Glossary · Case & Dial
Sterling silver
Silver alloy of 92.5 per cent purity.
Explanation
Sterling silver is the British standard of 92.5% pure silver, marked with the lion passant in England. Sterling watch cases are softer than Continental 80% silver and show dents and hinge wear more readily. The lion passant, date letter, and office mark together date a British sterling case — one of the few reliable dating tools in watch collecting.
In the object catalogue
Catalogued objects whose own source record mentions “Sterling silver”. The quoted line shows where; it is the seller’s or museum’s wording, not independent verification.
Pocket watch
Pforzheimer, Dreyfus & Keller Fitch Patent Sterling Silver Pocket Watch Case #6175 with American Watch Co. Movement
“Pforzheimer, Dreyfus & Keller Fitch Patent Sterling Silver Pocket Watch Case #6175 with American Watch Co. Movement”
Pocket watch
Rare Diablotine Duplex Pocket Watch
“This pocket watch, dated by the seller to circa 1870, features an engraved sterling silver case reported at 55 mm in diameter. According to the seller, the watch houses a fully …”
Pocket watch
Gruen Yellow Gold Filled Art Deco Pocket Watch
“This Art Deco manual-winding pocket watch by Gruen dates from the 1920s and features an unusual pentagonal case crafted in yellow gold-filled metal. Designed to remain upright i…”
Pocket watch
C.H. Meylan Platinum and Diamond Open-Face Pocket Watch
“This open-face dress pocket watch by C.H. Meylan dates according to the seller to the early 1920s. It features an open-face tested platinum case measuring 42 mm in diameter excl…”
Pocket watch
English Consular Case Verge Fusée Pocket Watch by Windmills of London
“This early eighteenth-century English pocket watch, dated to circa 1710, is attributed to London clockmakers Joseph and Thomas Windmills. The timepiece features a sterling silve…”
Wristwatch
Swiss WW1 Sterling Silver Trench Watch c.1916
“Swiss WW1 Sterling Silver Trench Watch c.1916”