# J.W. Benson - Swiss Made - ladies watch - Anyone ?



## Hickory Dickory Dock (May 18, 2016)

Perhaps not so well a known Swiss Watch - but the one in the picture - I would like to know the rough date of manufacture (my guess 40's or 50's) - and did they generally make good Swiss watches back then? Thanks!


----------



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

The name, J.W.Benson is a distinguished one when it comes to watches, and the firm had a long history before its demise in 1973. Your own watch dates to the early-mid 1950s, and by that time, J.W.Benson Ltd. were no longer manufacturing their watches but retailing them under their name, with movements from good quality (usually Swiss) makers. There is plenty of information available on the firm of J.W.Benson online - it was ultimately sold to Garrards, the famous jewellery house, in 1973.


----------



## Hickory Dickory Dock (May 18, 2016)

> The name, J.W.Benson is a distinguished one when it comes to watches, and the firm had a long history before its demise in 1973. Your own watch dates to the early-mid 1950s, and by that time, J.W.Benson Ltd. were no longer manufacturing their watches but retailing them under their name, with movements from good quality (usually Swiss) makers. There is plenty of information available on the firm of J.W.Benson online - it was ultimately sold to Garrards, the famous jewellery house, in 1973.


 That's interesting - so by the time my watch was made the movement used in the 50's was from a good quality maker - would it be prudent to open up the back and see if the movement could be identified do you think? I usually get Timpsons to open up the back because I would not know how to confidently do this and then snap it back on again.


----------



## gimli (Mar 24, 2016)

Indeed the time period is sometimes during the 1950s.

Inside there is probably going to be an Anton Schild or ETA movement, I'm thinking...


----------



## Hickory Dickory Dock (May 18, 2016)

gimli said:


> Indeed the time period is sometimes during the 1950s.
> 
> Inside there is probably going to be an Anton Schild or ETA movement, I'm thinking...


 OK worth a look then (although being new at this game I haven't heard of Anton Schild before) - hopefully there is an identifier inside somewhere.


----------



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

Dear @Hickory Dickory Dock, you may find that the movement in your watch is stamped with the Benson name rather than that of the manufacturer who made the movement, in which case a photograph of the movement may enable it to be identified by a knowledgable Forum member.


----------



## Hickory Dickory Dock (May 18, 2016)

Always said:


> Dear @Hickory Dickory Dock, you may find that the movement in your watch is stamped with the Benson name rather than that of the manufacturer of the movement, in which case a photograph of the movement may enable it to be identified by a knowledgable Forum member.


 OK here's a photo of the movement... seems to be a *Baume and Mercier*... is that a good movement generally speaking?


----------



## JoT (Aug 12, 2003)

@Hickory Dickory Dock I stand to be corrected but I don't think B&M made their own movements back then they used a variety of makes some of which they tinkered with and gave a BM calibre number. Have a hunt around to see if there are any more clues, one of our repair experts might recognise it, it does look like a nice movement though, has the look of am A.Schild (AS) perhaps Why is it in a Benson? Could be the watches were made for them by B&M


----------



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

Dear @Hickory Dickory Dock, what a turn-up for the books having a stamped Baume & Mercier caliber in your Benson. Interesting post by @JoTas well. I don't know if you have noticed but although the dial of your Benson watch announces that it contains a 17J movement, the movement itself appears to be stamped for 19J. I wonder how many 19J handwind movements there are out there produced in the 1950s; perhaps one can whittle down to likely contendors by virtue of the jewel count and ligne measurement.


----------



## JoT (Aug 12, 2003)

> I don't know if you have noticed but although the dial of your Benson watch announces that it contains a 17J movement, the movement itself appears to be stamped for 19J.


 I didn't notice that, in that case it may be a donor movement from a B&M watch


----------



## Hickory Dickory Dock (May 18, 2016)

> Dear @Hickory Dickory Dock, what a turn-up for the books having a stamped Baume & Mercier caliber in your Benson. Interesting post by @JoTas well. I don't know if you have noticed but although the dial of your Benson watch announces that it contains a 17J movement, the movement itself appears to be stamped for 19J. I wonder how many 19J handwind movements there are out there produced in the the 1950s; perhaps one can whittle down to likely contendors by virtue of the jewel count and ebauche ligne.


 Sorry, why am I so late getting back to people - sorry!! I did *not *noticed the *19J *on the movement - is this a rare number of jewels to have on a hand wound movement from the 1950's? Seems an odd number also, usually you get 17J, 21J or 25J?


----------



## Slim2500 (Jul 10, 2016)

Hickory Dickory Dock said:


> Sorry, why am I so late getting back to people - sorry!! I did *not *noticed the *19J *on the movement - is this a rare number of jewels to have on a hand wound movement from the 1950's? Seems an odd number also, usually you get 17J, 21J or 25J?


 I read somewhere a little while back that some watch manufactures did this if they was exporting the watches as some countries had a tax on the number of jewels used within the movement and it was done to avoid the import taxes


----------



## Hickory Dickory Dock (May 18, 2016)

Slim2500 said:


> I read somewhere a little while back that some watch manufactures did this if they was exporting the watches as some countries had a tax on the number of jewels used within the movement and it was done to avoid the import taxes


 Interesting...


----------



## Hickory Dickory Dock (May 18, 2016)

JoT said:


> @Hickory Dickory Dock I stand to be corrected but I don't think B&M made their own movements back then they used a variety of makes some of which they tinkered with and gave a BM calibre number. Have a hunt around to see if there are any more clues, one of our repair experts might recognise it, it does look like a nice movement though, has the look of am A.Schild (AS) perhaps Why is it in a Benson? Could be the watches were made for them by B&M


 Has anyone recognised the actual movement yet? If B&M were stamping other movements it would be interesting to know the original movement manufacturer. Isn't this a mixed bag!! I mean the mention of Benson plus B&M plus A.Shilds (or whatever the latter may be) - a whole mix of names in the soup.


----------



## JoT (Aug 12, 2003)

Hickory Dickory Dock said:


> Has anyone recognised the actual movement yet? If B&M were stamping other movements it would be interesting to know the original movement manufacturer. Isn't this a mixed bag!! I mean the mention of Benson plus B&M plus A.Shilds (or whatever the latter may be) - a whole mix of names in the soup.


 It's quite normal for watch companies to buy movements (or ebauches) and engrave their own name. I mentioned A.Schild as they were a major manufacturer of movements and the one in your watch looks a lot like one.

J.W. Benson did not make their own watches after WW1 but did continue retail watches made for them by third parties under their own name. Whether or not B&M made watches or supplied movements to them I really don't know. It is also possible the B&M movement is a replacement movement the original perhaps being beyond repair which might account for the 17 jewels on the dial and 19 jewels on the movement. It will probably remain a mystery!


----------



## Hickory Dickory Dock (May 18, 2016)

All useful information thanks


----------

