Silver J.W. Benson O/F Top Wind Lever P/W 1890

Silver J.W. Benson Open Faced Top Wind Lever Pocket Watch 1890

Exquisite silver J.W. Benson open faced key wind pocket watch, hallmarked for London 1890 and is in a very good working condition.
Dial: The white enamel dial has black Roman numerals , blued hands and an subsidiary inner sunken second’s dial at the six. The dial is signed: “J.W. Benson, London”. 
Case: The watch is lying in a silver open faced case. The back of the case is slightly scratched. The inside of the case and the inside of the plain silver cuvette are numbered: 86x, are hallmarked for London 1890 and have the case maker’s initials: J.W.B. What makes this watch exclusive is that the case maker’s initials are J.W.B. which stands for J.W. Benson. It is very exclusive to have a watch with the case and watch maker the same person. 
Movement: The three-quarter plate lever movement is in a very good working order. It is signed: “The “Ludgate” Watch. J.W. Benson, Patent No 4658, Best London Make, By Warrant to H.M. the Queen, Ludgate Hill, London.” The movement number is: 59232. 
Signed: J.W. Benson -  Diameter: 51mm - weight: 135gr -   circa: 1890.
J.W. Benson was a prestigious London watchmaking firm founded in the mid-19th century, evolving from a partnership (S.S. & J.W. Benson) into one of Britain’s most respected horological names. Officially trading as J.W. Benson from 1856, the company built a reputation for high-quality watches, clocks, and fine jewellery. Benson held royal warrants, including Queen Victoria (1879), and served as watchmaker to the Admiralty, reflecting its elite status.
After James William Benson’s death in 1878, his sons expanded the business, transforming it into a limited company in 1891 and opening a steam-powered factory at Belle Sauvage Yard. There, Benson produced notable watch lines such as The Field, The Bank, and The Ludgate.
Following wartime bombing in WWI, in-house manufacturing ceased, and Benson shifted to retailing watches using Swiss movements. The company traded until 1973, when the name was sold to Garrards, cementing Benson’s legacy in British horology.