Help identifying watch(es) (1/10)

[DanielR]

Hello,
I'm looking for assistance in finding information about a small collection of pocket watches.
(please can you guys here help, there are 9 English watches and 1 American. (I've made (or will make) a thread for each watch.)
Any information on the watch (good/not good/year/place of manufacture would be greatly received (I know nothing about watches, -but would like to know about these particular ones)
If there is anything you feel is missing from the photos, (or want better/different pictures to help identify these please let me know.
(all the watches work.)

The first is a "Centre Seconds Chronograph" watch, it is silver (assayed at Chester)
it is key wound, and has a serial number 90033 on the face and all parts of the case an movement. (other than that, I know nothing about it!) it has a slide button on the side that stops the clock from ticking (I imagine not the most useful feature ever developed on a time piece!)

 

[John Matthews]

Coventry made movement, hallmarked Chester 1884/85. I cannot be certain of the case maker. There are a number of maker's marks of this style, {JR} in an oval cartouche, that remain unidentified and are shown in one of the standard references (Ridgeway & Priestley). It is possible that both the movement and case were made by Rotherhams, but there are other movement and case makers that are candidates

John

 

[roughbarked]

I thought Rotherhams too but they usually marked their stuff.

 

[gmorse]

Hi Daniel,

...it has a slide button on the side that stops the clock from ticking (I imagine not the most useful feature ever developed on a time piece!)

This was a type of movement, many marked as a 'chronograph', that was intended as a sort of stopwatch, and continued to be made long after true chronographs, (which allowed the centre seconds hand to be started, stopped and reset to zero, all without affecting the rest of the movement), were introduced earlier in the 19th century. They weren't necessarily used as timers, but did allow the watch to be set to a precise time from another source, usually a longcase or regulator in a jeweller's shop. These were probably cheaper than the true chronographs, which were always a costly item.

Regards,

Graham