Most unusual vintage Rolex Ball Watch - How old is it? What is it worth?

[TuRo]

Enjoyed this thread....like an episode of Antique Roadshow !

These little ladies cocktail/dress watches don't make much money - often the jewels etc are worth more than the article.

Ball and lozenge watches, (women wore wrist located watches for 200 yrs before men), were found in the late 18th/early 19th century I seem to recall, but not certain of that snippet of nonsense.

Flippantly, I was thinking that this would make the perfect gift for the wealthy older gentleman Rolex collector with a glass eye, whom hitherto up to now you thought had everything :*)

Forgive me pls!

[scassidy1295]

If its more likely to go for roughly £500 then we should definitely be inclined to keep it. My mother and grandmother don't trust the next generation so is scared to pass it down again.

[scassidy1295]

Originally Posted by pauldavidthorpe

Enjoyed this thread....like an episode of Antique Roadshow !

These little ladies cocktail/dress watches don't make much money - often the jewels etc are worth more than the article.

Ball and lozenge watches, (women wore wrist located watches for 200 yrs before men), were found in the late 18th/early 19th century I seem to recall, but not certain of that snippet of nonsense.

Flippantly, I was thinking that this would make the perfect gift for the wealthy older gentleman Rolex collector with a glass eye, whom hitherto up to now you thought had everything :*)

Forgive me pls!

Apologies but I don't know who you are so wouldn't make any assumptions about a stranger online I've never met.

[77T]

Originally Posted by scassidy1295

As we were not born into a privileged lifestyle she wanted us to sell it if it would enrich our lives. But you're suggesting you don't think it's worth much at all.

Well by now you have the basic info that it is worth a lot considering the grandmother to grandmother heritage. IMHO, As far as monetary value, no it isn’t at a level to enrich your lives more than the heritage value.

The love your grandmother has for you is great - that is clear from her wishes. For me, a watch that belonged to my great-great-grandmother (your grandmother’s grandmother) means a lot.

Hope you can keep it and keep it working.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

[scassidy1295]

She gave it to my mother on her 90th birthday and when my mum asked why she was giving it to her she replied "because you won't be the first one down when I'm gone" implying there are vultures in the family. Then we find a few weeks after she passed, a family member has contacted us asking if we have seen it - this watch we just learned exists. My grandmother was a very intelligent woman! She passed away a few weeks ago, days before her 91st birthday. The hole left by our loss is more than any object or inheritance could ever be.
My mother wants to wear it for her funeral but she will have to keep her whits about her knowing there are people after it!

[TuRo]

Originally Posted by scassidy1295

Apologies but I don't know who you are so wouldn't make any assumptions about a stranger online I've never met.

Blimey....you need to give your sense of humour antenna a little wiggle, as I suspect it's not working !

[scassidy1295]

Originally Posted by pauldavidthorpe

Blimey....you need to give your sense of humour antenna a little wiggle, as I suspect it's not working !

Yes I'm afraid that one went over my head. But I do have autism. Came across to me as you were subtly accusing me of making assumptions of possibly yourself and wealthy people in general that because one has money they have "everything". But I suppose written text can easily be misconstrued.

[TuRo]

Originally Posted by scassidy1295

Yes I'm afraid that one went over my head. But I do have autism. Came across to me as you were subtly accusing me of making assumptions of possibly yourself and wealthy people in general that because one has money they have "everything"

Sorry, no comment was not that at all - it was just a joke about a fictional avid Rolex collector that might want to replace his glass eye with such a piece, such is its shape!

You've got some good expertise helping you out here (and granted a naff joke from me) Good luck with whatever you decide to do with your grandmothers lovely antique piece

[scassidy1295]

Ah now I understand! That's pretty clever "on the face of it" and I'm not winding you up :) Indeed I shall tell you if the owner should "change hands". I confess some of these jokes are probably more of an antique than the watch itself! Thanks

[Slimpee]

That’s a pretty cool little piece!

I have two of my great-grandfather‘s pocket watches that I had serviced and now proudly display and I have a third that is still at my watchmaker being serviced. Therefore, if it were me, I would have this cool piece serviced and would use as a desk clock.

[Slimpee]

Originally Posted by pauldavidthorpe

Enjoyed this thread....like an episode of Antique Roadshow !

A. I love the Roadhow!

B. I’m sure I’m in good company when I say I love hearing watch and clock stories. These mechanical…things…as anachronistic as they are, can be so much more than the sum of their parts. That little ball watch isn’t just some amount of money sitting on a table, it tells a story about your family.

[Styles Bitchley]

Originally Posted by Slimpee

That little ball watch isn’t just some amount of money sitting on a table, it tells a story about your family.

Exactly. Wish I had a wonderful heirloom like this from way back. Honestly, I think it’s actually better that it’s not worth tens of thousands. If you sold it you’d probably always regret it. And if you kept it, you’d probably worry about it so much you’d keep it in a safe rather than enjoying it. It’s very cool and has a cool story.

[scassidy1295]

My grandmother kept a lot of heirlooms similar to this such as war medals from my great grandfather who was in the Coldstream guards. The issue is my mother's other sibling wants to sell everything on for the estate, and because they are executor there's not much we can do about it. So who knows this might be the only object we are allowed to hang onto!

[Stan Cooper]

I don't doubt the estimate of 1914. If the case is silver or gold, the date was probably determined from the British assay office hallmarks when it was imported from Switzerland. The movement is almost certainly a small Aegler Rebberg as virtually all Rolex watch movements at that time were. Watches imported into Great Britain before about 1926 usually did not have the maker's name on the dial because British retailers at that time did not allow the names of foreign watch manufacturers to appear on the faces of the watches they sold. If there was a name, it was the name of the British retailer (from David Boettcher's website). The OP could look carefully at the inside of the case for hallmarks, and if possible post photos of them here.

Here's my 1915 Rolex trench watch with a 13 ligne Aegler Rebberg "Extra Prima 18 jewel" movement and photos of the hallmarks showing it was imported via the London assay office in 1915.





Note the similarity of the movement to the OP's movement.

[scassidy1295]

Resize_20220923_232622_2701.jpg[ATTACH]Resize_20220923_232503_3906.jpg[/ATTACH]Thanks for posting! The hallmarks in my mum's ball watch are identical to yours, except the t in the shield box thing is an S on mine. Wonder what that could mean?

[scassidy1295]

H233w891, the inscription says.

[scassidy1295]

Resize_20220923_233142_2415.jpg

[Stan Cooper]

Originally Posted by scassidy1295

Thanks for posting! The hallmarks in my mum's ball watch are identical to yours, except the t in the shield box thing is an S on mine. Wonder what that could mean?

London, Mid-1913 to mid-1914

I might add, these movements were made decades before Incabloc and other shock protection inventions, so be careful not to drop it or subject it to physical shocks as the balance wheel shaft pivots are fragile and could bend resulting in an expensive repair.

[zapokee]

Originally Posted by Stan Cooper

Here's my 1915 Rolex trench watch with a 13 ligne Aegler Rebberg "Extra Prima 18 jewel" movement and photos of the hallmarks showing it was imported via the London assay office in 1915.

That is super. You won't see many of those in the wild!

[TuRo]

Originally Posted by Stan Cooper

London, Mid-1913 to mid-1914

I might add, these movements were made decades before Incabloc and other shock protection inventions, so be careful not to drop it or subject it to physical shocks as the balance wheel shaft pivots are fragile and could bend resulting in an expensive repair.

Strong knowledge sir.

[Incroyable12]

Many people think old gold pocket watches and diamond studded ladies watches are worth a bundle but in reality they sell little over scrap.

Even extremely high end pocket watches in solid gold cases sell for little more than their scrap value now unless it's a Patek. In fact many old 18kt pocket watches become orphaned because scrappers melt the cases since an intact watch is actually harder to sell.

[scassidy1295]

Thanks for posting that helpful chart, That's brilliant to know with absolute certainty when it was made now :D

[Stan Cooper]

Originally Posted by scassidy1295

Thanks for posting that helpful chart, That's brilliant to know with absolute certainty when it was made now :D

Happy to help.