Rare Vintage /Antique 9ct Gold Dennison Wrist Watch With Original Leather Strap

Description: Rare Vintage /Antique Fully Hallmarked 9ct Gold Dennison Manual Wrist Watch With Original Leather Strap. Marvellous genuine handcrafted watch. Fantastic quality and In lovely condition. Please browse all 12 sets of photographs attached for size, weight and condition as they are self explanatory. Recently serviced and in absolutely perfect working condition. Handcrafted watches this quality are seldom being made these days. I have inherited this watch and hope to find it a good home. The watch has been in my safe for many years. I took it out for the purpose of photography for this advert and have checked it over a long period and it works wonderfully. A lovely no nonsense mechanical wind up watch requiring no batteries. A joy to own. There are no manufacturers marks on the face. All details are inside the case as you can see in the photographs attached. I’m experienced but not an expert in these particular watches but one close friend is certain the actual watch has a “Rolex Cushion” movement in a Dennison case. In fact it is identical in shape, size & dimensions to a “Rolex Cushion”! Another watchmaker friend is certain it is a 15 jewel Swiss “Zodiac” watch. Zodiac was founded in 1882 by Ariste Calame in Le Locle, Switzerland. Their watches are recognised for exceptional craftsmanship and precision. I am not certain myself and any information from anyone in the know would be much appreciated. Basically the movement can not be seen as very unusually the movement is in a sealed unit which is then placed in a gold Dennison case. I have never tried to open or disturb the sealed unit. A blank plate covers the mechanism. Obviously it was designed that way for some purpose I assume. Pointless to photograph it as it’s just a blank plate with no markings whatsoever, sealing the mechanism. If you need it in a nice box, please advise and I will do my very best to find one for you in my belongings. Aaron Lufkin Dennison (March 6, 1812 – January 9, 1895) was an American watchmaker and businessman who founded a number of companies. His father was a cobbler by trade, but Aaron didn't like shoemaking and had a mechanical turn of mind, so in 1830 he was apprenticed to James Carey, a clock and watch maker, gunsmith and gold and silversmith of Brunswick. In 1833 Dennison set up on his own as a watch repairer, but shortly after entered the employ of Jones, Low and Ball where he learnt from Tubal Hone, then considered to be one of the finest watchmakers in the country. In about 1840 he began to think about manufacturing complete watches in the United States by machine. Dennison began his pioneering career in the watch industry by founding Waltham Watch Company. The company grew to become the largest watch manufacturer in the U.S.A at the time. Aaron Lufkin Dennison was born in the USA on 6 March 1812 in Freeport, Cumberland County, Maine, the son of Colonel Andrew Dennison and Lydia Lufkin. In 1863, the talented watchmaker moved to Zurich in Switzerland, as he found the Swiss were more advanced in the production of watch parts. He joined Tremont Watch Company, heading the manufacturing side of the business and helped in the formation of International Watch Co. In 1871, A.L.D moved to England with Great Britain having the world’s best watchmakers at the time and after a short time in London he decided to setup home in Birmingham. Aaron Dennison was an important pioneer in watchmaking by machinery. In fact it could be said that he was the most important pioneer, in that it was his ideas that started the mass production of watch movement parts by machinery in America, which had major knock-on effects on watchmaking in Switzerland and England. After initiating a revolution in watchmaking, Dennison set up a company in Birmingham, England, to make watch cases, and many collectors will have watches with cases made by the Dennison watch case A.L.D found a niche in the market for high-quality watch cases produced in large numbers and patented many designs for air and watertight cases. Originating from a small workshop on the side of the family home, the company called Dennison, Wigley & Company grew to produce 100,000 high-quality watch cases per annum. Aaron Dennison died on 9 January 1895 aged 82 but left behind a very worthy successor in his son, Franklin Dennison. Over the following 60 years, the company grew to become the largest watch company in England and known around the world for its fine Dennison Quality (DQ). Even with this success, the memory of the great founder was never forgotten, with almost all Dennison products signed with the assay mark ‘A.L.D’. Dennison designed and manufactured watch cases for world famous explorers specifically for expeditions, in 1913 for Sir Ernest Shackleton’s Expedition to Antartica on the ship ‘Endurance’, and in 1953 for Sir Edmund Hillary and his team’s successful Everest Expedition. During the same year, Lieut. Commander Lithgow broke the World Air Speed Record flying over Tripoli, reaching a speed of 735.7mph (1184km/h), whilst wearing a Dennison Aquatite cased watch. Dennison had a close connection with the British Military during the war years. During World War One, Dennison were manufacturing highly-durable wrist and pocket watches issued to the British Military, along with military compasses and other items. During World War Two, Dennison temporarily halted production of watches and instead produced approximately 13,000 rocket projector beams for the Royal Air Force. The company director at the time, Arthur Dennison, also served as a pilot for the RAF. Over the years, Dennison became most renowned for their close working relationship with watchmakers and retailers such as Rolex, Tudor, Omega, Longines, IWC, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Zenith, Smiths, J.W.Benson & Garrard. Dennison supplied them with the highest-quality watch cases designed to house the finest-quality movements. During World War One, Dennison supplied the British Military with highly durable watches, compasses and other items. By 1928 Dennison were the largest manufacturer of highgrade watch cases in Europe, producing 250,000 per annum. Most of the production was contracted by watch companies such as Rolex, Omega and Longines for the British market. At the time, Dennison not only worked closely with these Swiss watch brands, but they were also a shareholder in Omega. World War II saw Dennison temporarily halt production of all watches and instead produced approximately 13,000 rocket projector beams for the British Royal Air Force. The company director at the time, Arthur Dennison, also served as a pilot for the RAF. In 1953 Lieut. Commander Lithgow broke the World Air Speed Record over Tripoli flying the Supermarine Swift F.4 prototype WK198 whilst wearing a Dennison Aquatite cased J.W.Benson Tropical. “I carried your watch to the summit. It worked perfectly.” Such was the opinion expressed by Sir Edmund Hillary on his successful Everest Expedition In 1953. He and his team were supplied with thirteen Smiths watches with Dennison Aquatite cases. After many successful years the company ran into financial troubles in the 1950s at a time when conditions were difficult because of Swiss and Japanese competition. Sadly By February 1967 Dennison ended production after an illustrious history manufacturing watches for the British Military, world famous explorers and the best watchmakers in the Industry and the factory in Birmingham was closed. In April 1967 there was a two-day sale of the factory assets and some of the equipment was sold to Shackman & Sons, where it was used until the mid-1980s for the production of watchcases and bracelets.

Price: 2500 GBP

Location: Ladywell (Near Eccles), Greater Manchester

End Time: 2025-01-06T20:28:27.000Z

Shipping Cost: 37.74 GBP