# Service Despatch Watch



## Digger (Mar 22, 2009)

Hi, New to this and just picking some brains ( I had a look around the forums and there are a lot of people on here who seem to know their watches )

We have just come across a "Services Depatch Rider" wrist watch. My wife is a collectables trader one Ebay. The watch is currently listed and she has done some research but can not find anything that matched this piece.

The watch face is off centred as is the bezel, it appears to have its original strap and is engraved with the service number of the owner "A.B.P. RUMSEY 1319652 R.A.F.V.R."

We have researched the officer and found some details.

If any one could give us more information about the Despatch Rider watches it would be appreciated.

The off set face is a strange one , so any ideas ? It looks like it was made like this and we have never seen a watch like it.

I have tried to cut and paste the pictures over but can not do so, any help on that would be great.

Thanks in advance

Digger


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## jasonm (Nov 22, 2003)

Well, sorry to be cynical ...

But if youve already listed the watch on ebay then why do you want information about it...?

To enhance your listing?

Ive edited out the listing details as posting links to members auctions is not allowed as it amounts to using the forum as a selling place ....

There are criteria to selling on this forum and Im afraid auctions are not permited and also you need to have over 50 posts to sell in the appropriate forum...

Asking for info is fine of course, the Despatch Rider is a forum favorite and one of our members collects Services watches. You could also try our search funtion....


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## Digger (Mar 22, 2009)

jasonm said:


> Well, sorry to be cynical ...
> 
> But if youve already listed the watch on ebay then why do you want information about it...?
> 
> ...


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## Digger (Mar 22, 2009)

Digger said:


> jasonm said:
> 
> 
> > Well, sorry to be cynical ...
> ...


Hi thanks for that, did not mean to offend, just seeking some knowledge.

I will have a look at your search function, we managed to find something similar using a web search which directed us here, but not with this strange off set face and bezel.

Diger


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## mach 0.0013137 (Jan 10, 2005)

Just noticed this & did a quick search on ebay, unfortunately I couldn`t find a Despatch Rider but did come across this Vintage Military Services NAVAL Watch which has some text that looks familiar....



> _'Services' were a Leicester based company. I've found the following details from `companieshouse.gov.uk` a company called `Services Watches (Sales) Limited, 23 Grosvenor Street, London W1K 4QL was incorporated on 29/03/1949 and dissolved on 26/11/2002. _
> 
> As far as I can gather The Services Watch Company never actually made watches, they either bought in parts i.e. movements, cases, dials & hands which were then assembled in their factory or complete watches.
> 
> ...


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## mach 0.0013137 (Jan 10, 2005)

Finally found the listing Digger was refering to & it isn`t the same seller I noticed in my previous post. Basically on `Digger`s Despatch Rider the caseback which holds the movement has just moved round. Later Services models had a small tab which fitted into a cut out on the bezel to align them correctly, I presume it`s the same for this watch. This particular version of the movement seems to be somewhat rare & as far as I can tell the parts are not completely interchangeable with the earlier, more common models.


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## mel (Dec 6, 2006)

Hmmm! "Clocks and Frocks eh?"

Soooh! what have you got for sale in "frocks" this week Mach ? Could do with a nice blue number for the weekend's Strictly Sequence Dancing session :grin:

Might have a punt on a pink number as well if it's got sequins! :rofl2:


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## mach 0.0013137 (Jan 10, 2005)

An interesting watch 










(Digger`s photo, I hope you don`t mind me using it)

It`s not visible Digger`s photo but it will mostly likely have `Foriegn Made`on the bottom of the dial as shown on this dial that I have...



As I`ve mentioned before the pre-war Services Despatch Rider (& related models ie `Competitor` & `Colonial` ) were made in Germany. Services seems to have had a long standing arrangment with the German company (who I`ve yet to identify)that actually made these watches & depending on the political climate & possibly local attiudes they were supplied with either `German Made` or ` Foriegn Made` printed on the dial. I suspect that Services had a large stock of these German watches & were able to continue selling them for at some time during the war. Few members of the general public would realise that where their `Foriegn Made` watch actually came from as was mostly the case with Sergeant Rumsey.

BTW as with earlier Despatch Riders this model was available with & without lume B)



I do have another example of a `Foriegn Made` Services that was used during the war which I hope to pick up from Steve Burrage on Friday, watch this space :wink2:

Edit> Mel


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