Here we have a beautiful antique, circa 1926 9ct Gold Borgel cased watch, of the classic early style. It has the solid case back with the coin edge screw front. The case is well proportioned measuring 33.5mm wide without crown. To the right is the large original onion style crown which catches the eye. The dial is a bright white enamel with classic railroad minute track and Breguet numerals. It has the clear red 12 with the inset sub-second dial at 6 o’clock. The hands are thermally blued and are of spade & whip style. The inside of the case is marked with UK import hallmarking by Edinburgh assay office with the date letter for 1926 and the ‘Francois Borgel’ initials.

The movement is a good quality, manual wind Swiss lever movement. It is marked ‘Pilot’ and has the gilt perlage finishing. It has been recently serviced.

We love this watch due to its classic design, with eye-catching design elements and textures, such as the coin edge bezel, large onion crown and the bright enamel dial.

The classic, bright white enamel dial is effortlessly clean for its age. It has the railroad minute track to the exterior with the thicker dashes for the 5-minute markers. The hour markers are of Breguet style and have the eye-catching red 12. The sub-second dial is inset and mirrors the railroad layout. It has the five second dashes, with the Arabic numerals to the 10 second graduations. The hands are of the classic spade and whip style, with the thermally blued finish. The sub-second hand has the lollipop counterbalance and also has a bright thermally blued tone.

The case measures 33.5mm wide, which makes this a nicely balanced watch. The crown adds significant presence with its size, taking the total width to 38mm. The lugs also add further presence, extending from the case and taking the total length to 38mm. The fixed bar lugs have a 12mm strap width.

It is a later design of Borgel patented case, which was innovative, providing protection against dust and moisture. The case is formed of a solid section with the wire lugs. The movement fits within a hinged carrier inside the case. The coin edge bezel screws down and helps protect the mechanism. The crown is the original, large onion style crown which was also designed to waterproof the watch. These two aspects, while being wholly functional, also provide a beautiful, tactile texture to the case which we adore.

The case back has the faint self-etched engraving of the name ‘Hallen’. Inside the case is marked with British import hallmarking from Edinburgh assay office. The date letter ‘V’ corresponds with being imported in 1926. It is marked with the ‘AGR’ sponsor mark of Arthur George Rendell, a well-known UK importer of Swiss watches. It also has the ‘F.B.’ logo for Francious Borgel.

The movement is a good quality, manual wind Swiss lever movement. It has a jewel count of 15 and is marked ‘Pilot’ to the ratchet wheel. It stands out with the shimmer of the gilt perlage finishing to the bridges. It has been recently serviced and is keeping time to within a couple of minutes variation per day.

The watch is modelled on a 7” wrist circumference.
Please see the images as these compliment and aid the description provided below.
A further condition report is below.

Dial:
The dial is enamel and is original. It is in good condition with no chips or cracks. It has a light hairline to the sub-second register.

Hands:
The hands are original and are in very good condition with the bright thermally blued finish.

Glass:
The acrylic crystal is a modern replacement in perfect condition.

Crown:
The crown is an original Borgel crown and is in good condition for the age.

Case:
The case is in good condition with the defined coin edge finish. The wire lugs are good and strong. It is free of major denting and deep scratching. There is a faint self-engraving to the case back ‘Hallen’.

Strap:
The watch comes on a new genuine leather strap which is in good condition.

Movement:
The movement is a good quality, manual wind Swiss lever movement. It has a jewel count of 15 and is marked ‘Pilot’ to the ratchet wheel. It has been recently serviced and is keeping time to within a couple of minutes variation per day.

Case dimensions
Case width: 33.5mm
Case width with crown: 38mm
Case length: 33.5mm
Case length lug to lug: 38mm
Case depth: 11.3mm
Lug width: 12mm