BR (M)
18750

is deeply engraved on the back cover of this 5-1/2 oz (case & movement) “Pure Nickel” (that’s all it says; no other markings) fifty eight mm diameter open-face screw back & bezel case, containing a 16S Waltham model 1908 grade 625 movement, SN 22737341 (not RR-approved). No screw-marks.

I’d appreciate any ideas on how to account for this engraving!

Stu

Birmingham Railway...(men's room)...no need for adjustments.. A low serial number considering how many used to fall in and get lost!


( Sorry Dog...couldn't help myself...)
A very impressive hunk of nickle..

British Rail (Midlands)

It is a Brirish Railroad watch! BR was founded in 1948

Thank you David!

Can you tell me –

Did British Rail furnish employees with watches like this one on a long-term basis or would it have been a short-term “loaner”?

The watch couldn’t have entered BR time service before 1948 if that’s when BR was founded. Based on the serial number the movement was produced about 1920. There’s no evidence that this case ever held another movement. Did BR purchase used movements? used cases?

What were BR’s standards for watches in railroad time service?

Did BR time-service rules limit unadjusted pendant-set movements like this one to certain job descriptions?

Thanks again David!

Stu

I don't know much about these watches but the ones that I have seen have been all Swiss and 15-17 jewels. if you want more information you could try asking the British National Railway Museum:

http://www.nrm.org.uk

I emailed the questions in my Jan. 3 post to the the British National Railway Museum as David suggested, and received this prompt response:

Your enquiry has been passed to me for attention.

During the period you mention, as far as I can establish, watches were formally issued to guards only. Other staff were expected to provide their own, though most would in any case be in sight of an accurately - set clock, either a 'Pulsynetic' master or slave clock or one set from one or from the daily 9.00am telegraphic time signal. Conventional clocks were subject to a rigorous maintenance schedule. I'm afraid I don't know if there were formal accuracy standards for the guard's watches which (unlike those issued prior to nationalisation) were not marked with company initials or a record number. Only guards would be issued with a replacement if their issued watch required attention.

I hope this is helpful.

Yours sincerely

David Wright
Curator, Collections
National Railway Museum

Stu

I can really respect a curator such as the one who wrote you back.
Just goes to show there are still people out there who take pride in their work. So you have a "guards watch" very cool.
Jack

Jack Goldstein
NAWCC 0152932
IHC 185 #274

I’ve learned that after WW2 Britain’s four railway companies – the Great Western (GWR), the London, Midland and Scottish (LMSR), the London North Eastern (LNER), and the Southern (SR) – were deteriorating. In 1948 the four companies were nationalized, named “British Railways” (BR), and split into six regions. The Midlands region consisted of the southern portion of the old LMSR tracks serving London, Birmingham, Derby, and Manchester.

David Thomas is right – BR(M) stands for British Rail (Midlands).

It seems likely that a BR(M)-engraved watch was issued. Although the Curator says that watches were formally issued only to guards, he also says that guards’ watches were not marked with company initials or a record number. If true, my watch isn’t a guard’s watch.

So the provenance of my watch remains uncertain! And is further confused by the fact that while BR was formed in 1948, my movement was produced about 1918 and my case looks to be pre-1910 and has no telltale screw-marks!

Can anyone help sort this out?

Stu