Roy Cecil King began his career at the age of 14 as an apprentice goldsmith and diamond mounter in Hatton Garden. Foreman of a workshop at 21 in the 1930s, he found himself an unaccredited manufacturer for names such as Rolex, Cartier, Asprey and Garrard
The Roy King workshop won two first prizes, a second and a third at the British Modern Jewellery Exhibition in 1961. The winning pieces are now in the permanent collection of Goldsmith’s Hall
Alongside the esteemed Anglo-Italian jeweller Andrew Grima, King was a pioneer of the ‘Bark Effect’, a desirable finish that lead to the acquisition of his pieces by celebrities such as Tom Jones and George Harrison, with Pattie Boyd (Harrison’s then wife) wearing one of King’s wedding bands to their ceremony
This immaculate, Sterling Silver gilt example was assayed in London in 1973, bearing crisp, clear hallmarks on the case-back. I was delighted to find a ‘King’ of this age boasting such exquisite gilding, a sign the piece was taken great care of and worn sparingly
The original pressed leather strap is in superb condition, with the only noticeable sign of wear being to the underside of the authentic gilded buckle
The spotless white dial carries black Roman numerals, a ‘Chemin de Fer’ minute track, elegant ‘Lozenge’ hands and, of course, the signature of the ‘Saviour of Sterling’ himself
The stepped bezel remains in superb condition and the original synthetic crystal bears not a single mark
Powered by a Swiss-made, Bueche-Girod hand-wound movement, the watch keeps fantastic time and has a very decent power reserve
A truly unusual piece that I know its new owner will enjoy just as much as I have
Case diameter - 32mm excluding crown
Lug width - 16mm
Strap length including head - 210mm
