Personal engravings can tell a fascinating social history.
Here we have a 1937 JW Benson trench style ladies watch, with a Silver Dennison case and silver guilloche textured sunburst dial with Arabic numerals. The case measures 26.5mm x 26.5mm and is a good-sized ladies watch. To the rear is the engraving ‘Q.D. Bridges 2034840’.
The case has British hallmarking from Birmingham assay office. The date letter ‘N’ dates the watch to 1937. It has the ‘ALD’ makers mark for the Dennison Watch Case Co.
Inside is the Cyma ref 314 15 jewel manual wind calibre, which has been recently serviced and is keeping reliable time.
A trusty and good quality watch was always an important companion. However, Queenie Daphne Bridges (2034840) probably didn’t expect that she would have to depend on this watch as a vital part of the war effort.
Most interest in military watches centres around models by household brands that were officially issued to forces. However not everyone involved in the war effort had a special, issued watch. Some chose to wear their own watches and these examples, provide a fascinating social history behind those that were part of the war.
This particular example introduces us to the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force and a woman named Queenie. Queenie Daphne Bridges (2034840) was born in 1922 in Paddington, London.
She was enrolled by the Inspectorate of Recruiting into the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force after May of 1941. The WAAF was founded In June of 1939 and was the female auxiliary of the British Royal Air Force during World War II.
She lived at 3 Needham Road, Paddington as of 1945. Queenie was married post war to Ernest WG Portnall in 1946 and lived a long life, passing in 2016, Bath, Somerset.
WAAF numbers exceeded 181,000 at its peak strength in 1943 (Accounting for 15.7% of the RAF) with over 2,000 women enlisting per week. Conscription of women did not begin until after December 1941 when the British Government passed the National Service Act (No. 2). It only applied to those between 20 and 30 years of age and they had the choice of the military auxiliary services, the civilian Woman’s Land Army or factory work in support of the war effort.
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 original and has a guilloche textured sunburst finish and is a darkened silver tone. The minute dashes and the Arabic hour markers have worn somewhat with age.
Hands:
The hands are of Breguet style and are original. They are thermally blued with a bright shine. The sub-second hand is also original.
Glass:
The acrylic crystal is a replacement which is in good condition with no marking.
Crown:
The silver tone crown is a later replacement. It is in good condition and functions as it should.
Case:
The case is formed of silver. It has a snap-on bezel. It has had a custom repair to add four claws to hold the bezel in place as it has worn with age. The silver wire lugs are good and strong. The case has light surface scratching and dints associated with age.
Caseback:
The silver hinged back is in good original condition. It remains unpolished and has light surface scratching associated with age and wear. It has the personal engraving.
Inside it has British hallmarking.
Strap:
The watch comes on what would appear to be its original strap. It is worn and a replacement can be offered with it.
Movement:
The movement is a Cyma manual wind calibre. It has a jewel count of 15 and a frequency of 18,000 BPH.
The movement has been recently serviced. It’s keeping time to within +60 seconds a day, with an amplitude of 285 degrees and a beat error of 1.5m/s.
Case dimensions:
Case width: 26.5mm
Case width with crown: 28.3mm
Case length: 26.75mm
Case length lug to lug: 31.5mm
Case Depth: 8.5mm
Lug width: 10mm