I'm posing this on behalf of my mum. Here's the imgur link for pictures: http://imgur.com/a/JfM43
"My husband recently acquired his grandfather's pocket watch from his mother's estate and we are wondering about its origins. I have been scouring the internet off and on for a while but have not been able to find any clues. The watch appears to be silver (although it is hard to tell because the casing is almost black), with a brass plate on the 'winding panel' which contains the name G. Raymond and what appears to be a serial number, as you can see from the pictures. However, I have not been able to find a G. Raymond on the internet and from reading writings on historical watch websites I see that he could possibly have been the seller and not had anything to do with the manufacturing of the watch. I am also stumped by the hallmarks on the inside casing opposite the watch face. I have looked at so many that I am crossed-eyed but have not found a crown with a cross on top and the number 8 below, nor an anchor within a triangle and the initials J and F. Could these be false? There are also what appears to be some very small numbers on the rim but if I could see them I would be a modern medical marvel!
I believe my husband's grandfather, a rather disciplined caretaker on the estate of a wealthy Ontario man, acquired the watch as a gift sometime before or shortly after the first World War.
I would be most grateful for any information you may be able to provide as my husband treasures it. As we get older we are finding that we know far less about our heritage than we should or thought we did."
I am by no means a historian, but as a horologist and watch collector, active in /r/watches and /r/pocketwatch, I've encountered quite a few of these watches and would like to shed some light on yours.
The watch probably has a 15 jewel, Swiss lever movement, made in Le Locle in the late 1800s (ca 1880-1900), mass produced for export primarily to the North American market, generally without any indication of a manufacturer.
The hallmarks on the watch case would be used by the sellers as a marketing tactic to convince the customer of the quality of the watch. If it were silver, one would see the case marked Sterling, Coin, 925, 900, or 800.
The pictures show that the engraving G. Raymond is slightly cruder than the other engravings- perhaps not even aligned. This perhaps may indicate a previous owner of the watch, or perhaps nothing at all.
Nevertheless, this watch, when new, 2-4 weeks wages for an average laborer. It would have been an excellent gift of a disciplined caretaker.
Hey! I have a very similar watch (I recognized the engraving) I inherited from a relative. I'm the process of moving, but I'll try to find it! PM me and let's try to figure this out!