# 1950'S Guildhall



## stefano34 (Sep 27, 2009)

This was a recent find at a car boot, I kinda like old British stuff and the quality of finish on the case is very good and the chrome plate is in excellent condition.

British chrome plate was the best in the world by far up until the late 1960's and it often puts others to shame.

The watch is in excellent working condition and the face is very nice, the only downside is that it has a hand missing, does anyone know any other that fit? I think a pair of 'lumed' military style would look good as it is now on a military style cuff strap and has a 'trench watch' look about it.


----------



## mach 0.0013137 (Jan 10, 2005)

Very nice looking Guildhall, the company were based in Houndsditch London and appear to have sourced watches from Louis Newmark Ltd., Perfect Works,Stafford Road, Croydon, Surrey.

The movement in these was used in loads of watches including other English makes such as Newmark, Services, Aviation, Aircraft & Stirling etc as well as foreign models such as Basis, Cimier, Mentor & Roxeda etc. You could keep an eye on ebay for watch with suitable replacement hands or contact Steve Burrage who managed to find one for an Aviation :wink2:


----------



## PhilM (Nov 5, 2004)

What a delightful little piece with loads of charm


----------



## Chascomm (Sep 9, 2005)

stefano34 said:


> This was a recent find at a car boot, I kinda like old British stuff and the quality of finish on the case is very good and the chrome plate is in excellent condition.
> 
> British chrome plate was the best in the world by far up until the late 1960's and it often puts others to shame.
> 
> The watch is in excellent working condition and the face is very nice, the only downside is that it has a hand missing, does anyone know any other that fit? I think a pair of 'lumed' military style would look good as it is now on a military style cuff strap and has a 'trench watch' look about it.


Time for a Guildhall meeting...


----------



## stefano34 (Sep 27, 2009)

Chascomm said:


> stefano34 said:
> 
> 
> > This was a recent find at a car boot, I kinda like old British stuff and the quality of finish on the case is very good and the chrome plate is in excellent condition.
> ...


I think one of your posts started me looking for a Guildhall, they are just the sort of hands I am looking for.


----------



## mach 0.0013137 (Jan 10, 2005)

Chascomm said:


> Time for a Guildhall meeting...


Well if you insist, here`s the unlumed version of your one...

*Guildhall, unjeweled EB pin-pallet circa 1950`s.*

(Made for the Guildhall Watch & Clock Co Ltd, 58 Houndsditch, London EC3)


----------



## stefano34 (Sep 27, 2009)

I guess they are the hands my version came with? though the I haven't seen another with Roman numerals to be certain.

I do like the robust simplicity of British design during the 1930-1950 period, some of the stuff we were designing was so 'ugly' it was attractive the Churchill tank and its stable mates for example,I think the British take on 'Deco' was different from other countries.


----------



## stefano34 (Sep 27, 2009)

Here's an update, I got another one of these labelled Services Competitor but the dial had bad wear and the case wasn't too good but it ran ok and the winder had good chrome so I intended to swap the hands ,dial and winder to my Guildhall but surprisingly the hands would'nt fit!

Instead I just swapped the dial from the Guildhall onto the 'Services' movement and here's the result;


----------



## stefano34 (Sep 27, 2009)

stefano34 said:


> Here's an update, I got another one of these labelled Services Competitor but the dial had bad wear and the case wasn't too good but it ran ok and the winder had good chrome so I intended to swap the hands ,dial and winder to my Guildhall but surprisingly the hands would'nt fit!
> 
> Instead I just swapped the dial from the Guildhall onto the 'Services' movement and here's the result;


*Ok I wore this all yesterday and it ran fine, it even kept pretty accurate time, now today I wind it up and it ticks away merrily but the hands move for a few minutes but then stop going round! even though it keeps ticking!!! any ideas or do I have to put the original movement back in and get the hands to fit?*


----------



## stefano34 (Sep 27, 2009)

Ok this is now up and running fine, I had to swap the Guildhall movement back in and get the Services hour hand to fit..it's now been running ok and I have been using it on and off for work for a couple of weeks trouble free...success!!! pleased? oh yes!

I worked out the total for this project was les than a tenner ! where else can you can around 8 hours of enjoyment (and some frustration) for that much? not to mention the continued pleasure of wearing it


----------



## mach 0.0013137 (Jan 10, 2005)

A good result, well done :thumbsup:

Guildhalls are rather uncommon & yours has a definite charm, wear it well 

Slightly off topic but the Services Competitor you mentioned, did it have a lumed or unlumed dial?


----------



## stefano34 (Sep 27, 2009)

It was/is unlumed, the inner Services & Competitor markings are fine it is just most of the markings in the white outer chapter ring have been cleaned away, the hands were unlumed also and are now fitted to the 'GUILDHALL' which I noticed is in capitals as opposed to the usualy seen 'Guildhall' another variarion no doubt.


----------



## mach 0.0013137 (Jan 10, 2005)

stefano34 said:


> It was/is unlumed, the inner Services & Competitor markings are fine it is just most of the markings in the white outer chapter ring have been cleaned away, the hands were unlumed also and are now fitted to the 'GUILDHALL' which I noticed is in capitals as opposed to the usualy seen 'Guildhall' another variarion no doubt.


Thanks I just wanted to know for information purposes, Services used to offer their watches in both lumed & unlumed (or plain as they called it) dials I wanted to know if this had continued into the 1950s :thumbsup:


----------

