Cousens English Silver Deck Watch
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
c. 1916
This English silver deck watch is reported by the seller to have been made by Cousens, London, with English silver hallmarks dating to London 1916. The piece features an open-face silver case measuring 52 mm in diameter by 17 mm deep, housing a stem-wound, pin-set gilt three-quarter plate lever movement signed 'Cousens, 61 St, Portman Square, London' with serial number 341150 and a British broad arrow marking.
An additional top-plate wheel drives the centre seconds hand on the white enamel dial, which exhibits Roman numerals and blued steel hands. Accompanied by a 120 mm by 90 mm by 40 mm mahogany box, the watch source documentation indicates purchase from the Admiralty in 1917 and service records from the Royal Observatory, Greenwich.
Evidence at a glance
- Linked sources
- 1
- Photograph views
- 1
- Catalogue references
- 0
Counts describe this entry’s documentation, not authenticity, rarity or completeness. Photographs may show one specimen; check each caption and licence.
Technical characteristics
- Type
- Deck watch
- Hallmark Date
- London 1916
- Serial Number
- 341150
- Place recorded
- United Kingdom
- Case Dimensions
- 52mm wide x 17mm deep
- Maker Signature
- Cousens, London
- Admiralty Purchase
- 1917
- Maker / attribution
- Cousens
Design
- Visible features
- • Deck watch dial visible through the circular glazed opening of a wooden box • Dial exhibits Roman numeral hour markers, an outer track numbered at five-minute intervals, and blued steel hands including a centre seconds hand • Wooden box is secured with a small brass clasp at the bottom edge • Box is placed on historical typed naval documentation and black-and-white vessel photographs
- Box and Accompanying History
- The watch is housed in an accompanying mahogany box stated to measure 120 mm by 90 mm by 40 mm, which is visible secured by a small brass clasp at its bottom edge. In the photograph, the cased watch rests on historical typed naval documentation and black-and-white vessel photographs. The seller claims that the watch was purchased from the Admiralty in 1917 and is accompanied by service records from the Royal Observatory, Greenwich. These papers and photographs are reported to cover three vessels that used the watch between 1930 and 1937.
- Dial and Visual Presentation
- In the primary listing photograph, the deck watch dial is seen displayed through a circular glazed opening within a wooden box. The visible dial features black Roman numerals marking the hours, an outer track calibrated with Arabic numerals at five-minute intervals, and blued steel hands including a long centre seconds hand. The seller reports that the white enamel dial is signed 'Cousens, London, 341150' alongside a broad arrow mark. The dealer also notes condition details not fully resolvable in the photograph, reporting 'a very light forked hairline on the 9'.
- Case and Movement Construction
- According to the seller's description, the watch is fitted in an English silver open-face case measuring 52 mm wide by 17 mm deep, featuring a mineral glass, a snap-on bezel, a hinged back, and a hinged inner cuvette. The seller states the case bears English silver hallmarks for London 1916. The movement is described as a stem-wound, pin-set gilt three-quarter plate mechanism with a lever escapement, compensated balance, and gold cap on the lever and escape wheel. The movement signature is reported as 'Cousens, 61 St, Portman Square, London' with serial number 341150 and an engraved British broad arrow mark, utilizing an auxiliary top-plate wheel to drive the centre seconds hand.
Identification
- Serial number
- 341150
- Source note
- Facts transcribed from the linked source listing or collection record. Attribution and specifications are source-reported and have not been independently authenticated.
Catalogue references
No catalogue numbers recorded. Numbers are only published once transcribed from a verified edition of a standard catalogue — they are never inferred.
Research required
- Research required: Internal movement features and case hallmarks are concealed in the presented photograph
- Research required: Admiralty purchase and vessel service history are reported by the seller