[Sparky]

Hi, just received this little baby from the bay! It appears to run really well.

Does anyone have any information regarding it? i.e. manufacture date, country of manufacture etc. Any info greatly appreciated.



Regards

Mark

[mach 0.0013137]

Hi, just received this little baby from the bay! It appears to run really well.

Does anyone have any information regarding it? i.e. manufacture date, country of manufacture etc. Any info greatly appreciated.



Regards

Mark

Services were a Leicester based company, I don`t know when your watch was made but I have found that `Foreign` on the dial indictes that the movement and sometimes the whole watch were made usually in Germany.

Here`s some posts I did earlier on the company...

I`ve been doing some checking on the Services Watch Co. Ltd., firstly at Leicester Reference Library.

The company is not listed in the 1925 edition of the Leicestershire Business Directory however it is in the 1928 edition (1926 & 7 weren`t available) they were still listed in the 1969 edition the latest one the library have.

The staff also found the following details from `companieshouse.gov.uk`a company called `Services Watches ( Sales) Limited, 23 Grosvenor Street, London W1K 4QL was incorporated on 29/03/1949 and dissolved on 26/11/2002.

I then decided to go and see John Mc Kay, Leicester`s oldest watch repairer ( well he`s @ 80 so I think he`s the oldest ).

Anyway he remembered Services and confirmed they were Leicester based.

He told me that they didn`t actually make watches just assembled them using movements and cases etc brought in (sounds like a lot of modern watch manufacturers to me ) in the end they just bought in complete watches with `Services` printed on the dial.

Also check out this thread which includes photographs of a couple of the companies old factories....

English Pin-pallets

[Sparky]

Thanks for the detailed reply Mach! Very interesting.


Regards

Mark

[mach 0.0013137]

Thanks for the detailed reply Mach! Very interesting.


Regards

Mark

you`re welcome

I`ve just realised that link did not include these photo`s of the old factory bulidings....

Aviation/Services Factory, Tyrrell Street Leicester c1930`s



The sunlit front of the building is on Tyrrell Street, I don`t know if the single story building down the side road was part of the factory during the time the company occupied it but I presume it was

The buildings are still in use but I forgot to see as what, except it obviously was still being used by a business.


Aviation/Services Watch Co.Ltd Factory, 27 Bede St, Leicester, c1950`s)

( sorry for the flare in the photo)

The building`s address is 25-27 Bede Street, the address I have for The Aviation Watch Co.Ltd is No 27, I don`t know if the whole building was used by the firm.

I still don`t know if Aviation & Services had originally been seperate companies and one had taken over the other or they had merged.

Anyway until a few weeks ago this still being used as a hosery or clothing factory but it is now up for sale as possible conversion to residential flats.

[Sparky]

Thats a nice looking pocket watch

Regards

Mark

[mach 0.0013137]

Hi,

Here is a Services watch I bought a couple of weeks ago.



Rabbit

From my discussions with an ex-Services employee I gather that Services watches that had `Made In Gt Britain` on the dial were fitted with movements that were made by the Anglo-Celtic Watch Co.Ltd., Gurnos Works, Ystradgynlais, Wales. ( see here.. The Tick-Tock )

[Andy2]

Hi All,

Picked up a similar "Services" Army pocket watch, and lot of information posted here has been most useful. Very new to the whole poket watch ownership thing, and I was hoping someone can pass on some basic information such as good care and mantenance tips as well as how not to over wind the watch. Also any recomendataions for pocket watch repairers who deal with "Services" Watch Co? Happy to email pic's on request, couldn't get link to work.

Thanks.

[mach 0.0013137]

Hi Andy, welcome to the forum

You could try rytetime watch repairs based near Leicester, they are very good and Steve, the guy who runs it started out working for Services

[AbingtonLad]

Hey Mach, guess what - after all my abandoned attempts at buying a Services wristwatch off the bay (wonder why I didn't manage to get one? ) my mum revealed today that my granddad (who must have died 20 years ago) left something rather special which she had forgotten about...

A Services 'Army' pocketwatch! Isn't it strange how these coincidences happen.

And its as very lovely piece indeed. I will try to post some pictures tomorrow, snow willing. But in the meantime I can confirm that it winds well, keeps good time and is loud enough to drown out the television! Excellent.

I definitely want to get it serviced, and I think it needs a new 'crystal' - at the moment it just has a plastic cover, which fits extremely well but just falls off when you turn the watch upside down. I can't decide if this cover is original or not (though it seems to have a lot of wear).

Does your advice re using Steve at Rytetime still hold good? No idea who else to send it to - and I'm guessing this isn't Roy's bag?

Cheers!

[mach 0.0013137]

Hey Mach, guess what - after all my abandoned attempts at buying a Services wristwatch off the bay (wonder why I didn't manage to get one? ) my mum revealed today that my granddad (who must have died 20 years ago) left something rather special which she had forgotten about...

A Services 'Army' pocketwatch! Isn't it strange how these coincidences happen.

And its as very lovely piece indeed. I will try to post some pictures tomorrow, snow willing. But in the meantime I can confirm that it winds well, keeps good time and is loud enough to drown out the television! Excellent.

I definitely want to get it serviced, and I think it needs a new 'crystal' - at the moment it just has a plastic cover, which fits extremely well but just falls off when you turn the watch upside down. I can't decide if this cover is original or not (though it seems to have a lot of wear).

Does your advice re using Steve at Rytetime still hold good? No idea who else to send it to - and I'm guessing this isn't Roy's bag?

Cheers!

Nice one

Steve still Services my Services

BTW I don`t try to nab all the Services on ebay, just the most interesting ones

This post has been edited by mach 0.0013137: 01 February 2009 - 08:16 PM

[AbingtonLad]

BTW I don`t try to nab all the Services on ebay, just the most interesting ones

Ha, I believe you but millions wouldn't

So pleased to get this from my long departed (and much missed) g'dad. Must be honest and say its lost a few minutes since I wound it, earlier today, but like I care! The resonant tick-tick coming from the left-hand side of my desk is making me smile...

[mel]

BTW I don`t try to nab all the Services on ebay, just the most interesting ones

Ha, I believe you but millions wouldn't

So pleased to get this from my long departed (and much missed) g'dad. Must be honest and say its lost a few minutes since I wound it, earlier today, but like I care! The resonant tick-tick coming from the left-hand side of my desk is making me smile...

I'm one of those millions, anytime I miss one, I'm bl**dy sure it turns up later and Mac has it!

Sparky, that's a nice piece that started the thread, one that Mac let get away, or didn't know about. Lovely dials some of these old Services watches. They often seem to be mistakenly advertised as being "armed Services" watches by some sellers when clearly they were not all made for the Army, Navy or Airforce.

Mac is the guy with the knowledge on these, he's done a fair amount of research on them, and has some nice examples - Mac, can you post a photo or two of the collection please, go on - you know you want to!

[mach 0.0013137]

BTW I don`t try to nab all the Services on ebay, just the most interesting ones

Ha, I believe you but millions wouldn't

So pleased to get this from my long departed (and much missed) g'dad. Must be honest and say its lost a few minutes since I wound it, earlier today, but like I care! The resonant tick-tick coming from the left-hand side of my desk is making me smile...

I'm one of those millions, anytime I miss one, I'm bl**dy sure it turns up later and Mac has it!

Sparky, that's a nice piece that started the thread, one that Mac let get away, or didn't know about. Lovely dials some of these old Services watches. They often seem to be mistakenly advertised as being "armed Services" watches by some sellers when clearly they were not all made for the Army, Navy or Airforce.
Mac is the guy with the knowledge on these, he's done a fair amount of research on them, and has some nice examples -

I know what you mean Mel, check out the descrpition on this one Original WW2 Pilot's Wristwatch, "Services Airman"
As far as I can tell this type watch was produced sometime after WWII to possibly sometime in the late 50`s. The dial is basically the same as my two-tone Newmark, from the little information I`ve gathered Newmark seem to have supplied movements, cases & possibly complete watches to other companies such as Services/Aviation, Stirling (the Airman`s case is identical to my Stirling), Guildhall, Horsham & Aircraft, I don`t know if any of these were associated with each other like Services/Aviation.

Mac, can you post a photo or two of the collection please, go on - you know you want to!

Soon Mel, I`m waiting for a couple more to come back from Steve including something rather special which arrived last week from Germany

BTW I am biding on a rather nice Services as we speak

[Julian Latham]

I have what is clearly a 3602 Molnija that is badged 'Services' - I'll try and post a photograph later today.

Julian (L)