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Hi:

The watch I need help with is second half of the 19th C Swiss movement, silver looking case with rather worn marks. Usually these watches have either british or swiss marks. This doesn't seem to be the case here. the lion, if that's a lion, faces in the wrong direction. I don't know whether the shield to the right is Chester and I'm sure I've seen the lady with the star mark before but can place it at the moment.

So help!!

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Hi,

I've got a couple of these myself.

I think, and I stand to be corrected, that the 'hallmarks' are pretty much fake. I suspect these cases were locally made to take imported movements. Usually, they don't quite come up to the quality of British or Swiss cases.

As you are perhaps aware, this is an Ottoman (Turkish) watch and they often contain fairly high quality imported movements. Kendall and Dent, for example, were a common supplier of movements.

Dick

Thank you, Dick,

I'm not likely to be the one to correct you. I still very new to watch collecting, though I already have several of those "for the Ottoman market" watches, including a J. Dent. Of course, it's still to be seen whether it's not a Swiss fake. Now, I'd love to have a real Ottoman-made watch, movement and all. Ah, hope springs...

As a historian though, and the Ottoman Empire is my field, a local fake is even more fascinating. I expect the summer will give me more time to get myself educated in Ottoman (and other) pre-20th C watches.

Thanks, again,

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