Dent. A Rare Gold Split Second Keyless Pocket Watch with Gold Chain C1875

Dent. A Rare 18ct Yellow Gold Split Second Keyless Pocket Watch with matching 9ct Gold Chain C1875.

Dial: The beautiful off centre white enamel dial with Roman numerals outer minute track fully signed and numbered Dent 61 Strand & 34 Royal Exchange London. The original blued steel spade hands with matching split seconds hand.

Case: The heavy 18ct yellow gold case with a presentation inscription on the back cover. The snap back cover opens to reveal the movement. The case is English Hallmarked for London 1875 with the case maker being Adolphe Nicole who worked from premises in Soho London

Movement: The superb Nicole Nielsen supplied keyless lever movement with Nicole Nielsen Patent winding and Split Second mechanism on the backplate. The compensated balance with fast slow regulation and blued steel hairspring. The movement is fully signed Dent Watchmaker to the Queen with his address, numbered and Patent written on the movement.

This pocket watch is a very rare piece indeed. It was presented to a Mr George Nathan Davidson for fifty years service to Thornycroft. Thornycroft were boat builders for the British Navy and other navies around the world. They built their military torpedo boats and destroyers at Chiswick in London as the last image shows. It was a thriving business which outgrew their building yard in Chiswick. It moved to Woolston Southampton where they expanded to eventually become Vosper Thornycroft and then to become BAE systems. The watch is No1 of 5 which were presented to other employees for fifty years service. The pocket watch comes with a matching heavy gold albert watch chain and a beautiful presentation book signed by the owner and all the staff at Thornycroft. There is also a newspaper article about the presentaion. This watch has got amazing historical provenance and it would make a fine addition to one's collection.