Jewellery, Watches, Antiquities and Objects of Vertu

British Military: An open faced pocket watch, by W. Ehrhandt, London, circa 1900, the signed white enamel dial with black Roman numerals, outer minutes track and subsidiary seconds dial, the ¾ plate movement numbered ‘D28617’, within a white metal case with screw down back, bearing British military issue broad arrow pheon and numbered ‘A28617’, and similarly numbered to the side of the case, watch diameter 55mm. £150-£200

In 1900 the British military were engaged in conflict in the Second Boer War (1899-1902) in South Africa.


William Ehrhardt (1831-1897) was born in Germany, and served a watch making apprenticeship there before moving to England in 1851. After working with a London watchmaker, Ehrhardt set up a watch making factory in Birmingham - his aim was to make watches by using machinery as opposed to traditional watch makers. When William died in 1897, his sons William and Gustav Victor carried on the business; by this time the company was producing some 500 watches per week. The company continued to trade until 1924 so was in fact one of the last English watch manufacturers.

For a similar example see: Wesolowski, Z. M., A Concise Guide to Military Timepieces, 1880-1980, Crowood Press, 1996, p21.