One of the Last Made in Britain, Anglo-Celtic, 1962
This Smiths Empire pocket watch was built in Wales at a time when Swiss and American movements dominated the market - at the Anglo-Celtic Watch Company's Ystradgynlais factory, a government-backed joint venture between Smiths and Ingersoll that produced over 30 million watches between 1946 and 1980.
The movement is the factory's founding Calibre PY - a robust pin-lever design descended from a 1905 American Ingersoll movement, built for everyday reliability and straightforward maintenance. The date code on the movement plate confirms 1962 manufacture.
The gold-plated open-face case presents well, with an attractive engine-turned guilloche caseback and a clean white enamel dial carrying bold Roman numerals and a subsidiary seconds register at 6 o'clock. The watch winds smoothly, runs well, and sets correctly. An honest, wearable piece with genuine British provenance.
