Here we have an exquisite circa 1936 Asprey retailed 9ct gold travelling bag / purse watch. The gold case is in wonderful condition with the detailed and defined fish scale engine turned finish to the outside of the casing. It has the applied enamel work to the centre of the front, with the initials ‘PRC’. To the bottom right corner is the loop for affixing a chain. The mechanism to open provides a seamless approach. The front cover is pushed upwards, which then releases the catch, allowing it to hinge open. The inside has the hinged panel with the dial and movement. The silver dial has the Arabic numerals with the ‘Crusader’ name to the top and the ‘Asprey’ signing below 12. It has moon style thermally blued hands which catch the light. The inside of the front cover has the hallmarking from Birmingham assay office, as well as the inside of the movement section. It is an Adie Brothers manufactured case, in conjunction with Dennison. The movement is by Crusader and is a 15-jewel manual wind calibre, which has been recently and is keeping accurate time.

The 1920s and 30s were a period of expression, with this fruitful environment responsible for many different ideas as the wristwatch increased in popularity, with the pocket watch still having a firm place in society and everyday wear. But there was an interesting gap in the market. What fit the needs of an elegant individual who wanted a sophisticated watch to carry concealed, larger than and wristwatch, but sleeker than a pocket watch? The travelling bag / purse watch was the answer.

On offer is a wonderful example of the travelling bag watch by Crusader, with the Asprey co-signed dial. The case is neatly proportioned and when closed it measures 31.5mm wide with a length of 43.5mm. It is a sleek design with the slim depth of 10mm. It has a wonderful engine turned fish scale finish to the outside of the case which enchants as it dances in the light. It is in exceptional condition with the finish remaining clearly defined. To the centre of the front is the applied enamel panel, which has the black framing and baby blue initials ‘PRC’ to the centre. To the bottom right-hand side of the case is the fixed loop, with the loose gold loop to affix a chain.

The mechanism to open the watch is intriguing. By pushing upwards on the front, the whole hinge moves up, allowing the front to disengage the catch and pop open. When the case opens, it exposes the hinged section with the dial and movement. The finish of the case around the section is equally as eye-catching as the front, with the same engine turned finishing. It has the cut out to the right-hand side to allow the crown to be accessed. The dial section hinges to allow easier access to wind and set, as well as accessing the rear and movement. The inside of the front of the case has the engine turned finish to the edges, with the polished finish inside and the hallmarking from Birmingham assay office for 9ct gold, dating to 1936, to the base. Once the movement section is hinged upwards, there is a further 9ct hallmark to the inside of that side.

The dial surround has the polished finish which allows focus on the dial finishes and time. It has the two-tone silver tone finish with the satin finish to the Crusader name panel, square centre of the dial, sub-second register and the ‘Swiss made’ panel to the base. The centre of the dial has the railroad track to the exterior with the bold Arabic numerals and the ‘Asprey’ co-signing to the centre. The hands are of the thermally blued moon style which shines in the light. The sub second register overlaps the central panel and Swiss Made panel and also has the thermally blued tone to the hand.

The inside casing of the movement section in stamped with the serial ‘4268’ with the Dennison name. It has the makers mark for Adie Brothers who were a renowned Birmingham based silversmiths and manufacturing jewellers. That made Birmingham based Dennison an obvious choice to help manufacture the case for this design.

The movement is the Crusader wristwatch movement, which is tonneau shaped. It has the original plastic cover, which was common with Crusader movements, to aid dust proofing. It is a 15-jewel movement, which is manually wound. After its recent service, it is a reliable timekeeper to within 30 seconds variation per day.

A beautiful travelling bag watch, with the Asprey retailer co-signing. An elegant companion, Gold examples were much less common than the Silver examples of the period. It is also a lucky survivor as many of the gold examples from the period are now victims of being melted down due to the swift increases in the value of gold.

With the movement removed, the case weighs 38.1g.

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.

Case:
The case is formed of 9ct gold and is in very good vintage condition. It has been well cared for, evidenced by the defined engine turned finish to the exterior. There is one very slight and small mark to the middle left of centre on the front cover. Otherwise, there are no marks or denting. The loop is good and strong for securing the strap. The hinge to the outer case and opening mechanism are in very good condition. The inside of the case and hinge for the movement section are very good.

Dial:
The dial is original and is in good vintage condition. There are some light scratches to the surface of the dial, visible in the images. The signing is good and clear.

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

Glass:
The crystal is acrylic and is original and is in good condition with no obvious marking.

Movement:
The movement is by Crusader and is a manual wind, 15 jewel calibre. It has the original plastic cover within the movement holder.

It has been recently serviced by our watchmaker. It currently keeps time to within 30 seconds variation per day, with an amplitude of 300 degrees and a beat error of 1.2 m/s.

Case dimensions
Case width when closed: 31.5mm
Case length when closed: 43.5mm
Case depth when closed: 10mm
Dial size 17.75mm x 21.9mm