deciding to wind it up. Remember this watch is potentially over 100 years old and has probably *NOT* been wound, checked or serviced in many years.









OTOH, that's not to say it won't be in working order, or could be made up to working order!







If you wanted to go down this road, you should try to find a specialist "real Watchmaker" who would be willing to check this out for you and possibly service it to a good working condition. Whilst this might not be cheap, it would give you a "different" lasting treasure from your family history.









Whatever you decide, looking after this piece means you yourself could pass a little of your family's history on to any children of your own - no bad thing in to-day's throwaway society - so *E N J O Y !*


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