# Services Pocket Watch



## stefano34 (Sep 27, 2009)

This was my Grandfathers, family story goes it was presented along with several others to the platoon as a thank you present on the standing down of the Home Guard unit he served with during WW2.

I've had it for about 10 years since he passed, it gets worn occassionaly at weddings etc with a waistcoat.

It keeps pretty good time for a 50+ year old watch that appears to have never been (professionaly) serviced.


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## pg tips (May 16, 2003)

Oh that's nice, has Mach seen it?


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## a6cjn (Oct 29, 2009)

Looks to be in superb condition and it has a family connection - can't get much better than that.

I've got a simialar example but not in such good condtion as yours.

Lovely watch and nice to hear that it gets worn

Chris


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## mach 0.0013137 (Jan 10, 2005)

stefano34 said:


> This was my Grandfathers, family story goes it was presented along with several others to the platoon as a thank you present on the standing down of the Home Guard unit he served with during WW2.
> 
> I've had it for about 10 years since he passed, it gets worn occassionaly at weddings etc with a waistcoat.
> 
> It keeps pretty good time for a 50+ year old watch that appears to have never been (professionaly) serviced.


Very nice :yes:

I obviously can`t comment on your family`s story about the connection with the Home Guard except to say the watch was made in the 1950s for the Services Watch Company Limited Leicester by the Anglo-Celtic Watch Co.Ltd., Gurnos Works, Ystradgynlais. ( for more about that company see "The Tick-Tock")

I have not come across any indication that Services watches were ever officially issued to the forces although I do own & have seen other examples of a 1930s `Transport` wrist watch which had `A.R.P.` added to the dial indicating that it was requistioned for use by the Air Raid Precautions service during the WWII.

Services had an `Army` pocket watch in their range possibly since they started in business around 1928 here`s three examples I own...










The *"Services"* logo on the first two indicates that they were made some time between 1928 & the mid/late 1930s, the *Services* style logo (without quotation marks) on the right was used between the mid/late 1930s & the mid-1950s but the fact that (like your Grandfather`s) it has `Made In Gt.Britain` on the dial dates it to the 1950s. From the late 1950s Services generally stopped putting model names on their dials and although I can`t yet confirm this it`s very likely the last watch in my photo was also listed by the company as an `Army` .


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## stefano34 (Sep 27, 2009)

Cheers for reply Mach, as I said it is a family story and as such should be taken with a grain of salt as people over time often embelish these things or get them wrong or even just plain forget.

It may be with 'Army' on the dial that the family just put 2&2 together? Maybe the one he was given was'popped' when times were hard?

Either way it's a good reminder and nice that its in great condition and still works probably as good as the day it was bought.

I just love the way the number 4 is styled on this watch!


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## mach 0.0013137 (Jan 10, 2005)

Your welcome :thumbsup:

It`s lovely looking watch & whatever the real story behind it it`s great to have one owned by your Grandfather which he probably had since the 1950s :yes:


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## mel (Dec 6, 2006)

I notice lots on the bay, wrongly mis-labelled as being "official" watches - two reasons, being, the name "Services" suggests to younger folks that the item was made for the "Services" as in Army, Navy and Air Force, anmd also the model name "ARMY" suggests it was made specifically for Army use. :lol:

Neither is very true, but no doubt the myth will grow when Mach goes to the Watchmaker's Shop in the Sky, and me as well - there won't be enough older guys left to correct the myth!


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## stefano34 (Sep 27, 2009)

Hi Mel, no the myths will be scuppered as we all know now, I remember my grandfather telling me he/ they did get pocket watches on their stand down so I dont know what happened to that one perhaps this one was bought as a replacement which would fit with Mach 's dating as he started getting better wages as a engine driver on the pit top after he resumed work after an accident at the coal face( he got compensated for this...watch funds?)

He served with the Staveley platoon HG whilst working in the pit, he was called up as a Bevin boy and did V long (14?hour shifts)then was on guard duty for several hours most nights as well as fire watching near to the local Staveley works Chemical plant(they made mustard gas in WW1 and possibly WW2)The same Staveley works were my great uncle worked who got his gold Trebex for long service.

http://www.thewatchforum.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=55030&st=0&p=574537&fromsearch=1&#entry574537


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