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JW Benson Tank Wants Nothing From You…

rehajm
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rehajm Super WRT Addict

rehajm

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…so I’ve been occupied with an uncooperative Venus but here’s one I’m calling done. A JW Benson from the country auction house. The shipping to the states cost more than the watch. The flabby before…

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…silver ya?

It was gummed up but actually ran fairly well @ 250 amplitude. fhf 31 which I discovered was not extremely common. The barrel arbor hung on to half of the screw and twas clear there was lots of rubbing so I managed to find nos for each. There was the tar sticky thang supposed to be subbing for a dial foot- what was that? I kept the crystal- lots of rubbing and some old school GS glue. Someone swapped in a fabu alloy mainspring so I kept that too. A bit of wrestling to make the hour hand straight(er)- apparently the second hand had it’s way with it…

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Cleaned up with over 300 amp now…

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…new footie…

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…I thought about downsizing the stem/replacement crown but given this one’s had a long life and the purchase on the crown is easy so I left it. The Hirsch strap cost more than the watch…

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…imma keep this one. It will get wrist time and lots of interest from a US audience unfamiliar with JW Benson…🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

 

 

Edited by rehajm
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Marc Distinguished Member

Marc

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I have an almost identical J. W. Benson sterling silver tank with a hinged case on my bench at the moment, only mine has a Cyma REF: 836 movement, also not easy to come by. Mine also has a textured dial and different hands.

Mine had a rough life and came to me with the extended seconds hand arbor broken off of the fourth wheel (not uncommon) but also the minute hand arbor broken off the center wheel which I've never seen before. Like yours mine also had a dial foot broken off. Your dial is in much nicer order than mine too (envious 🙂).

Both yours and mine are imported cases (not British made), hall marked at the Glasgow assay office, yours in 1933, mine in 1929.

I don't have any finished pics of mine yet as I'm trying to source a replacement seconds hand. The original had been glued in place as there was no arbor to install it on and I couldn't get the glue out of the boss. However, here are some as it came to me including a comparison between the damaged wheels and the replacements.

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Fourth wheel on the left, center wheel on the right. Originals top, replacements bottom.

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rehajm Super WRT Addict

rehajm

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Your’s is beautiful!! If I’m seeing correctly your dial is rose engine turned- I’ve had those come very clean with an eraser/rubber- possible with yours? You appear to have all the graphics intact, I bet it will look amazing once again…

Your case also appears to have more symmetry. There was much original handiwork on mine…

…and do you think you have an original crown? I had no idea what it should look like so I kept the replacement. I looked and saw all kinds of replacements including cartier style…

 

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Marc Distinguished Member

Marc

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7 minutes ago, rehajm said:

Your’s is beautiful!! If I’m seeing correctly your dial is rose engine turned- I’ve had those come very clean with an eraser/rubber- possible with yours? You appear to have all the graphics intact, I bet it will look amazing once again…

Your case also appears to have more symmetry. There was much original handiwork on mine…

…and do you think you have an original crown? I had no idea what it should look like so I kept the replacement. I looked and saw all kinds of replacements including cartier style…

 

The dial is indeed rose engine turned which is lovely once you get it clean. I have a couple of ideas for achieving that but need to sit down with and do some careful experimenting.

Your case actually has a lot more shape to it now that I look properly, with the width reducing towards the lugs whereas mine is pure straight sided rectangle. I think they are both very lovely in their own way with a subtle, understated elegance typical of their era.

As to the originality of the crown on mine, it could be the original, it's certainly quite old and is very much in keeping with the rest of the watch, but after 95 years who can tell 🙂

Like you I intend to hang on to mine. I have developed quite a fancy for watches of this era with their quiet, unassuming presence and quality, in complete contrast to my other particular watch partiality which is field watches and divers. I currently have this little beauty on my wrist.

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