1920's Services "Competitor" Pin Set Watch - Serviced and Working
A collectable vintage late 1920s gents Art Deco Military style Services "Competitor" Trench Watch - One of the earliest Services watches. Very good clean original lightly aged condition , the watch is in working order having just been serviced in the Ukraine, and runs, keeping fairly good time. Fixed wire lug case is finished in chrome plate and is in good clean lightly aged condition with no dents and no wear through to the chrome plate. Clean clear crystal and a replacement leather strap.. Original black military style dial with original painted numerals and original painted cathedral hands.. A nice clean and collectable 1920s gents sports watch. The case measures 36mm diameter(excluding winder).
To wind or adjust a vintage "Services" pin-set watch, you must press the small pin next to the winding crown to adjust the hands, and turn the crown normally without pressing the pin to wind the mainspring.
Services Watch Co. Ltd., assembled in England using Swiss movement made by Theil Bros late 20s` The style of logo In Quotation marks, "Services" was used from 1926 until the late 30's It does not denote a watch designed for military service. The watch case was manufactured by Taubert & Fils (Swiss), Manufacture Des Boits Borgel (manufacturer of Borgel cases) Spring pull crown and pin setting, case and movement unwind from one another to open, first real attempt at water resistance, later this case manufacturer would go on to produce the highest grade water proof watch cases for the Swiss watch makers market. Case was manufactured around 1927,so this is one of the earliest Services watches.
Another of Britain's significant watch brands was the Services Watch Company, founded at 35, Leicester Grove, Leeds on 14th June 1926 by Frank Liquorish. They would become a significant retailer of 'Services Sports Watches' by casing up a variety of German (Thiel), Swiss (many Oris) and, post-war British (mainly Smiths and Anglo Celtic, some Newmark) movements. They moved to Leicester in February 1927, originally at Central Buildings, Market Place, Leicester, then 37, Belvoir Street, then to Jewry Wall Street moving around 1949 to 25-27, Bede Street where was now also their Aviation Watch Co subsidiary (believed established around 1938 in Tyrell Street - by Frank Liquorish). They moved to Time House, Braunstone Gate, Leicester and then to a refurbished 27,000 sq.ft factory, Time House, Duke Street in 1966.
Frank died 30th May 1954 and the business was continued under G H Jessop (who came from the textiles industry). Services are credited with the first linen effect dials and, in moving up-market, pioneered cloth padded luxury presentation cases, copied by others! Their watches would only be available through jewellers from 1957. Jessop left in 1968. Howard White (ex-Anglo-Celtic) joined Services as Works Manager in 1956, becoming Technical Director until 1972 when he too left (he was also a director of Swiss Watch Corporation (England) Ltd). Services then became simple importers and disappeared soon after.
