# Did I Miss A Pocket Watch Bargain?



## AVO (Nov 18, 2012)

Visiting my mum last weekend, we went out to one of those "antiques" centres in the middle of nowhere (near Nantwich) - about half a dozen huge hangar type places with a vast amount of house clearance & fleamarket stuff.

Not much ticking, as 'twere...a case with a few battered and overpriced wristwatches...some mantel clocks, again overpriced.

But I saw a large silver English pocket watch, key wound, dated 1901 and marked at Â£45!









The seller wasn't on duty and the woman I asked knew nothing, but she opened the display case. The watch appeared complete but the back cover was off and the hinges broken right off. The dial and hands appeared pristine, and it was a sizeable chunk of nice silver. There was no key. I reckoned it would be an English lever movement, but didn't open the back. At that price I suspected that if the dealer knew his stuff it almost certainly wouldn't be working or would need a lot of expensive TLC.

My ridiculously wonderful octogenarian parent would have bought it for me, but I persuaded her to walk away. I really can't decide whether that was a good or bad move. Should I have taken the risk? What would you have done?


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## JWL940 (Jun 11, 2010)

There is a lot out there at that price that do work and haven't broken hinges. Unless you saw it as a doner for other projects I'd say you did the right thing.


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## Roger the Dodger (Oct 5, 2009)

Yes....I agree with John, I think you made the right move.


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