# Another bit of 'old tat'...saved!



## Karrusel (Aug 13, 2016)

Recently came across this, whilst a rarity in itself posed (too me) a conundrum on it's authenticity?

Arrived in a pretty dire state, as I was previously aware...



















A 1927 silver cased Rotherham & Sons, Coventry, Trench Watch.

Fitted wit an Electa 15 jewel lever movement, with Breguet overcoil hairspring, 24mm woc.

Rotherham's had been importing Electa movements for use in their 'PW's' since the end of the Great War.

When Gallet, parent company of Electa experienced financial difficulties in the early 1920's Rotherhams leased the factory from the liquidators, ultimately taking full ownership in 1926.

After a full strip, clean, new original old stock crystal, strap, regulation (tourettes under control), the result...





































https://i.imgur.com/ZbjxgNh.mp4

The conundrum for me was the Edinburgh import hallmarks...










...until I discovered that Rotherham & Son had an Edinburgh import office & registered trade mark at the Edinburgh assay office (every day is a school day) :thumbs_up:

Am very happy that I've successfully saved another 'original' piece of our horological history.

Thanks for looking :thumbsup:


----------



## spinynorman (Apr 2, 2014)

Karrusel said:


> Am very happy that I've successfully saved another 'original' piece of our horological history.


 Absolutely beautiful, it's good to see a stunning piece of our heritage brought back to life. And discovering something new is icing on the cake. :thumbs_up:


----------



## bridgeman (Dec 9, 2008)

Top marks :toot:


----------



## SolaVeritate (Mar 21, 2021)

Well done @Karrusel that looks brilliant. :thumbs_up:


----------



## tick-tock-tittle-tattle (Aug 4, 2018)

Nice job, I have a bit of a soft post for Electa as I owned a 1916 'trench watch' which I sold to a guy in America who is a friend of the current CEO of Gallet.

Always great to see these beautiful old watches returned to their former glory.

Thanks for sharing.

No mistaking those bridges...sorry about the rubbish photo.


----------



## animalone (Apr 11, 2017)

Nice to see another oldie being saved,

Electa movements were well made, here is the one inside my Borgel case


----------



## Karrusel (Aug 13, 2016)

animalone said:


> Nice to see another oldie being saved,
> 
> Electa movements were well made, here is the one inside my Borgel case


 Very nice, top grade with screwed chatons & Reeds regulator.

:thumbsup:


----------



## Karrusel (Aug 13, 2016)

Yet another awaiting care & attention!

This was gifted by a kind friend knowing I had a passion for such & would probably salvage? it, as she had no use for it.

In transpires her father acquired it before WWII from a relative who took it with him, conscripted, to France during WW1, happily both survived unharmed (physically).

My kind friend inherited the watch when her father passed, only to be then placed in a drawer.

Now with me an 1903 Elgin Sidewinder Railroad PW, 7 jewel, going barrel lever escapement with Breguet overcoil hairspring, housed in an Silveroid (Nickel Silver) case.

First appearance, as many of mine arrive, not pretty. 



















Movement not too bad, & functioning well, probably due to the tight screw back (& bezel) protecting it.



















Crystal was stubborn, so left to soak, with bezel, in acetone for 20 minutes.

After a lot of cleaning  & NOS crystal.



















Lever set...










Thanks to the good folk at Elgin have been able to find out quite a bit about this particular timepiece.

It's a Grade 207, model 4, class 61, with Hunting movement.

This particular timepiece being number 37 of a run of 53.



















Can now make out (just) the embossed locomotive on case back...



















The to do list isn't getting any shorter though :biggrin:

Thanks for looking :thumbsup:


----------



## spinynorman (Apr 2, 2014)

Karrusel said:


> First appearance, as many of mine arrive, not pretty.


 Worth the effort in cleaning it up, though. It's magnificent. I bet it could tell some stories. :thumbsup:


----------



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

What a great thread!

Thanks for showing us those watches, Alan. That Rotherham has turned out a real treat and I look forward to seeing how the Elgin is transformed. Marvellous. :thumbsup:


----------



## Karrusel (Aug 13, 2016)

Always said:


> What a great thread!
> 
> Thanks for showing us those watches, Alan. That Rotherham has turned out a real treat and I look forward to seeing *how the Elgin is **transformed*. Marvellous. :thumbsup:


 Thanks Honour.

May I respectfully ask you to look at the post again (with spectacles on perhaps?) :tongue:

Thought I had made a reasonably fair job of bringing it back to life? 

:biggrin:


----------



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

Oh my gosh Alan @Karrusel, a complete faux pas on my part and absolutely inexcusable. I do apologise... :shothead:

My attention was distracted just at the wrong moment and I missed the final reveal of the Elgin.


----------



## Karrusel (Aug 13, 2016)

:laugh:

No need to apologise Honour, I'm frequently guilty of similar, sadly! :wheelchair:

:thumbsup:


----------



## Karrusel (Aug 13, 2016)

Like waiting for a Bus...

This time a Rotherham & Son, Coventry, Circa 1930 rolled gold cushion case wristwatch.

It arrived in a pretty tired (mucky) state...



















Thankfully the movement appears to be running very well :thumbs_up: ...










Which leaves me with just a dial, hands, case, & crystal clean.

Nicely executed Solar guilloche (IMO) with blued Breguet moon hands...










The movement is an Electa 15 jewel lever, a factory in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland, which Rotherham & Son purchased in 1926.

RANDS is also a wordmark registered to Rotherham & Son...










Movement well protected by a secure dust cover...










Assembled & cased in Coventry...










Happy how this one turned out...










Popped on a NOS one piece till a suitable period open ended arrives...



















:thumbsup:


----------



## spinynorman (Apr 2, 2014)

Karrusel said:


> Happy how this one turned out...


 And so you should be. Fabulous piece of Rotherhams history. :notworthy:

Keep them coming.


----------



## Marcin (Aug 30, 2019)

Great effort, beautiful watches


----------



## Karrusel (Aug 13, 2016)

Another recent project...

This one is an 9k JB Rolls, dating from 1928 (Glasgow import hallmark).

This must have been one of Blancpain's earliest collaborations with Paris jeweller/watchmaker Leon Hatot.

Purchased with obvious issues (stated), but felt confident they could be addressed?

As received...



















After a bit of fettling...










Attractive decorated 15 jewel, compensated balance, Breguet hairspring movement...after addressing the click spring issue...





































...breathe out!

:biggrin:


----------



## Caller. (Dec 8, 2013)

Very impressive Alan, did you do that yourself?


----------



## Karrusel (Aug 13, 2016)

Caller. said:


> Very impressive Alan, did you do that yourself?


 Guilty M'lud 

Thanks Phil.

:thumbsup:


----------



## jsud2002 (Nov 7, 2015)

Well done Alan , I am very impressed how different the centre rectangle looks on the dial , the colour really comes through .


----------



## Dilly (Dec 23, 2019)

Karrusel said:


> Guilty M'lud
> 
> Thanks Phil.
> 
> :thumbsup:


 These restorations are very impressive.


----------



## johnny Cool (Jun 10, 2021)

Fantastic! It looks way more stunning now!


----------



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

Great work on a lovely watch, @Karrusel. :thumbsup:

Thanks for the sequence of pics showing the transformation.


----------



## Karrusel (Aug 13, 2016)

Yet another bit of ol' tat rescued!

This time only requiring cosmetic (case & crystal) intervention...

1914/15 Silver Cased Trenchie.

15 jewel Swiss lever movement Fontmelon (best fit?)



















Import Hallmarks for Glasgow 1914/15, case maker punch for *F*rederick *W*right, Coventry(?)...










Case & dial remarkably similar to the one I rescued earlier.

Cased & powered by Rotherham & sons, Coventry...





































:thumbsup:


----------



## spinynorman (Apr 2, 2014)

Magnificent, great to see these being restored and preserved.


----------



## Karrusel (Aug 13, 2016)

Movement maker(?) should read Fontainemelon.

oops:


----------



## Now a Doxa Fan (8 mo ago)

Very nice watch.

I will be getting my restored trench watch back tomorrow. I only hope it will look that good as well. He told me he is also replacing crystal with NOS (and keeping the old yellow original one). He aslo indicated the dial is a nice porcelain white which makes the red 12 pop! Have not seen it yet. :sadwalk: BTW It was confirmed to be a Longines movement as suspected.


----------

