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1069-NT1069 John Harwood Automatic Original Antique Watch

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DESCRIPTION: You will not find this often, especially in this condition: original silver dial with some patina, all work is depicted on the back of the case, great working condition and over 75 years old, probable original buckle (as it's stamped 9K), collectors dream, and at a price like we didn't know what we have. This is the original automatic watch, the one Rolex copied to create their "Oyster Perpetual" which swam the English Channel and became the most sought after watch in the world in the early 1930s, and still is! But, this is the original and John Harwood, the English creator, has become one of a handful of watchmaking geniuses who revolutionized watchmaking. This watch was created in the 1920's. We've seen several of these pieces in stainless steel, however, this is the first one in gold. It is made in 9K. rose gold which was the English standard at the time. And, of course, made for the Royal or Aristocratic market of the period. This innovative watch used a small weight inside the watch that would swing and bump back and forth racheting a small gear which wound the watch.  The watch had no crown and was set by rotating the bezel.  A special mechanism would disengage the watches automatic "bumper" movement, and engage the hands for setting.  When setting the watch, a white dot in the dial opening above the "6" appears.  Once set, the user would have to rotate bezel in the opposite direction, re-engaging the movement, and a red dot in the dial opening above the "6" appears, signalling the readiness of the movement. This magnificent watch measures approx. 30mm. across the bezel. We purchased it in Germany about 10 years ago from a watchmaker who deals and repairs old timepieces of quality, value and collectability. We have dealt with him for many years and know the quality of his merchandise. This is a rare, unique, collectable, and beautiful piece of art and history. This is the first time we have offered this rare piece. MORE ABOUT JOHN HARWOOD & CO. John Harwood, an English watchmaker, founded the Harwood watch company in the early 1920's.  Harwood had a vision of a new, more reliable wristwatch.  Recognizing that dust and dampness were decisive factors leading to most wrist watches inaccuracy and functional problems, Harwood looked to develop a watch with a winding mechanism inside the watch.  This would eliminate the need for an opening in the case for the winding shaft. A chance observation gave John Harwood a decisive idea.  Children playing on a see-saw gave him the idea for his legendary "self-winding mechanism". On 16th October 1923, John Harwood registered his invention at the Federal Office for Intellectual Property of the Swiss Confederation at Berne.  He had traveled to Switzerland (watchmaking center of the globe) to locate the perfect "technical conditions" to help him realize his invention.  On 1st September 1924, he was issued with patent No. 10 65 83 for this pioneering invention.  At the 1926 Basle Trade Fair Harwood exhibited the world's first automatic wristwatch in serial production. Based on his patent, the company produced watches through factories in Switzerland, London, France, and the US.  For the most part, the Harwood watch was produced and marketed to the public mainly between 1929 and 1931. The Harwood Watch company failed in 1931 and the patent expired. Rolex picked up his patent, further developed it, and the rest is history. Today, the Harwood Watch Co. is back in business producing watches with the same look and mechanism as the original. Mr. Harwood's design was so well constructed, nothing has changed. John Harwood has gone down in history as its pioneer.  In the universe of wristwatches, The HARWOOD is an important historical piece, and extremely sought after by collectors. PAYMENT POLICY: Credit Cards: We accept Visa/Mastercard, American Express and Discover Escrow: We use Escrow.com to process all of our escrow transactions. PayPal: PayPal users must be Verified and Confirmed. Regarding Paypal Payments: We will only ship to the PayPal confirmed address. It is a requirement of PayPal in order to meet their protection policy. By adhering to their safety regulations, we are able to conduct safer business and as a result sell our items at lower prices. Non-payment or late payment: Prompt payment is appreciated and benefits the buyer and the seller. The faster payment is made, the sooner the item can ship and the sooner the buyer can receive and begin enjoying their new purchase. Prompt payment also keeps our overhead low which translates into the low prices which you've come to expect from Nine Treasures. Regardless of which payment method is used, payment is considered on-time if it is received within 7 days of the auction closing date. Our margins are low and therefore our success depends on high-volume and fast-turnaround. We will be left with no choice but to return reserved items to stock if payment is not received within 7 days. As a winning bidder, you are probably aware that eBay has strict rules for both buyers and sellers. These rules are enforced to protect both buyers and sellers and to ensure a pleasurable eBay experience. At Nine Treasures, we comply with these policies 100% and ask that the buyer do the same. eBay's User Agreement clearly states that the high bidder is expected to honor their bid and is obligated to complete the transaction. We will enforce eBay's Non-Paying Bidder Policy as stated in their User Agreement. For details about eBay's Non-Paying Bidder Policy, click here SHIPPING POLICY: USA: When offered, 2-Day Air shipping is free within the continental United States. When "Best Offer" is used, standard shipping rates apply. We ship all of our items via FedEx, all fully insured. Overnight shipping is available upon request. Alaska and Hawaii please add an additional $12.50. Saturday Delivery is an additional $12.50 and is available upon request. Because shipments are insured, all packages require a signature upon delivery, so please be sure that a recipient is available to sign for the package as FedEx will not drop-off the package without a valid signature. International: All International shipments are made through FedEx and are fully insured. Please contact us to acquire accurate International shipping rates. We charge the actual shipping rate that Fedex charges us. Duties and taxes may be levied by the country of destination. RETURNS: If you are not 100% satisfied with an item, simply notify us within 3 days of receiving the item for a money back guarantee. Please inspect all our descriptions prior to bidding as there will be a restocking fee on all returned items. Shipping costs will not be refunded. All watches sold by Nine Treasures are genuine and authentic. All brands which Nine Treasures sells are registered trademarks of their respective trademark owners. Nine Treasures is not affiliated with any of these brands and is not an authorized dealer of any of these brands. SPECIALIZATION: We are members of the International Watch & Jewelry Guild (IWJG) We are gold star members of the Better Business Bureau (BBB) We specialize in luxury timepieces and name brand watches. We deal in high-quality fine jewelry, colored gemstones and signed pieces. We also deal in estate jewelry pieces, rare and unique items, custom jewelry, porcelain, ivory and fine art. WE BUY WATCHES AND JEWELRY. PLEASE CONTACT US FOR DETAILS View my other auctions Read my feedback reviews BIDDING: If there is something you like on our site, make us an offer! No reasonable offers will be refused. Please do not bid if you are not seriously interested in completing the purchase. We value all of our eBay clients and we are here to serve you. If you have less than 10 feedbacks please contact us before bidding to introduce yourself. We reserve the right to cancel bids at any time. We do not accept bids from Indonesia or Nigeria. CONTACT US: Please use the "Ask seller a question" link at the top of this listing Please feel free call us, toll free, at 1-866-747-0408 if you have any questions or concerns International callers, please dial 001-505-747-0408 If you are having trouble with the toll free line, call 505-747-0408. They both ring to the same place. Nine Treasures ©2009 Nine Treasures. All Rights Reserved. Auction Created Free at KD Web Page Design.