Rare And Unusual BORGEL Sterling Trench Watch Ca 1915 Project -
Item History & Price
I am selling some watches from my project drawers. All of these are good specimens with solid potential. They will be clearly photographed and honestly described, and I welcome any questions. This is a very nice full-sized Borgel Trench Watch from the midst of WW1. The case hallmarks date this watch to 1915-16, making this a genuine example of a true WW1 trench watch. It shows light, honest wear commensurate with 100 years of service, but is in surprisingly good shape. A little TLC sho...uld have this nice watch running and ready for its second century of service. The substantial sterling silver Borgel style case is made in a unique style and was one of the earliest serious attempts to produce a dustproof, waterproof case. It is in nice overall condition, but the screw threads holding the movement ring are worn enough that it is a bit loose in the case. My old-school watchmaker solved this by suggesting the use of a .010 lead wire gasket underneath the bezel ring, allowing the movement to screw down snugly and securely. This full sized case measures 34.6mm in diameter. The 12mm wire lugs are sound and secure. The inner caseback shows the usual British hallmarks including the London import stamp, the GS cartouche of well-known importer George Stockwell, the “u” date stamp for 1915/16 and it’s also stamped .925 representing Sterling Silver. It does not however show the FB stamp for Francois Borgel, raising the possibility that this case is a copy or unlicensed sample. The outer caseback has no engraving or monograms. The low domed acrylic crystal is clear and clean, but does show light scratches. The brass winding crown is in good condition but the nail-setting mechanism requires careful manipulation so that it will engage the winding function. When the mechanism engages it does operate smoothly in setting the time. The very nice two-tone black and white dial is porcelain enamel, and features bold luminous block numerals in typical trench watch style. It is signed “THE VACUUM LEVER” as well as “Swiss Made” and “15 Jewels”. This dial is in very nice condition showing only slight wear and no cracks or hairlines. The veined luminous hands are also quite nice. The watch is powered by a nice unsigned 15 jewel, manual wind, 12 1/2 ligne, nickel finished movement, made I believe by the A. Schild Watch Co. It is currently running although it does run a bit fast. I would hope that a simple cleaning and adjustment to the nail setting mechanism would be all that is needed to restore this watch to perfect running order. This nice watch certainly is a very nice example of a rare and authentic WW1 trench watch. It is currently fitted on a newly made black leather Kitchener style strap that is appropriate to the era.Winning bidder to prepay bid +$5.00 via PayPal, for fast, securely boxed, insured shipping via USPS Priority Mail. International buyers to pay shipping at cost. Please check my feedback as I’ve enjoyed well over twenty successful years on eBay. Check my other listings and thanks for looking.
