SILVER-LUG Blog

All British made silver products have a small stamp called a hallmark.
When it comes to pocket watches, the silver cases of British watches are also engraved.

European silver products have hallmarks, stamped with marks to certify purity, etc., and these are said to date back to the Eastern Roman Empire in the 4th century.
The British hallmark system was established by law during the reign of Edward I in the 14th century, and silver products were required to be sterling silver (92.5% purity).

"Salva" is a word that refers to a silver tray.
Among the trays (flat containers with a shallow bottom), only silver ones are called salva.
It was used by upper-class European families to carry cups and plates to the table, and by butlers to carry letters and cards to their masters.

I think that the image of a nursing care product for walking assistance is strong when it comes to walking sticks.
However, not only in medieval Europe, but also in Japan during the Meiji period, it was once an indispensable item for gentlemen's fashion.

Albert chain is a chain used to wear a pocket watch.

It is named after Prince Albert (1819-1861), husband of Queen Victoria of England (1837-1901).

It was developed not only for the practical purpose of attaching a pocket watch to clothing to prevent it from being dropped, but also as an accessory for British gentlemen to be worn stylishly.

A card case is a so-called "business card holder", but business cards in the antique era were not used for business as they are today, but were handed out at social occasions by people of the upper class.

Waltham is a watch manufacturer representing the United States. Waltham was a company that created the "American style" of mass production by automating the parts manufacturing process, and played an important role in the development of the watch industry not only in the United States but also in the world.

Tiffany & Co. is one of the world's top five jewelers, along with Cartier, Bvlgari, Harry Winston, and Van Cleef & Abel. Currently, it is a global brand with more than 200 stores in 20 countries around the world as well as the United States.

Longines is a long-established store with a particularly long history in Switzerland, the center of watchmaking in the world. Around 1910, it had more than 1,100 employees, and it is a manufacturer that represents Swiss watches, with railroad stations and roads for Longines.

All antique pocket watches are mechanical watches powered by mainsprings .
It does not use batteries like quartz watches and digital watches.
Power is generated by unwinding the winding spring little by little.

I will explain each of them including a video, including a little trick.

Silver is a very soft metal.
100% silver is too soft and easily scratched or dented, making it vulnerable to abrasion.
Also, if it is too soft, there is a disadvantage that it is difficult to process such as engraving.
Therefore, it is common to mix pure silver with other metals to make it easy to process and durable, and use it as a silver alloy.