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Beginners => Family History Beginners Board => Topic started by: FintryGirl on Tuesday 28 November 17 03:22 GMT (UK)

Title: Need help to identify marking in my Grandmother's watch.
Post by: FintryGirl on Tuesday 28 November 17 03:22 GMT (UK)
This was my grandmother's watch, would like to identify the marking's in it. Trying to find out the age of it may be the make. It has a 9 at the top P to the left side Lions head right side, 375 on bottom LA below 375, numbers below are 525759. Scratched in to the right of the lion head are 2 sets of numbers, 24295 and below that 9483R. Any help would be appreciated. My grandmother was born 1880 in Glasgow.
Thanks
Title: Re: Need help to identify marking in my Grandmother's watch.
Post by: barryd on Tuesday 28 November 17 03:40 GMT (UK)
Out of my expertise. Possibly a good jeweler could identify or put you in touch with a watch collector.

The web site below may give you some ideas.

https://blog.crownandcaliber.com/how-to-find-your-watch-model-number/
Title: Re: Need help to identify marking in my Grandmother's watch.
Post by: youngtug on Tuesday 28 November 17 07:30 GMT (UK)
The leopards head is a London hallmark. Date marks for London;  http://www.thebigworld.co.uk/blogimage/london_dated_hallmarks.jpg
Title: Re: Need help to identify marking in my Grandmother's watch.
Post by: Greenvale on Tuesday 28 November 17 07:45 GMT (UK)
.375 indicates it's 9 carat gold. The letter p is the date letter for 1930. Leopard's head is London assay office. LA is makers mark (cant find)
Title: Re: Need help to identify marking in my Grandmother's watch.
Post by: youngtug on Tuesday 28 November 17 07:59 GMT (UK)
I think it's 1830 Probably not, being a wrist watch it,s more likely to be 1930 like Greenvale said.
Although 1930 the "p" is in a square, not a circle.
Title: Re: Need help to identify marking in my Grandmother's watch.
Post by: philipsearching on Tuesday 28 November 17 09:55 GMT (UK)
The numbers scratched on the right side are likely to be pawnbrokers references.  There is no way to identify when and where they were made.

A hypothesis:
The watch was hallmarked in 1930.  Your grandmother was born in 1880.  So the watch may have been a 50th birthday present.
On two occasions the watch was pawned to raise cash (Unemployment? A child's marriage?)
The watch looks to be in good condition and is now a treasured heirloom.

All the best
Philip
Title: Re: Need help to identify marking in my Grandmother's watch.
Post by: LizzieL on Tuesday 28 November 17 10:08 GMT (UK)
The numbers scratched on the right side are likely to be pawnbrokers references.  There is no way to identify when and where they were made.

A hypothesis:
The watch was hallmarked in 1930.  Your grandmother was born in 1880.  So the watch may have been a 50th birthday present.
On two occasions the watch was pawned to raise cash (Unemployment? A child's marriage?)
The watch looks to be in good condition and is now a treasured heirloom.

All the best
Philip

Scratched numbers needn't be pawnbrokers but watch repairers marks.
Title: Re: Need help to identify marking in my Grandmother's watch.
Post by: Skoosh on Tuesday 28 November 17 11:33 GMT (UK)
Quite right Lizzie, we didn't have pawnbrokers in Glasgow!  ;D

Skoosh.
Title: Re: Need help to identify marking in my Grandmother's watch.
Post by: arthurk on Tuesday 28 November 17 11:47 GMT (UK)
The LA mark looks like that of the City Watch Case Co Ltd (Louis Arnould) - see http://www.silvermakersmarks.co.uk/Makers/London-L.html
Title: Re: Need help to identify marking in my Grandmother's watch.
Post by: Greenvale on Tuesday 28 November 17 12:34 GMT (UK)
The LA mark looks like that of the City Watch Case Co Ltd (Louis Arnould) - see http://www.silvermakersmarks.co.uk/Makers/London-L.html
Yes I think you're right.
Title: Re: Need help to identify marking in my Grandmother's watch.
Post by: mazi on Tuesday 28 November 17 17:06 GMT (UK)
I think the hallmark is for 1870,

Mike
Title: Re: Need help to identify marking in my Grandmother's watch.
Post by: ThrelfallYorky on Thursday 30 November 17 15:23 GMT (UK)
The repairers marks I've found on our old watches have all been within the case. It looks rather similar to a 1930s watch my grandmother had, that shape seemed popular, with a really thin sort of corded / rounded leather rather cocktail-like strap passed through the bits on the watch case itself....