Antique Silver Open Faced Pocket Watch J.G.GRAVES Sheffield circa 1897

Solid silver, key-wind lever pocket watch, and ticking away strongly and keeping good time. The watch signed by J G Graves of Sheffield, an Express English Lever.

The silver case is hallmarked by (WE) William Ehrhardt (1887>1897) assay Hallmarked Birmingham 1897. The watch has just been cleaned and overhauled and keeping very good time for a 128 year old pocket watch. This is a beautifully made English key-wound man's pocket watch, dating from ca. 1897, from the late Victorian period.

Dial : White enamel dial with bold black Roman numerals and in bright condition, with small hairline cracks. The dial with gold colour spade hands and blue steel sub hand. Diameter is 46 mm and the mineral crystal is also in excellent condition with no scratches. Fully signed By J. G Graves, Sheffield, The Express English Lever.

Movement: with a gilt full plate and a Bosely regulator, and blue steel screws. A cut two arm bimetallic balance, with hairspring and lever escapement. The movement overall is of very good quality and keeps very good time. The movement number 481916 matching the case.

Case: Solid silver case measures an impressive 52 mm. The front and rear covers are excellent, both are hinged and close nice and tightly. The case with Chester hall-marks and silver sterling marks . The watch of a handy size, and fully engraved all over the case. The rear cover with a cartouche to the Centre and a few ding and dents to the rear cover as shown. This is a high quality English watch, a work of art in its own right in crisp condition and of jewel like quality.

John George Graves was born in Horncastle, Lincolnshire in 1866. His family moved to Sheffield when he was still a child. At the age of 14, after he had left school, he was apprenticed to William Wichman, a watchmaker, in Sheffield. In those days, apprenticeships were normally indentured, whereby the apprentice would be contracted to the master craftsman for a period of seven years. The apprentice would generally live with the master craftsman and receive a small wage. On completion of the apprenticeship, the apprentice was free to go forth and practice his craft.

As a result of his enormously successful business, J.G. Graves being a well-known name on the dials of English pocket watches, but he never actually made any himself. All his watches were bought in with the majority being made by the Lancashire Watch Company. At the height of his business, J.G. Graves bought in as much as 70% of the entire production of the Lancashire Watch Company. Additionally, he also purchased Swiss and American watches as well. He was a highly successful entrepreneur, became the Mayor of Sheffield, and lived to the ripe old age of 79. After he died in 1945 his brother ran the business for another ten years until the mail order side was taken over by Great Universal Stores. There is an ongoing charitable trust in the name of J.G. Graves and there are many buildings and recreational facilities that bear his name.

Please view the photographs carefully as they are part of the description. If you require any further photo's or details please contact a member of staff in Building 1.