# West End Watches?



## James (Jul 17, 2006)

Been watching these for some time. Seem to be a lot of them floating around in various condition. Four dial types in 2 diff case types. Some seem to be almost NOS other have bezel dings etc, some lume falling out, diff serial numbers on the casebacks for each listing. Quite cheap too

So I have a couple incoming, maybe next week. See whats up, not sure what to expect. I do know if these are truly NOS they will be stiff or could be. Not sure if the dials have been done but I am thinking they have not been, will see when in hand. Only took me an hour to sort out which were the best lol, sad

In the interim give me your thoughts and info on these pieces. Thanks

Here are the two I grabbed


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## James (Jul 17, 2006)

And the other styles I passed on. Interesting pieces, will see what happens with these, will update when they arrive. Will look much better on a thicker strap


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## William_Wilson (May 21, 2007)

I thought West End Watch co. was an Indian outfit of the past. Was I dreaming? I saw loads of these on the Bay a couple of years ago. They were of the same configuration as the ones you have there. The ones I looked at ranged from almost new to total crap. It will be interesting to hear what they are like in the steel. 

Later,

William


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## James (Jul 17, 2006)

You know I am going to have a hell of a time getting those backs off, hope the ol rubber works on them. I like the white dialed ones but the others I saw had misaligned dials a bit

The 2 tone dial, def cool, although hands are longer on the ones with the track right at the dial edge.

Found one more case style also


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## feenix (May 27, 2008)

Hi James,

I picked up one very similar to this one last year.









Same hands and dial, very minor difference on case. Like you say, cheap as cheap things are. Mine has the dual day wheel (Arabic and English) and although it really needs a service, I've not bothered yet as its not likely to be an everyday use watch. Movement runs for quite a time, then seems to stop for no reason. I think its just old and stiff, doesn't look to be anything major.

Can't take pics at the moment, house is in in turmoil and will be for some time yet, but mine is marked up the same as yours, there really is hardly any difference at all.


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## feenix (May 27, 2008)

James said:


> You know I am going to have a hell of a time getting those backs off, hope the ol rubber works on them


Rubber or gaffer tape. I used gaffer tape on mine.


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## James (Jul 17, 2006)

I expect they will have arabic also. The communication has been great. I have a feeling although through a dozen questions there may be issues with them in the running dept that is if they are NOS and have been sitting for how many years


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## feenix (May 27, 2008)

Managed to get to it, and used my phone to take this picture.










To be fair, it started working with a shake of the watch.

As you can see, making allowances for artificial light, its very similar to the one I pointed out earlier. The main difference being the four brass rivets set into/around the bezel. Still has original band. I just remembered, I bought this as I didn't have a watch with cathedral hands or an issued watch, two birds with one stone and all that.


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## James (Jul 17, 2006)

tks, diff case again I see very nice. and its always the cathedral hands that capture me too. Did not go towards the straight hands versions.

In the ones with actual lugs I noticed 2 diff ones also so more case style. Figured while they are coming added the first one also of these 2, got a good deal on the group of 3, hope they are not half bad overall


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## James (Jul 17, 2006)

he got back to me, ETA, 2878 under the balance wheel for the day date so feel better already lol


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## rhaythorne (Jan 12, 2004)

The West End Sowar Prima has been around for a long time and there are very many different versions. I think Roy still has one on the sales site with an Oman dial. Here's mine from around 1939 with the blurb from my site which I pieced together from various other sources:

*West End Watch Co. Sowar Prima*










_"West End Watch Co. was originally formed by Arnold CharpiÃ©. The marque was purchased in 1886 by Constant Droz and Arnold Amstutz who developed the brand via their sales centres in Bombay and Calcutta, India. In 1917, Arnold Amstutz (who was by then the sole proprietor) established a company in Geneva, Switzerland, which took control of the brand. West End Watches were very popular with British troops in India and the Middle East during the First World War and one was apparently purchased by Lawrence of Arabia! The Sowar (which means "warlike" in Hindustani) model spearheaded the range since its introduction in 1934 and many, such as this example from circa 1939, bear the broad arrow mark and "C.S.(I)" indicating that they were issued to members of the Civil Service (India)."_


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## mattbeef (Jul 17, 2008)

Might have to go and browse the bay as that white faced one looks great!


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## James (Jul 17, 2006)

mattbeef said:


> Might have to go and browse the bay as that white faced one looks great!


lol. mine came out of Thailand. watch for spaces on the white dialed ones at the 3 position, in some you can see just a bit of the edge of the indent at the edge of the dial, not a big deal but I did notice that


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## feenix (May 27, 2008)

Ok, daylight shot of mine on wrist (couldn't help myself, it was calling to me)


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## dazaa (Feb 28, 2009)

feenix said:


> Hi James,
> 
> I picked up one very similar to this one last year.
> 
> ...


Hmm not the nicest looking dial though...I really don't like dials with massive numbers. Im more in to 1980's seikos....


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## mattbeef (Jul 17, 2008)

James said:


> mattbeef said:
> 
> 
> > Might have to go and browse the bay as that white faced one looks great!
> ...


Thanks for that James will have to keep an eye out then


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## William_Wilson (May 21, 2007)

rhaythorne said:


> _"West End Watch Co. was originally formed by Arnold CharpiÃ©. The marque was purchased in 1886 by Constant Droz and Arnold Amstutz who developed the brand via their sales centres in Bombay and Calcutta, India. In 1917, Arnold Amstutz (who was by then the sole proprietor) established a company in Geneva, Switzerland, which took control of the brand. West End Watches were very popular with British troops in India and the Middle East during the First World War and one was apparently purchased by Lawrence of Arabia! The Sowar (which means "warlike" in Hindustani) model spearheaded the range since its introduction in 1934 and many, such as this example from circa 1939, bear the broad arrow mark and "C.S.(I)" indicating that they were issued to members of the Civil Service (India)."_


I thought India had something to do with it. 

Later,

William


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## jasonm (Nov 22, 2003)

feenix said:


> Ok, daylight shot of mine on wrist (couldn't help myself, it was calling to me)


Whats the name of your pet bear? h34r:


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## feenix (May 27, 2008)

jasonm said:


> feenix said:
> 
> 
> > Ok, daylight shot of mine on wrist (couldn't help myself, it was calling to me)
> ...


Yeah, yeah, theres always one. :tongue2:


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## mach 0.0013137 (Jan 10, 2005)

feenix said:


> jasonm said:
> 
> 
> > feenix said:
> ...


I know how you feel 










I like the look of West End watches although I`m not too keen on the day-dates.

This is mine...

*West End Watch Co`Sowar` cal.1080 21 Jewels c1960s/70s (?)*










It`s a lovely watch but the style is unlike any other West End I`ve come across :huh:


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## James (Jul 17, 2006)

nice pieces. Did not know much about these but seems to be a heck of a lot of models. I just hope all incoming don't need service immediately would like to enjoy a while first


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## Fray Bentos (Mar 2, 2008)

Thought I'd throw in a pic or two of my 'West End' for good measure, a pretty plane version, fixed bars, recently serviced and put on one of Roy's black NATO's..and photo's not the best.


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## johnbaz (Jan 30, 2005)

gawd i luuuurve cathederal hands, here's one of mine with said hands...

altanus flieger..










i could have sworn that i'd bought one of those west end watch co pieces last year but it's a favre leuba 

i'll have to keep my eyes open for one now (hope i don't end up bidding against someone on here







)

mac- is feenix your long lost brother??? (sorry feenix, you were wrong when you said there's always one- looks like there's two on here :blush: )

john


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## feenix (May 27, 2008)

johnbaz said:


> mac- is feenix your long lost brother??? (sorry feenix, you were wrong when you said there's always one- looks like there's two on here :blush: )


Well, at least I've not been drawing on the back of my arm, or if I have you can't see it for the undergrowth. 

I'm going to get this every time I post a wrist shot methinks.


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## johnbaz (Jan 30, 2005)

feenix said:


> johnbaz said:
> 
> 
> > mac- is feenix your long lost brother??? (sorry feenix, you were wrong when you said there's always one- looks like there's two on here :blush: )
> ...


'fraid so :tongue2: , mac usually cops it too ( i'm fairly sure he was bitten by a lycanthrope :lol: )

the writing on my arm is a sign of a mis-spent youth i'm afraid, my mate at school (rather a long time ago!) did 'the writing' using a needle, cotton and some indian ink sourced from art class, when my mam saw it she gave me a bit of a pasting :lol:

by the way feenix, your sowar is lovely B)

regards, john


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## feenix (May 27, 2008)

johnbaz said:


> the writing on my arm is a sign of a mis-spent youth i'm afraid, my mate at school (rather a long time ago!) did 'the writing' using a needle, cotton and some indian ink sourced from art class, when my mam saw it she gave me a bit of a pasting :lol:
> 
> by the way feenix, your sowar is lovely B)


I thought I recognized the signs, got to say I saw people doing it myself, a terror of needles and the constitution of a wimp saved me from any permanent ink.  

Thanks for the comments on the Sowar. Not bad for a cheapie. Not every watch has to be expensive to enjoy.


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## dombox40 (Oct 20, 2008)

Can somebody tell me if these are cathederal hands or just russian wrought iron.


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## feenix (May 27, 2008)

dombox40 said:


> Can somebody tell me if these are cathederal hands or just russian wrought iron.


Bit flowery I'd say for a watch, they almost look like clock hands.


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