On ebay UK there is a pocket watch marked Royal E Robbins Liverpool. Looks similar to a 57 model but its a fusee. Auction ends 27 May. What do you think it is ?

In 1846 Royal E. Robbins established a business importing watches from England. By 1850 he took in his brother Henry, and the importing company was known as Robbins & Brother, a few years later D. F. Appleton became a junior partner and the company became Robbin Bros. & Co.
The Ebay watch in question is nothing more then a private label watch English watch made for export probably by Joseph Johnson from the looks of the balance cock. At the time that watch was made, Robbins had no connection with Waltham at all because there was no such company yet formed....the watch dates from about 1846-1851 or so....

Thankyou Harold, It makes total sense now. For a minute I thought it was something really special from Waltham.
Dek

There is actually a long line of Royal E Robbins. In England and the US.

He's listed in the Mass. 1910 Census as a Watch Co. and living in Mass.

It starts at about 1823, traveling back and forth from England to Boston, New York, and others.

The Royal E. Robbins in question was born in Kensington, Connecticut in 1824 and moved to Birmingham England at the age of 17 to work for his uncle, Chauncy Robbins where he learned the watch export trade. In 1846 he returned to New York and set up his own watch import business up to the 1857 Waltham purchase.....
Royal E. Robbins died in 1902.