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Wilsdorf & Davis ( early Rolex ) sterling 925 silver pocket watch, 1919 — view 1 of 6
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Pocket Watches · Pocket watch

Wilsdorf & Davis ( early Rolex ) sterling 925 silver pocket watch, 1919

DocumentedDocumented from a dealer's listing; attribution and date as stated by the dealer.
Maker / attribution
Unrecorded in source
Date
1919
Country of origin
Unrecorded in source
Object type
Pocket watch
Materials / technique
silver
Stock no.
Product 2196
Credit line
Dealer listing, WatchMuseum.org shop (product 2196)
Catalogue title (original)
Wilsdorf & Davis ( early Rolex ) sterling 925 silver pocket watch (English)

View the source record (dealer listing) ↗ (opens another website in a new tab)Suggest a correction

Record summary

Catalogued by WatchMuseum.org shop (stock number Product 2196), this is a pocket watch, dated 1919. The Atlas places it in the Golden Age of Mechanical Watchmaking period (1900 – 1945) of its Pocket Watches collection. Materials and techniques recorded by the source: silver. The record is illustrated with 6 photographs.

Assembled from the source record's structured fields. Dates and attributions are given as the source states them; where a field is missing the Atlas leaves it blank rather than estimating.

Catalogue description

Dealer description — WatchMuseum.org shop

Step back in time with this exquisite Wilsdorf & Davis sterling 925 silver pocket watch, a remarkable piece of horological history from 1919, predating the iconic Rolex brand. Crafted in Switzerland with a case made in England, this antique timepiece boasts a fully hallmarked sterling silver case, numbered and marked for London 1912, alongside the distinguished maker’s mark of Wilsdorf & Davis. The watch features a pristine white dial adorned with Roman numerals, protected by a plexiglass cover, and weighs a substantial 74 grams. Measuring 68mm in height and 48mm in diameter, this round-cased manual wind watch is not only a testament to early 20th-century craftsmanship but also a cherished relic with an engraved inscription inside, reading “To A S K from F W W, number 9 in lozenge.” Whether you are a collector or a connoisseur of fine timepieces, this pocket watch, in good condition, offers a unique glimpse into the origins of one of the most revered names in watchmaking. This is an antique sterling silver pocket watch from Wilsdorf & Davis, which is the early name of Rolex. The watch was made in Switzerland and the case was made in England in 1919. The case has been numbered and is fully hallmarked. The dial is white with Roman numerals and the glass is plexiglass. The watch weighs 74 grams and measures 68mm in height and 48mm in diameter. The case is made of sterling silver and has hallmarks for London 1912 and the maker’s mark for Wilsdorf & Davis. The inside of the watch has an engraved inscription that reads “To A S K from F W W, number 9 in lozenge.” Case Material: Silver Weight: 74 g Case Shape: Round Movement: Manual Wind Place of Origin: Switzerland Period: 1910-1919 Date of Manufacture: 1919 Condition: Good

Historical context

Golden Age of Mechanical Watchmaking (1900 – 1945)

The wristwatch displaces the pocket watch; waterproof cases, self-winding and grand complications.

The pocket watch reached technical maturity and then began to give way to the wristwatch after the First World War. Complicated watches for collectors such as Henry Graves Jr. and James Ward Packard, railroad watches, and slim Art Deco dress watches are characteristic.

Read the period in the timelineMore pocket watches from this periodEarlier: Industrial Revolution

Atlas type guide

Pocket watches

The pocket watch was the dominant personal timekeeper from the late seventeenth century until the First World War. Its development tracks the history of the escapement: verge watches with fusees until the late eighteenth century; Thomas Mudge's lever escapement (c. 1755) and the cylinder escapement popularised by George Graham and later by Swiss makers; and the Swiss and English lever watches of the nineteenth century. Lépine's bar-bridge calibre and keyless winding made watches thinner and easier to use.

Industrialisation transformed the trade: American factories such as Waltham (from 1850) and Elgin produced interchangeable parts by machine, and Swiss makers responded with their own mechanisation after the 1876 Philadelphia Exhibition. By 1900 a reliable watch was affordable to millions; the finest makers continued to produce complications and precision watches.

What to look for

  • The escapement: verge (crown wheel), cylinder, duplex, English or Swiss lever.
  • Key winding (a square arbor in dial or back) or keyless crown winding.
  • Signatures and serial numbers on the movement, dial and inside case back.
  • Hallmarks, case maker's marks and gold or silver standards stamped in the case.
  • Dial material: enamel, silver, gold, later printed metal.

Dating clues

  • Verge watches dominate before c. 1800; cylinder watches c. 1770–1900; lever watches after c. 1820.
  • Keyless winding: increasingly common after c. 1860.
  • Manufacturer serial number lists exist for Waltham, Elgin, Longines, Omega, Patek Philippe and others.

General guidance written by the Atlas editors about this kind of object. It is not a statement about this particular piece; for that, rely on the source record above and on physical examination.

Read next:Verge escapementDetached lever escapementFuseeIdentification Centre

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