1915 vintage silver Mappin trench watch (3001G)

An early silver Borgel cased vintage Mappin wristwatch. The silver case measures 34.5mm in diameter and is hallmarked London 1915 and has the FB makers mark (Francois Borgel). The movement is Swiss made. The white enamel dial has black Roman numerals with a blue XII and a subsidiary seconds dial. The dial is signed Mappin above the centre. This is an early example of a trench watch.

Francois Borgel designed these cases and patented them in October 1891 in Geneva, with a Swiss Brevet or patent number 4001. They were then patented in London in November 1891 with patent number 20422. The Borgel case was an early design to try to make wrist watches resistant to dust and moisture. It is a one piece case, where the movement and bezel are mounted on a threaded ring which screws into the case from the front. Borgel cases continued to be manufactured after his death in 1912, initially by his daughter Louisa, and later by Taubert & Fils. Taubert & Fils was a reknown Geneva-based case makers and specialized in water-resistant cases.