Here we have a rare example of a 1920s Excelsior Park Rugby Timer, Referee stopwatch. It is a very stylish wristwatch, fashioned as a 40-minute timer, in trench watch style, with onion crown and wire lugs. It has the white enamel dial with 40 minute graduation and Rugby signing. It has a large minute hand centrally mounted, with sub-seconds at 6. To the right is the onion style crown with the stop/start lever slide below. The wire lugs are beautifully executed. The case back is hinged, exposing the manual wind 15 jewel movement. 
 
This is an excellent historic piece that would have been used by a Rugby referee in the 1920s. 
 
Wrist timers were uncommon prior to the 1960s. It is also uncommon for a timer to be modelled as a wristwatch, with a modified wristwatch movement. 
Football examples with 45 minutes marked are more commonly seen, including in pocket watch form. This appears to be the only 40-minute Rugby timing version to appear on the market. 
 
It follows the design and movement calibre used by Excelsior Park in other examples of timing watches. 
Excelsior Park officially came into existence in 1918 through to 1983. They manufactured a range of stopwatches, branded watches and watch movements, for brands such as Gallet, Girard-Perregaux and Zenith. They focused on timing movements, including stopwatches and chronographs and were successful in the post-war period. 
 
Prior to this the company was part of the Jeanneret watchmaking dynasty, known as Jeanneret-Brehm. By 1902 the Exelsior name was registered for 18 and 19 ligne chronograph movements, with the brand also producing “Compteurs de sport”, 30-minute stopwatches. 
 
In 1911, Jeanneret-Brehm purchased the Magnenat-LeCoultre factory in Saint-Imier, with financial aid from Gallet. The name “Park”, was added to Excelsior at the suggestion of Gallet, to make the product more accessible to English speaking buyers. 
 
The white enamel dial is in exceptional condition, with no marking, hairline fractures or chips. It is a bright white tone, with the clear signing. It is marked ‘Rugby’ below 12 with a 40 minute counter around the exterior. The 40 is marked in red for clarity and to signify the halfs end. The sub-second dial is at 6 O’clock, with clear single second graduations and Arabic 10 second markers. The centre of the dial is a balanced design with the circular line around the Rugby text. To the base, the dial is signed ‘Swiss Made’.
The minute hand is centrally mounted and is a broad design. It is thermally blued and is bright, shining in an electric blue tone in the light. The sub-second hand is also broad in its design and has the same thermally blued finish. 
 
The case is formed of nickel and is in very good condition for the age, with a good shine. It is well sized, measuring 35mm x 35mm, with a depth of 12mm and a large lug-to-lug measurement of 44mm. These measurements, combined with the larger than typical 14mm lug width, make this an impressive piece. 
The front is snap on and holds the bevelled glass. It is engraved ‘Go on’ and ‘Stop’ which corresponds to the slide that pauses and restarts the balance wheel. To the right-hand side is the large, original onion crown which is eye-catching. Below is the stop start slide.
The lug design is also eye-catching and is of a less common design for wire lugs, with the central bow holding the wire. 
The rear has a hinged case back, which when opened reveals the movement. The inside of the case is signed with the serial number ‘510708’. 
 
The movement has a jewel count of 15 and is manually wound. It is a wristwatch movement that has been converted to take a broad minute hand to the centre. It also has the addition of the wire hook which is controlled by the slide on the side. When depressed, the hook extends and touches the balance, stopping it. When released it allows the balance to continue moving. The allows accurate time keeping, whilst also allowing for stoppages and injuries.
The movement is keeping time to within -200 seconds a day. It has not been serviced. This gain barely effects the watch across a 40-minute timing period.
 
Please see the images as these compliment and aid the description provided below.
A further condition report is below.
 
Dial: 
The dial is formed of enamel and is in very good original condition. There are no fractures, cracks, chips or hairline marks. It is very well preserved. The railroad track is clear, with the clear signing and sub-seconds.
 
Hands: 
The minute hand and second hand are original and very good. They are thermally blued, with an excellent, bright finish which shines in the light. 
 
Glass: 
The glass is original, with the bevelled edge and is in excellent condition.
 
Crown: 
The onion style crown is original and is a good silver tone. It is in very good condition.
 
Case:
The case is formed of Nickel and is in very good original condition. It has a snap on front, with the central piece having the wire lugs. It has the hinged case back. The case has light surface scratching associated with age. 
 
Caseback:
The hinged back is formed of nickel in good condition. It has some slight marking. It closes tightly and the hinge is good.
 
Strap: 
The watch comes on a new genuine leather strap for fixed bar lugs. 
 
Movement: 
The movement is a manual wind calibre, with a jewel count of 15 and a frequency of 18,000 BPH. 
 
The movement service history is unknown. It’s keeping time to within +200 seconds a day, with an amplitude of 200 degrees and a beat error of 0.8 m/s.
 
Case dimensions:
Case width: 35mm
Case width with crown: 38mm 
Case length: 35mm 
Case length lug to lug: 44mm
Case Depth: 12mm
Lug width: 14mm