The British Antique Dealers’ Association (BADA) has recently revealed that they have created a new position in the organisation, in the form of Chief Executive Officer, as part of their efforts to raise and improve their profile in the UK, and overseas, respectively.
Continue reading “BADA appoint new Chief Executive Officer Role”
If there’s one thing that goes with pocket watches and particularly antique fob watches, it’s trains. So if you’re keen to show off your best timepieces then look no further than Locomotion in County Durham.
Big Ben is 156 years old, having run non-stop since 1859 – that’s somewhere around 1,266,000 hours in total. It is the largest four faced chiming clock in the world and a signature trademark of London. The clock is synonymous with events such as New Year, showing coverage all over the world of the significant London monument.
Anyone worth their salt will be aware of the fact that Abraham Louis Breguet is regularly referred to as the father of watchmaking. Breguet, being such a powerful name both historically and in modern society in the context of mechanical watch making means that many people are keen to experience some of his works in the flesh if they hadn’t had the good fortune to as of yet.
It’s been reported that UK imports of Swiss watches saw a spike of almost 30% in the first half of 2015 due to the fact that Chinese shoppers have discovered the European market for luxury watches is cheaper than their own.
Continue reading “Spike in UK Swiss watch sales as Chinese buyers head over for cheaper prices”
Harry Peverill from Banbury was overjoyed when his extensive collection of 115 pocket watches were returned home.
The watches has been stolen 17 months previously from his home in Banbury. Peverill says that he had lost all hope of ever being reunited with his treasures.
Continue reading “Over 100 stolen pocket watches returned to pensioner”
The Only Watch auction unites the world’s finest manufacturers to create 44 unique designs to raise money for charity. These items are limited edition and exclusively designed for the event.
The watches will be sold to raise money for research on Duchenne muscular dystrophy at The Only Watch auction on 7th November 2015 in Geneva. This auction has run every two years since 2005 and has attracted the attention of hundreds of collectors and connoisseurs keeping an eye out for their favourite pieces in a bid to add them to their treasured collections.
Continue reading “Hermes release a design for their contribution to The Only Watch auction”
For those who weren’t in attendance, Chiswick Auctions’ latest specialist sale of jewellery and watches has rather pleasingly been heralded as a real success by the auction house.
Continue reading “Vintage styles at the forefront of latest Chiswick Auctions”
It’s sometimes quite amazing how things have a way of finding their way home, completely unintentionally, take this antique pocket watch for example.
The story starts with a jeweller, at 90 Main Street, Batavia in 1834, where a jeweller named Jerome A. Clark owned a jewellery store. A man named George Austin started working for Clark after school, learning about the trade and developing an interest in the business.
Charles Prescott also comes to work at the store a few years later as a clerk. Prescott and Austin form a strong friendship whilst working together. Then in 1885 the men purchase the business from their boss Jerome A. Clark, renaming this jewellers ‘Austin and Prescott’ and putting their skills to the test.
When Austin passed away in 1914, the jewellery store was then passed onto William Hoop. Austin left $30,000 to the village, to be used towards a public park, which still today is called Austin Park in his memory.
In the next 55 years, as you might expect, several jewellers open, shut, and move from street to street. Some are forced out by new businesses offering a wider range of products, offering convinience and seemingly ‘exotic’ products from England. 90 Main Street however was still home to a jewellers, all the way up until the Urban Renewal around 1965, which was not only fatal to the jewellery businesses but to local residents that had their beloved homes torn down, destroying the vast majority of Batavia’s architectural heritage.
In 1969 an older man approaches an attendant at Moretto gas station, offering either his wristwatch or pocket watch in exchange for $10, a full day’s wages. The man, clearly desperate for money was devastated to give up the pocket watch. So, an agreement was made between the gentleman and the gas station attendant that he would keep the watch well looked after and wound, and if the gentleman came back, the pocket watch would be returned to its rightful owner.
The man never returned.
However, 46 years later, the gas station attendant was doing a little research into antique pocket watches and the pocket watch’s original owner, whose name was engraved onto the antique pocket watch alongside the name of the crafter; Paul Breton. He found the jeweller’s original jewellery store and eventually also found his home, which just so happens to be home to the gas station attendant who lives there today with his wife, where they still keep the pocket watch wound in a glass domed holder.
A vintage timepiece owned by a survivor of the Titanic was one of the main items to be brought along and discovered by the adorning crowds at Keyworthcharity valuation day.
Continue reading “Flog It’s Charles Hanson enjoys notable pieces at Keyworth charity valuation day”
