# Paddington English Lever silver pocket watch



## ProperTidy (Mar 10, 2014)

Hello chaps

I know nothing about pocket watches so please be patient! Have just been to visit my parents and sister. My sister very kindly gave me a 'pobeda' wrist watch as she has been working in (a disputed part of) Ukraine. Anyway, this got us talking about watches and my mum and dad suddenly remembered a box of pocket watches that they had been given by their dads and their granddads. They have very kindly given them to me rather than leave then gathering dust, although as mentioned I know nothing about pocket watches at all...

Anyway, first up, a silver pocket watch, the largest of the lot. Can't find my tape measure but I would estimate it to be around 60mm.

Case is silver. It is hall marked. It looks to me to be British, as opposed to an import, and has the 'leapords head' (is this right? Looks like a lion to me) and what I believe may be the town mark for Chester (sword between 3 wheatsheafs) - there is also a very fancy capital A, which I believe denotes age but I can't find out what age this refers to. Hopefully pictures will show it anyway.

Watch itself winds with the key and ticks away nicely. Dial is labelled JG Graves Sheffield, who I believe was a watchmaker in the late 19th and early 20th century who offered the worlds first mail order watches! The dial also states 'the "Paddington" English lever'.

So, I'm assuming this was a fairly 'ordinary' eg everyman rather than fancy dan watch, but obviously a nice one being silver, and is likely early-ish 20th century?

Does anybody know more? Likely age, whether the movement was well regarded (it still works so can't be bad!), whether the watchmaker was well regarded, stuff like that.

Appreciated

Pics below


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## ProperTidy (Mar 10, 2014)

Does anybody know any more about these pocket watches? My dad is keen to know more, I'm barely knowledgable about wrist watches and know jack about pockets!


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## novicetimekeeper (Jul 23, 2015)

Graves was a retailer/distributor for the Lancashire Watch Company as far as I know though also Swiss watches later. That hallmark is 1901 which fits with the dates of the LWC. If you take the dust cover off (slide the black circular thing using the button in its middle. I think LWC movements are non fuse with a reverse pinion so that they still wind counter clockwise.


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## ProperTidy (Mar 10, 2014)

Perfect... Cheers!


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## novicetimekeeper (Jul 23, 2015)

There is more about Graves here http://www.horologist.co.uk/graves.htm


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