An Indulgence.
Posted by: u5227470736789439 on 08 September 2009
Twice in my life I have had wrist watches of a fine quality, but both of which I managed to loose within months.
The reason being that they were too heavy, so that I could not wear them, but resorted to putting them in my pocket, and thus soon enought lost them ... both Omega watches and both given my by my grandmother.
so unless I could find a light watch to use I had an idea that I should give up!
However i have just bought a most beautiful antique silver pocket watch by the watch-maker to Queen Victoria, and dated at roughly 1990.
Four pictures that need no gloss from me.
It is exactly the kind of almost [but not quite] un-showy thing that appeal for its elegant simplicity and functionality, at least to me.
A fine watch by Benson, watchmaker to the Queen, about 1880.
Its most elegantly paterned case back, which completely avoid poor taste.
A splendid looking movement, which must be splendid to have survived 129 years.
Showing the keywinds for spring and setting the time.
ATB from George
The reason being that they were too heavy, so that I could not wear them, but resorted to putting them in my pocket, and thus soon enought lost them ... both Omega watches and both given my by my grandmother.
so unless I could find a light watch to use I had an idea that I should give up!
However i have just bought a most beautiful antique silver pocket watch by the watch-maker to Queen Victoria, and dated at roughly 1990.
Four pictures that need no gloss from me.
It is exactly the kind of almost [but not quite] un-showy thing that appeal for its elegant simplicity and functionality, at least to me.
A fine watch by Benson, watchmaker to the Queen, about 1880.
Its most elegantly paterned case back, which completely avoid poor taste.
A splendid looking movement, which must be splendid to have survived 129 years.
Showing the keywinds for spring and setting the time.
ATB from George
I even meant 1880!
And this means the little watch first ticked four years after this guy was born:
Ivar Fiske, 1876 to 1967. Who was my great grandfather.
AThb from George
And this means the little watch first ticked four years after this guy was born:
Ivar Fiske, 1876 to 1967. Who was my great grandfather.
AThb from George
Well I could not wait any longer. Prudence was sent for a walk and the balancing cheque sent for the Benson this evening.
The watch restorer and dealer I am buying from
www[dot]madaboutwatches[dot]co[dot]uk
said that he has has achieved a remarkable result in regulation of the old watch in that it is hanging in his office, and after two adjustement the watch has run four days in perfect time, requiring no adjustment at all. I might add that clearly to believe this would indeed be slightly credulous, but i have know other watches that he has set up that have kept remarkbale time, though these were more obviously likely to givn the provenance.
I asked for the watch to be sent for arrival not before the 2nd of October, when I return from Warsaw!
I actually have commendable patience really!
ATb from George
PS: I would however much prefer to have had it before I go next Thursday! Between that watch hanging from a nice Double Albert chain, and my door keys which are attached to an eighteenth century barn door ket about five inches long, the Security guys would think I must live in something like a castle!
The key is beatiful thing which looks suitable to an old church door lock really, and I have the lock for it from one hop-barn on the farm I grew up on ...
The watch restorer and dealer I am buying from
www[dot]madaboutwatches[dot]co[dot]uk
said that he has has achieved a remarkable result in regulation of the old watch in that it is hanging in his office, and after two adjustement the watch has run four days in perfect time, requiring no adjustment at all. I might add that clearly to believe this would indeed be slightly credulous, but i have know other watches that he has set up that have kept remarkbale time, though these were more obviously likely to givn the provenance.
I asked for the watch to be sent for arrival not before the 2nd of October, when I return from Warsaw!
I actually have commendable patience really!
ATb from George
PS: I would however much prefer to have had it before I go next Thursday! Between that watch hanging from a nice Double Albert chain, and my door keys which are attached to an eighteenth century barn door ket about five inches long, the Security guys would think I must live in something like a castle!
The key is beatiful thing which looks suitable to an old church door lock really, and I have the lock for it from one hop-barn on the farm I grew up on ...
This is the 50 cm Chester 1907 Silver chain that will carry the old Benson in a few days time.
I do not feel I have shorted the old watch with this rather heavy old English chain.
A really heavy and wide old English chain for a really fine old English watch.
ATB from George
I do not feel I have shorted the old watch with this rather heavy old English chain.
A really heavy and wide old English chain for a really fine old English watch.
ATB from George
Finally the watch is properly secured:
ATB from George
PS: This watch keeps very regular time, which is rare in old watches. I asked for it to be left running slow, as it is my normal idea to advance the watch once it has lost a minute, usually listening to the ten pm time signal on Radio Four. The net result is that the watch was left running slow, but it loses 50 seconds in two days, which is fine as almost every second day at the winding at ten pm, I put it forward one minute. Mostly the time keeping on really ancient watches tends to vary somewhat, so the Benson is proving unusually regular. I suppose I could regulate it for very accurate time keeping at this rate, but I am modest enough to say that I would not!
ATB from George
PS: This watch keeps very regular time, which is rare in old watches. I asked for it to be left running slow, as it is my normal idea to advance the watch once it has lost a minute, usually listening to the ten pm time signal on Radio Four. The net result is that the watch was left running slow, but it loses 50 seconds in two days, which is fine as almost every second day at the winding at ten pm, I put it forward one minute. Mostly the time keeping on really ancient watches tends to vary somewhat, so the Benson is proving unusually regular. I suppose I could regulate it for very accurate time keeping at this rate, but I am modest enough to say that I would not!
Possibly more successful photo.
ATB from George
ATB from George
I don't though!
ATB from George
ATB from George
The old Benson is keeping time like the very best old 19th cent. railway watches. It is still running slow as I overshot the fast position with the regulator and am nudging it forward again.
It is doing about 50 seconds slow in the week now, and that is plus or minus about 15 seconds in the week, which is incredibly fine.
However this is a gentleman of a watch, not some tough little man, and its very fine silver case is simply too grand [and soft] to consider using. Thus the watch ticks to the accompaniment of my nocturn.
But a real tough-guy is coming soon, and this one is in a much stronger case, and likely to be a fine time keeper if probably less fine than the 1880 Benson. It is a 1914 Eterna in a Nickel case, designed for British Army use in the Great War.
On the chain in the first picture you may note a little horse hanging from what would conventionally carry what was called the fob. This little horse is not silver or valuable, but came from a blind man in Krakow, who so politely left it with a note on my table at a cafe in the old square. I asked the girl-waiter what was meant by it and she explained it. I asked her to find the blind man [who was still close by] so I could show my appreciation. The little horse is a very nice reminder of a time in Poland more than two years ago now and stragely very precious to me.
Ultimately the Eterna will become my watch to use [with the chain the Benson is on now], and the Benson will be kept as what it is - something very special to keep safe and to wind each night before sleep. Both have such clear dials I can read them without glasses.
ATB from George
It is doing about 50 seconds slow in the week now, and that is plus or minus about 15 seconds in the week, which is incredibly fine.
However this is a gentleman of a watch, not some tough little man, and its very fine silver case is simply too grand [and soft] to consider using. Thus the watch ticks to the accompaniment of my nocturn.
But a real tough-guy is coming soon, and this one is in a much stronger case, and likely to be a fine time keeper if probably less fine than the 1880 Benson. It is a 1914 Eterna in a Nickel case, designed for British Army use in the Great War.
On the chain in the first picture you may note a little horse hanging from what would conventionally carry what was called the fob. This little horse is not silver or valuable, but came from a blind man in Krakow, who so politely left it with a note on my table at a cafe in the old square. I asked the girl-waiter what was meant by it and she explained it. I asked her to find the blind man [who was still close by] so I could show my appreciation. The little horse is a very nice reminder of a time in Poland more than two years ago now and stragely very precious to me.
Ultimately the Eterna will become my watch to use [with the chain the Benson is on now], and the Benson will be kept as what it is - something very special to keep safe and to wind each night before sleep. Both have such clear dials I can read them without glasses.
ATB from George
Well the tough guy turned up after some TLC to set him right for time keeping!
1905 Eterna for the British Army. A very usable watch that keeps time and does not contain batteries! Very greeen ...
ATB from George
1905 Eterna for the British Army. A very usable watch that keeps time and does not contain batteries! Very greeen ...
ATB from George
Well my hand has the abilty to make a two inch watch look small!
If I were six stone heavier, I could have gone in for Heavy weight boxing ...
If I were six stone heavier, I could have gone in for Heavy weight boxing ...