For sale we have a 1940 Trebex 9ct rose gold dress watch. This is a small but beautifully designed watch with its mixture of classy black, gold and rose gold tones.
It has a very lovely black and gold dial with gold tone roman numerals. It has a subtle two-tone sector finish, with a dark grey tone to the central section of the dial and a black tone to the outside. This is matched by the inset sub-second dial. The slim baton style hands are gold, matching with the Roman numerals and dial signing. This creates a very classy feel, with colours and numerals not often used during this period of watch design.
The circular case is 9ct rose gold which complements the black dial. It is petite, measuring 30mm x 30mm with a lug-to-lug measurement of 35.5mm. This would make the watch suitable for a gent who has a liking for smaller watches, or a female.
The bezel has a polished finish and drops down to meet the central section of the case. There is a split in the bezel between 7 and 8 O’clock.
The central section has a recess for the crown which adds to the neat design of the case. The crown is also a rose gold tone and has a neat coin edge finish. The lugs are thin and neatly designed, with fixed bars. The strap is brand new by Hirsch and is a camel grain in a light brown tone.
The case back is also 9ct gold, made by BWC of London. It has British hallmarking for 9ct gold from Edinburgh assay office. It dates to 1940/41 and has a kindly placed personal engraving to “D.P.Milburn.”.
The movement is a 15 jewel FHF calibre. It is signed Trebex on the ratchet wheel, with three adjustments marked to the bridge. It hasn’t been serviced by ourselves as it is in healthy condition with a daily gain of +20 seconds and an amplitude of 270 degrees.
Please see the images as these compliment and aid the description provided below.
A further condition report is below.
Dial:
The dial is in good original condition. The central section has a dark grey tone which has an even speckled patination. The outer section has a black tone. This is neatly matched by the inset sub second dial which has a black outer section and dark grey engine turned inner section. The minute track is in a gold tone with clear gold tone Roman numerals.
Hands:
The hands are original. They are of a Baton style in a gold tone. They are in good condition with slight signs of corrosion.
Glass:
The acrylic crystal is a replacement and is in good condition with some slight surface scratches.
Crown:
The crown appears to be original in its rose gold tone and has a neat coin edge finish.
Case:
The circular case is formed of 9ct gold and is in good condition. It has a polished finish which has light surface scratching consistent with age. The fixed wire lugs are in good condition and have little bending. There is a split in the bezel between 7 and 8 O’clock.
Caseback:
The case back is formed of 9ct gold. It is English made by BWC. It is in decent condition, with surface scratching consistent with ageing. It has some light dimpled dents. It has a polished finish. Inside it has British hallmarking for 9ct gold from Edinburgh assay office, dating it to 1940/41. It has a personal engraving to the inside “D.P.Milburn.”.
Strap:
The strap is brand new and is by Hirsch. It is camel grain and is a nice light brown tone. It will fit from a up to an 7.5 inch wrist diameter.
Movement:
The movement is a 15 jewel FHF calibre. It has a jewel count of 15 and a frequency of 18,000 BPH. It is signed Trebex on the ratchet wheel, with three adjustments marked to the bridge. It has jewels set in brass with an unusual regulator.
The service history is unknown, however the movement is in good condition keeping good time. It has a daily gain of +20 seconds, with an amplitude of 270 degrees and a beat error of 4.0 m/s.
Case dimensions:
Case width: 30mm
Case width with crown: 31.25mm
Case length: 30mm
Case length lug to lug: 35.5mm
Case Depth: 8mm
Lug width: 16mm