Holding two opposing ideas

 

Yesterday, in the midst of the madness created by the release of Seiko Resin, as the phone was literally melting down and while emails were pouring in, a remark by a subscriber caught me by surprise: "Seriously, how low can you really go? $299? Would there be a $99 Seiko next week?" The broader context of this insult hinges on two points: am I really a watchmaker of the reputation I claim to be, and is this Seiko anything more than cheap junk? One thing that separates humans and monkeys is the power of imagination. Imagination is the ability to form mental images; the ability of the mind to build mental scenes, objects or events that do not exist, are not present, or have not happened in the past - or those which will not happen in future. Imagination based on facts is reality, and non factual imagination is just a speculative fiction. It is up to each one of us to strike the balance between the two. In other words: if I find pleasure in selling affordable watches, then that is really just my business and no one else's. Cheap and expensive are just constructs of our imagination. As someone said, "The test of a first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposing ideas in mind at the same time and still retain the ability to function." So yes, intelligent people can find enjoyment in both cheap and expensive, affordable and exclusive, mass-produced and masterpieces. Because they are intelligent enough to tell the difference between the two.

Yesterday, while we were selling the cool and affordable Seiko, we also bought a wonderfully exciting 1880 single pusher chronograph pocket watch by Nicole Nielsen which is now undergoing a complete restoration. "The high regard in which some of the best watchmakers in London were held is due, in large part, to the work of 'Nicole Nielsen' (Charles Nicole & Emil Nielsen). They could make watches with any escapement and had the ability to supply calendar, chronograph and repeating watches, as well as special complications including tourbillons of the highest quality. In short, Nicole Nielsen's watches are superb." Minutes later, completely unexpectedly, we acquired a collection of 32 Omega railway pocket watches issued to NSW rail - a historically important find. As well as an extremely fine 1950 Omega bumper in completely original condition. Plus Another six vintage Omegas. And on top of that, 18 modern watches, to be listed over the next couple of days.

We can go low, we can go high, and either is fun. Almost forgot: there is a parcel from Seiko on it's way too.

What is watch collecting, and why should you take it seriously?

Every year or so, this topic is revisited for the benefit of newly joined subscribers and I volunteer to offer my take on this rather complex subject. Why should you listen to me? Because I've been around for 57 years and I guess, it would be fair to say that I do know a thing or two about watch collecting. I bought my first collectable pocket watch 47 years ago. I remember it like it was yesterday: a humble open face 1950s porcelain dial Omega. It was acquired from a school friend for 50 Deutschmark. No doubt the seller was impressed, so the following week he had one more Omega pocket watch for me. Same price, but with a broken balance staff. My dad was not impressed at all. Unlike my grandfather, dad was always a simple man: no big plans, no worries, easy life. "Watches are to be repaired, not collected".  I hate to admit, back then, he was right. Because I was doing it wrong, committing two cardinal sins of watch collecting:  buying without research and overspending like there is no tomorrow. Fellow subscriber, learn from my mistakes! Let's dive into the fundamentals. 1. A PILE OF WATCHES IS NOT A WATCH COLLECTION There is nothing wrong with having 'one of everything', but the more selective and focused you are, the more interesting and valuable your watch collection will be. Of course, most watch collectors start somewhere, but unfortunately, many end up nowhere.  The road to collector’s hell is paved with glitz and glamour, trends, forum and Instagram influencers.  Essentially, nothing wrong with that - except for one thing: by the time that watch everyone is raving about arrives in the mail, Facebook and Instagram have already moved on to the next 'absolutely must have masterpiece of horology'.  This, unfortunately, does not look anything like your current watch. Salivate over the photos, but don't rush to part with your hard earned cash. It is tempting to add more to the pile, but there is a big difference between hording and collecting. 2. COLLECTING IS LIKE COMPLETING A JIGSAW PUZZLE Here is an example: suppose you decide to collect the most commonly collected timepiece: the Omega Moon watch.  Your first Moon watch should be a relatively new one, perhaps a few years old that could be had at some discount over the full retail price. Once you invest in the first Moon watch, take your time and learn as much as you can about it; it's functions, timekeeping, external details, and the history of the brand. Enjoy the moment! Give yourself at least 3 months before your next purchase.  And then, you will be ready for the best investment of your life: a book on Omega Moon watches! Spend some time learning about every moon watch in the book, in detail. The magic will happen: either you will lose interest for watch collecting altogether or you will get super excited about Moon watches. If you decide to get serious, then your second Moon watch should be your birth year watch. If you are born in 1973 then that would be a watch you want to add to your collection. Obviously, the older you are, the more difficult it will be to find the birth year watch. But you are not really after just any 1973 moon watch; you want an all original, complete set with box and papers, in very fine condition. Hunt for it! When such watch appears on the market, you will be ready to jump on it. Here is the beauty of smart collecting: suppose that you decide to move on to the next project; or your partner does not share your enthusiasm, or Mr Visa and Mr MasterCard knock on your door, unannounced, asking for a big favour. Both of your Moon watches - and the Moon watch book - could be easily converted to cash (at some loss, as expected). You had fun; you are moving on, life is good. (Now, if you decide to 'move on' with a 'collection' consisting of randomly acquired watches then finding an excited buyer in a hurry could be difficult to find even if you are prepared to cut your losses.) Building a collection of watches is like completing a jigsaw puzzle. Every piece is unique, and all pieces in a set fit perfectly together.  The final picture does not really matter - the challenge is in gathering, organizing, sorting out and building that big picture - the ultimate collection of your favourite timepieces.  A Breitling Navitimer does not fit in a Moon watch puzzle, and a Submariner 1680 belongs only to a Rolex Submariner’s story. Your third Omega Moon watch? The one manufactured in 1969, the year of the Apollo 11 moon landing. At this point, having a box and papers is nice, but not really necessary - you are simply growing your small collection in a natural, organic way. Ready for the next one? With the fourth Moon watch you have reached a fork in the road. You can either: focus on modern anniversary issues which are still easy to find, or, travel back in time. The 1969 issue is known as a 5th generation Moon watch - not without reason; there are four generations or predecessors. Going back in time is a serious challenge; the older they are, the more knowledge is required to make the right decision. Tip: obsessive perfectionism will ruin your enjoyment of watch collecting. Finding an unused 1957 Speedmaster is impossible; even 60's Speedmasters will contain some replacement parts.  Life is a compromise. 3. THE BEST AND MOST EXCITING COLLECTION IS THE ONE THAT WILL NEVER BE COMPLETED Watch collecting is an expensive hobby. Even the Queen of England would struggle to complete the Moon watch puzzle in a year or two. Most prized examples are extremely rare - and extremely expensive.  Be realistic and stick to your annual budget. Here is some hard data, based on years of helping collectors build their collections: a modest 10 piece (of a relatively modern) Moon watch collection would require an investment of $100,000. A lovely all original 105.002 from 1962 will set you back at least $50K. Or about 250K for the 1st gen Broad Arrow CK2915. In other words, just having one important 'moon watch' of every release from 1957 to today would be a multi-million dollar project. Clearly, a serious collector focused on building a Moon watch collection cannot afford to be distracted with other brands - or even other Omega models. Laser focusing is the mark of seriousness.  But even an incomplete million dollar collection is something to behold. Dedication, systematic research and persistence of a sophisticated collector will pay off. A thematic collection is worth more than the sum of its individual pieces.  Not to mention the ultimate reward: being able to call yourself an expert in the field! 4. COLLECTING ON A BUDGET Is it really possible to build a valuable, exciting collection on a budget? Absolutely yes! Again, I am talking from my personal experience: over the years my modest railway pocket watch collection has grown from a dozen to over 200 watches. Almost all of them are real 'every day' pieces issued to railway workers, dating from the mid-1800s to now. Yes, I do have an 'unfair advantage' over you for the fact that I can restore and repair them myself. Like any 'on budget' collection, this one consists of a number of watches which are less than perfect, some even beyond repair, some showing minor (and major!) scratches and discoloration. Others are in near mint, unworn condition.  Yet again, the real value of this collection goes way beyond its monetary value:  it comes from the satisfaction of preserving something for 'the next generation'. This collection, as modest as it is, would ultimately provide a great deal of satisfaction to someone who would wish to expand it further, looking for missing pieces, trying to complete his own puzzle. I will leave you with a couple of suggestions. A collection of unique watches – like a 24 hours Navitimer Cosmonaute for example - would be equally exciting.  Cosmonauts have a great story to tell, and many of them are in extra fine condition, priced in the $5-$7K range.  Another suggestion: vintage Grand Seiko from the 1960s. Or perhaps vintage Seiko divers?  Or Omega 1960-70’s hand held stop watches, beautiful but yet to be discovered and fully appreciated as masterpieces, which are still available for less than $1K? Actually, the problem is not what to collect, but what not.  Stay focused, within your budget - and above all - have fun!

J Mcgarvie Smith (Sydney) pocket watch - the saga continues

Of course, it was impossible to resist- so yesterday the workbench was cleared to make room for a quick disassembly of the JM Smith. The watch is numbered 7625 on both movement bridge and inside the gold case which means that case and dial started the life together. Of course, each watchmaker had his own numbering style so this relatively high number does not mean 'seventh thousand something' watch made by a particular maker- it really could have been his first and only piece as numbering is concerned. The movement is also signed 'Patent' which is a sign that Smith claimed a patent to either a design, function or innovation of operation related to the watch. And indeed, there are at least two unique features of the watch which makes it special, and different in at least those two details than any other pocket watch I've worked on from the 1870s era. The first feature is that the sweep Chrono hand of the timer is located beneath the minute hand. It is actually sandwiched between hour and minute hands. There is a reason for it - but I'll talk about that some other time. The second feature is a unique winding system. Unlike the other stem wound, pin set pocket watches which employ 'negative keying', which means that once the mechanism is taken out of the case, the winding stem no longer 'works', Smith's solves that problem elegantly with positive keying and a click with click spring and ratchet integrated under the crown wheel, while winding crown and intermediate winding wheel are integrated into the case itself. Practically, a watchmaker could work on the watch and wind it and set the time without the need to insert it back into the case. However, such luxury for a repairman comes with the price: creation of two crown wheels mounted under a rather tricky angle to each other. Quite frankly, to manufacture those wheels and their bridges today would be a challenge- let alone 150 years ago. While  Smith was  trained as a chronometer maker with sufficient knowledge to design and implement complex new systems in his watch, the question which begs the answer to, was who made the gears and bridges - Smith himself, in his Sydney workshop or a skilled maker in London, for him. One thing is certain: a man of McGarvie's 'calibre' would not easily take credit for someone else's work and sign the mechanism with his name and claim a patent if he merely copied or imported the entire mechanism from England. I have contacted NSW library with polite request for any patents issued to J M Smith from Sydney around 1870s so let's keep the fingers crossed. There is just one rather disappointing moment which actually made me bit unhappy: 22 subscribers who replied to survey said that J M Smith 18K gold pocket watch is worth 'less than $1,000'. There are two possibilities for such unkindness and disrespect to an eminent Sydney watchmaker and scientist: total ignorance or sick humour. Neither is appreciated. Luckily, 65% of you generously suggested that Smith's pocket watch be donated to the Museum which is an ultimate sign of sophistication. For those who insist on a dollar value: who in his right mind would commit treason? To swap a one-off piece of Australian history for a mass-produced Rolex watch? If this is the way we think then we clearly don't deserve Smith's watch at all.

This is exciting

"John McGarvie Smith (1844-1918), watchmaker, metallurgist and bacteriologist, was born on 8 February 1844 in Sydney, eldest surviving of thirteen children of Scots parents David Milne Smith, tailor of Old South Head Road, and his wife Isabella née Young. Baptized John by Rev. John McGarvie, he later added McGarvie to his names. Aged 13 he was apprenticed to a jeweller and watchmaker and by 1867 he had set up as a jeweller and watch and chronometer maker—in George Street in the 1870s, then in Hunter Street until 1882. His precision training and commercial sense stood him in good stead." And this is just the first paragraph of J M Smith's biography, as recorded by Kamoya Peterson (http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/smith-john-mcgarvie-8477) However, Smith will be remembered as a founder of McGarvie institute. After watchmaking, he took up the study of bacteriology and did a large amount of research endeavouring to find a vaccine against the effects of a snake bite. He was successful in developing a vaccine for Anthrax. John Smith was avaricious and secretive, and reputed to have amassed a fortune. His estate was valued for probate at £28,739. But he was also "deeply patriotic and convivial with a wide circle of friends. A 'Big Man'in every sense". He died 6 September 1918 at his Woollahra home and was buried in Waverley cemetery. A person of repute, a skilful watchmaker and academic, born and buried in Sydney. And today, I have in front of me a J M Smith gold pocket watch. A watch of mysterious origin; a piece of historical and horological value that is yet to be researched. Judging by the quality of workmanship, the 18K gold case as well as mechanism itself, the watch could have been made in England. Yet we know that in the mid-1880s Smith set up himself as an assayer and metallurgist and continued to record his occupation as assayer until 1914. He developed a successful treatment for refractory ores at Sunny Corner mine and Broken Hill, and refined the chlorine process of extracting gold at Mount Morgan, Queensland. Would a gold assayer and a chronometer maker of repute simply import an English pocket watch and engrave his name on the movement and dial? This would be highly unlikely and would make no sense. The construction of the pocket watch is bit unusual - it is a single pusher chronograph capable of recoding up to 60 seconds, but with no minute counter. A kind of watch that he could have at least partially built or made himself. A watch perfect for quick pulse measurement - or what we call a doctor's watch'; a kind of timepiece that would be extremely handy to a scientist or physician. If indeed McGarvie made at least some of the watch components himself, then this pocket watch would certainly have significant importance to Australian horology. Exciting times ahead - I wish I could jump straight into J M Smith, but for next few weeks the watch will be safely put aside until the bench is cleared. Note: a watch of this importance always generate fair bit of interest. At this stage it is not for sale. And if decision is made to be sold, then I have no other option but to insist that the watch stays in Sydney. A special thank you to Mr Trent Firth, President of the WCA for help with the research.

Another War Veteran Saved

Well, we are so pleased to see this one being reunited with its owner: A World War II military pocket watch issued by the Australian Department of Defence. The watch arrived with a broken heart. What made the restoration tricky is the rather obscure Montilier calibre 62 movement. A classical restoration process which took us almost 6 months to source the parts and complete. Montilier was established as a watch brand in 1852 by Etienne-Ovide Domon, founder of Fabrique d’Horlogerie Montilier. The Montilier factory, built in 1855, was the first in the Swiss watchmaking industry to manufacture complete watches in-house. The technicality of Montilier watches won awards throughout Europe, and by 1890, Montilier watches were being exported around the globe. During World War II, Montilier produced many military watches which were particularly special due to their robustness and quality. The watch we have today is no exception, and we are happy to report that this World War II Australian military pocket watch has been restored to working order.

And the story goes on

This porcelain dial pocket watch is that of Fairfax & Roberts LTD, Sydney & London: a jeweller which has not only survived, but prospered right up until to today. The history of Fairfax & Roberts began in 1836, when London based optician and jeweller Richard Lamb emigrated to Sydney and established his watchmaking business. In 1842, he was joined by fellow business partner, Alfred Fairfax of the Fairfax newspaper house. The discovery of gold in Australia in the 1850s brought with it a new style of jewellery and watches. Lamb, an artisan from England, combined his skills in the craft with the era defining discovery of gold to create pieces and designs that were unseen before in the colony. By 1858, Fairfax and Lamb had garnered a reputation as Sydney’s most exquisite craftsmen. Lamb & Fairfax made their mark on Sydney in 1873, when they were commissioned to design and manufacture the timepiece for the city’s Central railway station clock tower in 1873. Tragically, Richard Lamb, founder of the original Lamb & Fairfax, died in a sailing accident just three years later. Although designed by both men in the 1870s, construction of the famous clock tower was completed almost 50 years later, in 1921. The tower still stands today at a height of 85.6 metres. Having recognised the company's potential, Oscar Roberts invested in Alfred Fairfax, and in 1886, the company was officially known as Fairfax & Roberts. Fairfax & Roberts designed and created jewellery for some of Australia’s wealthiest families. In 1888, Fairfax & Roberts were described as specialising “… in the setting to order of diamonds and other gems in rings, brooches, tiaras and other ornaments. For this purpose a large stock of stones on hand”. Some special pieces combined gemstones with precious metals; unique, one-of-a kind heirlooms which have been passed down from generation to generation. One of Fairfax & Roberts' most noble customer was Edward, Prince of Wales, who acquired a custom-made sterling silver kangaroo pin whilst in Australia in 1927. Alfred Fairfax died in 1901, and both an obituary and a longer article dedicated to his life, published in The Sydney Morning Herald highlight how respected Mr Fairfax was in society: “Mr Alfred Fairfax died at his residence, McMahon's Point, North Sydney about half-past 7 o'clock on Monday morning, aged 77 years. The deceased gentleman was one of the fast-disappearing old-pioneers of Sydney, and first arrived in New South Wales in 1837, being only 13 years old.” The Sydney Morning Herald, 28th November 1901

In the longer article, special mention is given to Fairfax’s involvement in many different aspects of the Sydney community, in particular, his passion for steamers, his love of yachts and yachting, and the multiple positions he held such as journalist, merchant, commercial broker and founder of Fairfax & Roberts: “The deceased arrived in Sydney in 1841, and shortly after landing he joined the literary staff of the "Sydney Morning Herald." Sometime afterwards he opened in business under the style of Messrs Alfred Fairfax and Co, in George street and subsequently in Wynyard street. The establishment occupied in George Street stood next to the Royal Hotel, and the work of demolition has just been completed. Later on he became a commercial broker. His connection with mercantile pursuits extended over 50 years. The late Mr. Fairfax was one of the original supporters of the first line of steamers which ran between Sydney and Melbourne. The service was owned by the Sydney and Melbourne Steamship Company. […] Talking of leading yachtsmen of the past and present in Sydney, Mr Thornton said the other day: “Mr Alfred Fairfax from the outset, took a very active and successful interest in yachting, and in building, owning, and sailing yachts he was most successful, having had some of the best boats that were ever in the colony.” The Sydney Morning Herald, 27th November 1901

Over 100 years after Fairfax’s death, Fairfax & Roberts to this day remains a brand synonymous with authenticity and quality. They are the oldest established jeweller in Australia and are currently situated on Castlereagh Street, Sydney. Unfortunately, I couldn't find much regarding the London branch except that in 1902, the English buying office was located at 36 Basinghall-street, London, E.C. I have contacted Fairfax & Roberts directly and I am waiting for the opportunity to ask for the full story. I will keep you informed.

S. Weisser, Korumburra

The pocket watch we have discovered today is an Omega porcelain dial timepiece, retailed by S Weisser, in Korumburra. Omega released their first pocket watch in 1895 to the German market: A Lépine model equipped with the famous 19’’’ calibre. The serial number from the pocket watch (4293248) translates into the manufacturing year of 1914. It is a 7 jewel Omega movement, stem wound and stem set. >From as early as 1890, Solomon Weisser was an established watchmaker and jeweller in Melbourne, Victoria. Having married Lizzie Eames in 1891, by 1892 he had already set up two branches located in Surrey Hills and Box Hill. A newspaper clipping from 1982 reads: “Mr. S. Weisser, watchmaker and jeweller, notifies in our advertising columns that he has removed his Surrey Hills branch to Union Road (opposite station) where he hopes to receive a continuance of the patronage hitherto accorded him.” Reporter, 24th June 1892

And I believe he did receive a continuance of patronage. Having moved his Surry Hills store to Union Road, he continued to successfully run two Melbourne branches for a number of years, with repeated advertisements in the local newspaper between the years 1892 to 1895:

The Reporter, January 4th 1895 What’s a little confusing is that the porcelain dial reads ‘Korumburra’ and not Melbourne, despite Weisser’s first two stores being located here. Clearly, Weisser either travelled into the city for business or moved to Korumburra in later years. Korumburra a small town located on the South Gippsland Highway, south east of Melbourne. Surrounded by stunning green hills, the town itself was a coal mining town, were much of its wealth and prosperity began in the early 1890s. As this pocket watch dates to 1914, it would seem that by this point Weisser had a pretty successful branch set up in Korumburra, especially as he was retailing Omega pocket watches. The image below was taken in 1909, and S. Weisser Watchmaker & Jeweller can be seen on the left, situated on Commercial St, Korumburra.

Like many watchmakers and jewellers in the 19th and early 20th century, Weisser was also an optometrist. In fact, he was one of the first optometrists to be registered in 1936, after the Opticians Registration Act 1935, at 70 years of age. Weisser’s wife sadly passed away just a year later (1937), leaving him a widower and lone father to their daughter Eva: “Weisser. - On 5th December, suddenly, at her home, Station Street Korumburra, Lizzie beloved wife of Solomon Weisser and loving mother of Eva. – Safe in the arms of Jesus” The Argus, 6th December 1937

However, what amazes me is how long Solomon Weisser lived! He died at 92 years of age in 1958, having lived through two world wars, and bore witness to enormous change. Over the course of Weisser’s lifetime (1866 to 1958), Omega was born and continued to thrived. The 1894 production of the famous Omega calibre movement, “remarkable for its perfect construction, the ingeniousness of certain mechanisms like time setting via the crown, and for its relatively modest price” was just the beginning.

W. H. Blades, Mount Barker

While there isn’t much left of this 1900s Swiss-made porcelain dial pocket watch, as always, there’s a story to tell. Walter Herbert Blades (W. H. Blades) was born in Adelaide on October 20th, 1876. He was one of seven children of Frederick James Blades and Mary Blades, and husband to Phemie Marjorie Blades. However, unlike our other porcelain dial pocket watches reviewed over the past few weeks, it seems unlikely that W. H. Blades was a watchmaker himself. In fact, it seems unlikely that he was a watch retailer at all. Born in Adelaide, W H Blades lived in Mount Barker, a small town in South Australia. Mount Barker is also a mountain in the Mount Lofty Ranges, and the city lies at the base of the eponymous peak. It has an elevation of 517 metres and the first ascent of Mt. Barker was completed in 1837 by European settlers. The area was traditionally home to farmers, with many lots located just outside of the town actually being farming lots. W H Blades owned three allotments in Mount Barker: The following information gives details of the early ownership of the individual allotments created for the township of Mount Barker in South Australia. Application 22841 - corner of Gawler and Walker Sts 14/7/1906 - 5 year lease to Walter Herbert Blades Application 4598 - frontage to Gawler St, in the middle somewhere 10/6/1911 - McKenzie to Walter Herbert Blades chemist Mt Barker 15/7/1914 - WH Blades to Mary Blades widow Mt Barker Application 5157 - strip facing Gawler St 24’ long and 50’ in from Stephens St 10/6/1911 - McKenzie to Walter Herbert Blades chemist Mt Barker 15/7/1914 - WH Blades to Mary Blades widow Mt Barker 1/6/1916 - 5 year lease to William Robert Murray and James Reordan 7/6/1919 - Blades to Patrick Fox gent Glenelg Although it may seem trivial, these allotment records hold a missing piece of information: Walter Herbert Blades is referred to as a ‘Chemist’. Whereas the previous porcelain dials we have seen have all belonged to professional jewellers and clock makers alike, I was not able to find any historical information suggesting the W H Blades was in the watch trade. So, the question stands: Was W H Blades a chemist? In May 1912, an article declared W H Blades a duly elected member of the boards of advice for Mount Barker: "The following persons have been declared duly elected members of the boards of advice for the districts specified, from June 1, 1912. Note: In every district where only one person is elected, the term of office is for three years; but in each, district marked * there are two or more persons elected, and the term of office must be  decided by lot, at the first meeting of the board held after June 1."

Chemists played a bigger role in the 1900s than they do today, often providing medical advice as well as drugs. Did Blades' election to the Boards of Advice refer to this? Clearly, W. H. Blades was an active member of society. Newspaper clippings show that he was part of the Mount Barker football club committee and on a brief departure from Mount Barker in 1904, the community held a social: “A most enjoyable social took place at Jackson’s Hotel, Mount Barker, on Thursday evening of last week, when a number of friends met for the purposed if bidding goodbye to Mr. W. H. Blades who after a year's residence at Mount Barker is leaving this month for the city. Mr. R. P. A. von Berlonch presided, and, with the vice-chairman (Mr M. J. Skipper) and Messrs H. B Chapman, Jackson, E. G. A. Tyrie, C. L. K. Scott, H. N. Bell, T. R. Bird, and G. R. Paltridge, referred in eulogistic terms to the sterling qualities of Mr. Blades, to the work he had done as secretary of the Mount Barker Dance Committee, to the interest he had taken in the minstrel troupe, in cricket and other manly sports, and in promoting the local walking match, and general regret was expressed at his departure." Friday 4th March 1904. The Mount Barker Courier

The sterling qualities of Walter Herbert Blades were perhaps qualities which made him worthy of a personalised porcelain dial pocket watch. As we know he was not the jeweller, it was not uncommon for these watches to be given to important members of a community. Until further discovery that would lead me to conclude otherwise, I believe that the watch dial was simply a personalised, one-off piece.

J.E. Robinson, 93 Oxford St, Sydney

Here we are again with another porcelain dial pocket watch that reads: "J. E. Robinson, 93 Oxford St, Sydney". This American Waltham pocket watch was imported and retailed by J.E. Robinson around 1900 to 1905. His store was situated on one of the busiest streets in Sydney, 93 Oxford. You would think that finding some information on watchmaker Robinson would be pretty easy given that he ran a business in the heart of Sydney. But unfortunately, that's not the case. The history of Sydney predates modern times, and Indigenous Australians have inhabited the area for over 30,000 years. Sydney was founded in 1788 with the arrival of the first fleet of British ships that laid the foundation of a penal colony by Great Britain. My research on J.E. Robinson turned up two names to begin with: John Eyre Robinson and John Ernest Robinson. I thought: Surely, they must be related? And surely they were. John Eyre Robinson (father) was married to Katherine Lillian Gladwin, who gave birth to John Ernest Robinson (son) on December 1, 1888. John Ernest Robinson (son) was born in in Bundaberg, Queensland. He enlisted as a Gunner for the army in January 1916, age 27. On his return to Australia, he received a Distinguished Conduct Medal: “'For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty while in charge of a party of 30 men and 60 animals bringing up ammunition to the battery position through deep mud and numerous shell holes, and under incessant bombardment for a distance of 800 yards.” Commonwealth Gazette No. 110 25th July 1918

Image from National Archives of Australia

The son's listed next of kin on his war record was John Eyre Robinson, 93 Oxford Street, Sydney – a direct match with the details of our pocket watch. While at first, I faced the question: Who was J. E. Robinson, maker of the pocket watch - father or son? Clearly, he was the father. Also, as the pocket watch was made in the early 1900s, this would make John Ernest far too young to be the maker. As John Ernest was born in Queensland, I assumed that the Robinson family had relocated from Queensland to Sydney at some point in time. And sure enough, a quick Google search would confirm that Mr J. E. Robinson of Bundaberg, Queensland was ‘a leading watchmaker and jeweller’: “Our leading watchmaker and jeweller, Mr. J. E. Robinson is now showing the very latest designs in gold brooches, mass chains, pendants, links and bangles, large selection of engagement rings, wedding rings &c. The stock of articles suitable for wedding presents is both large and varied. As a manufacturing watchmaker, J. E. R. can be relied on for the best class of English Lever Watches. The well known ‘Burnett’ Watch is a splendid timekeeper and wonderful value for 20. Alarm clocks 5/6, 8-Day clocks from 15/6. Best quality, largest stock, lowest prices. J. E. Robinson, Watchmaker and Jeweller. Note – This establishment is next John Hunter’s Boot Palace” The Bundaberg Mail and Burnett Advertiser, 16th August 1899

Although you would think that finding a pocket watch from a major city such as Sydney would bring up a lot of information, it's been quite the opposite. But even small details can help us understand the bigger picture. I wonder how the move from Bundaberg to Sydney impacted J.E Robinson's business. Was the move to Sydney for better of for worse? It is not known why Robinson relocated since he was already known as a 'leading watchmaker and jeweller' in Queensland. But what we do know is that he was a direct competitor of J. Macleod & Son who supplied Moeris pocket watches to Queensland Rail. Since Robinson moved to Sydney, I struggled to find much about him. Maybe business didn't take off. Who knows? It's only a small number of jewellers and watchmakers who survive and prosper. But once again, the porcelain dial has stood the test of time long after Robinson's Oxford Street store closed. It goes without saying, if you can provide any additional information on J. E. Robinson, I would be more than grateful and will add it to our archives.