Here we have a beautiful example of a 1917 Mappin & Webb Silver Borgel case trench style wristwatch. It has a well-proportioned 33.5mm case, measured without the crown. The silver Borgel case has a beautiful coin edge bezel which holds the flat glass. The large silver onion style crown is well designed and easy to use. To the top and bottom are the original thick wire lugs which are sturdy. The white enamel dial is bright, with the railroad track, clear arabic numerals and sub-second dial at 6. It is signed with the ‘Mappin & Webb’ name. The thermally blued Cathedral hands have aged tone luminous in-fill, matching the hours. The case is signed to the rear with the fascinating engraving “Low Casualty Rate, Safety First 1935 K.B.Wood, Nourse Mines”. Inside the case has the Borgel signing, Charles Nicolet makers mark and Swiss hallmarking. The movement is an IWC calibre 64 which has been recently serviced.
 
The enamel dial is clean, clear and classic, in its bright white tone. It has the ‘Mappin & Webb’ name proudly signed below 12. It has the black railroad track to the exterior for the minutes, with the diamond shaped indexes at 12, 3, 6 and 9. It has the bold Arabic numerals with the aged tone luminous paint. The sub-seconds register is sunken into the dial at 6 O’clock. It has railroad track with Arabic 10 second graduations, 5 second dashes and single second marks. The second’s hand is original with the diamond shaped counterbalance and the bright thermally blued tone.
The hour and minute hands are of Cathedral style and are also thermally blued. The tone is excellent, shifting to an electric blue in the light. They are in-set with the aged tone radium luminous paint.
 
The case measures 33.5mm x 33.5mm which makes this a well-proportioned watch. The crown adds significant presence with its size, taking the total width to 38.5mm. The lugs also add durther presence, extending from the case and taking the total length to 40mm. With a depth of 11.5mm, this is a neat watch sitting nicely on the wrist.
 
It is a patented Borgel screw case which was innovative, providing protection against dust and moisture. The case is formed of a solid section with the fixed wire lugs. The movement fits within a threaded carrier ring with the bezel and glass fitting over the top. This is then screwed into the case, creating a seal. The crown and stem require removal for the case to screw and un-screw. With this watch the crown is removed by unscrewing the screw in the end, allowing the crown and stem to come free. This is an unusual system, as is the fact that it is crown wind and set. Normally the hands are pin set below the crown.
 
Inside the case has the ‘FB’ mark with the serial number ‘720987’. It also has Swiss hallmarking for silver, signalled by the bear, with the ‘0.935’ fineness mark. It also has the markers mark ‘CN’, which stands for Charles Nicolet (Stauffer & Co). Stauffer & Co were the U.K. importer of IWC, amongst other brands. 
 
The movement is an IWC calibre 64 which is a savonnette (hunter) movement. The calibre was used in all IWC watches up until 1915, due to its compact size and the dial layout with crown at 3 and sub-seconds at 6. It is a manual wind movement, with a jewel count of 15. The jewels are set in screwed chatons. It has a frequency of 18,000 BPH. It has a Breguet overcoil hair spring and benefits from Geneva stopwork on the mainspring.
 
The movement has been recently serviced and is in good condition. It’s keeping time to within +/-30 seconds a day, with an amplitude of 350 degrees and a beat error of 1.1m/s.
 
Mappin & Webb:
Mappin & Webb is an international jewellery company headquartered in England, tracing its origins to a silver workshop, founded in Sheffield in 1775, which eventually became Mappin Brothers.
 
Mappin & Webb expanded internationally in the 1890s. It first overseas store was established in Johannesburg in 1915, with their new built property becoming a city landmark. The store was closed in 1959 due to import controls imposed in South Africa. 
 
Nourse Mines:
The Nourse Gold Mines were located in the vicinity of Johannesburg, in South Africa. They were known for their significant production output. 
 
There is a rich history behind South Africa’s gold mining industry at the Nourse Deep Gold Mine, located in the Witwatersrand region. The mine was part of the larger Witwatersrand goldfields and was a significant contributor to South Africa’s mining industry during the late 1800s and early 1900s. The discovery of gold in the area in 1886 sparked a gold rush, leading to the establishment of numerous mines and the industry as a whole. 
 
The watch acts as a poignant reminder of the human endeavour and the transformative impact of mining as an industry. It also highlights the harsh realities of mining life and the risks associated with the pursuit of mineral wealth.
 
By the mid 1930s, it seems preservation of life was a priority with the ‘Safety First’ motto engraved to the rear. This seems far removed from the use of child labour and gung-ho conditions of the late 1800s-early 1900s. 
 
Please see the images as these compliment and aid the description provided below. A further condition report is below.
 
Dial: 
The dial is original and is good condition for the age. It is formed of enamel and has the bright white finish. It has some fine hairline marks below 12 O’clock. The railroad track is good with the clear arabic numerals. The numerals have had a modern aged luminous applied. The sub-second dial signing is good and clear. The Mappin & Webb name is good and clear.
 
Hands: 
The hands are original and are in good condition. They are of cathedral style and are thermally blued. They have a bright thermally blued tone which shines in the light. They have been re-lumed with an aged tone. The sub-second hand is also original.
 
Glass: 
The glass is a period replacement which has some slight wear, matched to the wear of the watch.
 
Crown: 
The crown is original and is in good condition with light marking associated with age. It has the original screw holding it in place.
 
Case:
The case is formed of silver and is in good original condition. It is the Borgel design with the coin edge screw bezel movement carrier and solid outer case. The bezel is in good condition with the defined coin edge. It has some marks associated with age. The case is good with the polished finish and light scratching. The lugs are original, good and thick. They have some bending associated with age.
 
Caseback:
The solid case back is in good original condition with light surface scratching. It has the presentation engraving “Low Casualty Rate, Safety First 1935 K.B.Wood, Nourse Mines”.
 
Inside of case back:
The Inside of the case back is in good condition for the age, with the screw thread also good. It has slight marking with age. It has service etchings and Swiss hallmarking for silver with the Borgel signing.