Hello Douglas,
Thank you for sending in this family heirloom gold pocket watch to mearto.com for an appraisal. I shall try to help you with that today.
TITLE:
Gent’s, 14k yellow gold, 19 lignes (16 size), pendant wound and pendant set, savonette, hunting case pocket watch, Presentation gift to a twenty year employee from Saudi Aramco (The Saudi Arabian Oil Company), located in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, made by the Vertex Watch Company, La Chaux de Fonds, Switzerland with offices in London, circa 1950. {In the early 1950s the ‘Revue’ model watch (made by Thommen in Switzerland) was marketed in London as a Vertex watch. I mention this because the movement was made by both Revue and Vertex as the calibre 31}
PROVENANCE:
“My grandfather worked for Aramco in Saudi Arabia from 1930-1950. (It therefor makes the most sense that this watch was given to your grandfather as a gift after he finished his service to Aramco.”
DESCRIPTION:
Case: Size not provided but I believe this is a size 16, keyless, four leaf, 14k yellow gold, hunting case pocket watch with a fluted gold ball pendant and round bow placed at the three position relative to the dial (savonette) opposite the case hinge. The case covers are polished 14k gold, while the interior of one cover has the 14k gold mark with the Swiss squirrel hallmark for 14k gold (0.545 % or 14/24ths pure gold). There is a poinçon de maître (looks like a hammerhead with no handle) which carries a certification of the quality of the gold by one of the Swiss watch companies, usually noted with a coded number which is illegible in this photo).
Dial: Round white enameled dial with bold black Arabic hour chapter ring, closed bar minute track to the outside, subsidiary continuous seconds @6, steel “Heavy Swell Double Spade” hands and the upper dial signed in Arabic, most likely for the ‘Saudi Arabian Oil Company’ and marked at the base of the dial, ‘Swiss made’.
Movement: This appears to be the Vertex and also the Revue, Caliber 31 movement made for a hunter case, stem wound and stem set, movement diameter approximately 42-43mm in diameter, made with 15 jewels, vibrating at a frequency of 18000 beats/hour with a power reserve of 34 hours on a single wind. The layout is a split polished nickel three quarter plate and single small finger bridge movement with bimetallic balance wheel, S/N 316677, Breguet hairspring and Swiss made index regulator for making the movement faster and slower. The regulator is marked with both English and French initials. Movement is marked, “VW (Vertex watch) in a small cameo adjacent to the regulator, Swiss Made, 15 jewels” and the ratchet wheel engraved ‘VERTEX’ twice. This Vertex movement was made as early as 1939 and apparently by 1953 revue began to put its name on such movements.
CONDITION:
Case – In very good condition with only very minimal surface scratches on the cover.
Dial - In excellent condition.
Movement – Clean, original, genuine and likely functional.
HISTORY:
Vertex SA. was also known as Vertex Watches, Ltd. of London, Aureole and Vertex SA of Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland. Model names included John Bull watch, Vertex Allproof, & Vertex Supreme. In 1920 the company was known as the Vertex & Aureole Company. By 1953 revue had used their movements under the Vertex name. Revue was made by Thommen, a large Swiss watch manufacturer. In 1973 Vertex Revue was listed as being owned by Thommen while Vertex, Vertex Allproof and Vertex Supreme were listed as brands of Vertex Watches Ltd of London.
COMPARABLES:
https://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/93882768_a-1930s-9ct-gold-vertex-pocket-watch-466-grams (9K GOLD VERTEX SOLD IN 2020 FOR $441)
https://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/69209674_an-open-face-pocket-watch-by-vertex-9ct-yellow-gold (9k gold open face Vertex sold in 2019 for $414)
https://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/66657586_vertex-9ct-gold-pocket-watch (9k gold demi-hunter case Vertex sold in 2018 for $425)
https://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/60633154_an-open-face-pocket-watch-by-vertex-9ct-yellow-gold (9 karat gold hunting case sold for $358 in 2018)
PRICING:
This is a fine and handsome pocket watch made in Switzerland for distribution by the Saudi Oil Company as a departing gift to your grandfather for two decades of work. The fair market value of such a 14k gold pocket watch in fine condition today would be in the $500-$600 range with a retail value about twice that amount.
I hope this appraisal is of help to you in understanding the watch and its maker. It is a fine family heirloom to keep clean and in running condition. Of course, you need to understand that if the Saudis chose to use the top of the line watch companies to reward their workers, such as Patek Philippe, Vacheron, Audemars, Rolex, etc., as they did for visiting dignitaries, it would have a good deal more value on the watch market. But, I assume the real value to you is the fact that it belonged to your grandfather, and that is as it should be. I hope you continue to enjoy this fine watch.
Thank you for choosing mearto.com for this appraisal.
My best,
David