1930s 9ct gold cushion vintage JW Benson ‘Waterproof/Tropical’ watch (4504)

£1,695.00

Date:           1936

Case:           9ct gold, 32 x 32mm

Movement: Cyma manual wind

Dial:            White enamel with black Arabic numerals

Lugs:           18mm

A wonderful example of JW Bensons ‘Tropical’ watch, advertised as Waterproof, Sandproof and Shockproof. For accuracy out of doors, in any climate!

A 1936, cushion 9ct gold vintage JW Benson ‘Waterproof/Tropical’ watch. The case measures 32 x 32 mm with 18mm lugs, and personal engraving ‘NLH, 6.4.38’ to the back. The case is signed F.B. (Francois Borgel), SFC., hallmarked Glasgow 1936 and numbered. The manual wind, movement is signed Cyma, Swiss Made, Patented, with 15 jewels and has a protective dust cover. The white enamel dial has black open Arabic numerals, with a subsidiary seconds dial and fine blued steel ‘poire squelettes’ hands. The dial is signed JW Benson, London above the centre

Francois Borgel

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.