The Express, an English Lever in Serota Silver, 1893
J.G. Graves of Sheffield was one of Victorian Britain's great mail-order jewellers - and in time, the Mayor of Sheffield. He apprenticed as a watchmaker at fourteen, built a mail-order empire that sold watches by the thousand, and at his peak was buying up to 70% of the entire output of the Lancashire Watch Company in Prescot. The "Express English Lever" was the cornerstone of his watch range: a quality LWC movement sold under the Graves house name to the growing Victorian middle class.
This example is in remarkable condition for its age. The white enamel dial is exceptionally clean - no chips, no crazing, no staining - with the red-printed Graves signature crisp and fully legible. The sterling silver case is solid and well-formed, with only the light surface wear expected of a watch that has lived 130 years. An engraved monogram cartouche to the outer case back adds a touch of Victorian personal history.
The movement is confirmed Lancashire Watch Company, identifiable by the reversing pinion - LWC's patented safety mechanism that prevents gear train damage in the event of mainspring failure. The watch is key wound via a square aperture in the engine-turned dust cover. The movement winds and runs well.
Hallmarks to the inner case confirm sterling silver, Sheffield assay, and a precise date of 1893.
A presentable, running piece from a man who became Mayor of Sheffield - in unusually clean condition for its age.
