Here we have an eye-catching 1970s Roy King rectangular watch, with the Queens Silver Jubilee mark to the rear. It has a 925 Gilt Sterling Silver case with the gold-plated finish. It has the original matching Milanese silver gilt bracelet. It showcases the best of his design, with the unique dial pattern, spreading along the bracelet, which has the belt buckle style fastening. It has the textured champagne tone dial finish with the Roy King signing. The hands are of stick style with the black painted finish. To the right is the original Roy King crown. To the rear the hallmarking is bold and clear, an eye-catching feature, including the Queens Silver Jubilee mark from 1977. The movement is a 17 jewel FHF manual wind calibre, which is shock-protected and keeping reliable time.
Dress pieces from the 70s and 80s are currently very popular with collectors and it is easy to see why. Examples such as this highlight the quality and craftsmanship associated with the pieces, with the mastery of precious metal cases. The way in which the bracelets integrate into the design of the case, create a luxurious harmony of timekeeping and jewellery.
The dial is a joy with its rich champagne tone and the egg-shaped textured finishing. It is signed in black with the ‘Roy king’ logo, with the Swiss signing at 6 O’clock. The hands are simple and elegant in the stick style, with the black painted finish.
The case measures 23mm wide, 24.5mm with crown. It has a length of 38mm. This makes it a good unisex wear, equally at home on a gents or ladies wrist. It has a slim depth of 7.5mm which makes it a comfortable wear on the wrist. It is a stepped rectangular shaped case with the hooded lug design. To the right is the coin edge crown with the Roy King logo.
The rear has the classic bold hallmarking which was a key feature of Roy Kings design in the period.
The bracelet design follows that of the case with the Milanese design. It is marked with the silver hallmarking on the clasp, with the full hallmarking on the flexible belt style clasp. The clasp is shaped like a belt buckle, with the belt section feeding through and the tang snapping the pieces together firmly. It is a very large bracelet. The smallest wrist it will fit tightly is a 7.5” circumference. This means it more be better on a leather strap.
Inside is the FHF calibre 69 manual wind movement. It has a jewel count of 17 and a semi hi-beat rate of 21,600 BPH. It is shock protected and is a good quality, reliable movement. It is keeping reliable time to within +60 seconds a day.
Roy King
Roy Cecil King was a leading British watch designer and jeweller with a wide range of high-end customers. His items were worn by Saudi princes and famous musicians such as the Beatles and Tom Jones.
He began his jewellery career at 14 years old, as an apprentice goldsmith and diamond mounter in London’s Hatton Garden jewellery district. By 21 he oversaw a workshop creating one-off pieces, using Bond Street jewellers to gain access to high-end clients. Much of his early work from the 1930s was as an uncredited manufacturer for names such as Cartier, Asprey and Garrard.
After the war, King set up his own workshop in Watford. In 1952 he produced five strawberry leaf tiaras for duchesses to wear at the Coronation. In the early 1950s, King began exporting his pieces to offset the effects of the huge 100 per cent tax on luxury goods in Britain.
He soon began to concentrate on watch manufacture, or, as he described it, “jewellery that tells the time”.
When restrictions on the import of Swiss watch movements were lifted in 1960, King decided to integrate these into his own designs. He realised that whoever the manufacturer might be people still wanted the Swiss Made signing. King signed an exclusive agency agreement with Bueche-Girod, which enabled him to focus on design.
In 1961, the Roy King workshop excelled at the British Modern Jewellery Exhibition, winning two first prizes, as well as one second and one third prize. The winning pieces are now in the permanent collection of Goldsmiths’ Hall.
During the 1960s, the workshop produced many designs using a variety of unconventional methods with acclaim for his “bark finish” design. One such bark finished example was in the form of a wedding band worn by Patti Boyd when she married George Harrison.
In 1965, King built his own factory near Watford, where he employed 65 staff who made 25,000 gold and silver pieces a year.
In 1971, he won a National Export Council Award, and the same year became a Freeman of the City of London. In 1973, he bought the Swiss watch company La Montre Royale de Geneve. The 18ct gold and platinum range sold under this brand name were among the most luxurious ever produced with precious stone dials.
He lived to see many of his earlier pieces come up for auction at London salerooms. In 1999 several items by him were included in a “Treasures of the Twentieth Century” exhibition at Goldsmiths’ Hall.
Please see the images as these compliment and aid the description provided below. A further condition report is below.
Dial:
The dial is original and is good condition. The champagne tone is good and even, with the textured finishing. The Roy King signing is clear.
Hands:
The hands are original, of Sword style. They have been painted to give them a black tone.
Glass:
The acrylic crystal is original and is in good condition, with only some light marks.
Crown:
The crown is original and is in decent condition. It has slight wear to the plated finish.
Case:
The case is formed of silver with the gilt finish and is in decent original condition. It has some light marks and nicks associated with age, but no unsightly damage. There is light tarnishing associated with age and loss of the gilt finish.
Caseback:
The solid case back is in decent original condition with the brushed finish. The signing and hallmarking are good and well defined. There are some light marks expected with age and some wear to the gilt finish.
Strap:
The comes on its original silver gilt bracelet. It is decent condition for the age, with the hallmarking remaining clear. It has tarnishing associated with age and wear. It has some wear to the gilt finish on the buckle section. It will fit a 7.5” wrist without spinning around on the wrist. It is a VERY long bracelet, which may mean it is more wearable on leather.
Movement:
The movement is an FHF calibre 13-69. It is a manual wind movement, with a jewel count of 17. It has a frequency of 21,600 BPH. It has Incabloc shock protection.
The movement service history is unknown, but it is in good running condition. It’s keeping time to within +60 seconds a day, with an amplitude of 240 degrees and a beat error of 2m/s.
Case dimensions:
Case width: 23mm
Case width with crown: 24.4mm
Case length: 38mm
Case Depth: 7.5mm
Lug width: 16mm