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Calling all Pocket Watch Buffs

ghce
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Kapka Kapka
I think that I just entered the pocket watch rabbit hole 😀 Must be those damn Peaky blinders.

Anyways, I just bought my first real pocket watch and honestly I got it just because it looked like a beautiful piece. There were no movement info or pictures so it was kind of a shot in the dark. (Not that I know so much about pocket watch movements anyway) It arrived yesterday and I did some research. It seems to be quite good movement and it is sooo good looking 😎. According to pocket watch data base it is Illinois Special Bunn model 11 manufactured in 1918.

Let me know what you think.
I payed 150 EUR fot the notice.

20250214_110737.webp 20250214_110757.webp 20250214_105658.webp 20250214_105747.webp

This is exciting 😁
Cheers, Kapka
20250214_105628.webp
That was a good deal!

Simply a beautiful movement
 
Kapka
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Canuck Canuck
https://pocketwatchdatabase.com/search/result/illinois/3385147

The pocketwatchdatabase listing for that outstanding watch! Your Illinois checks all the boxes for even a knowledgeable, experienced collector! And buying it virtually blind, no less! That watch might be a grail watch for even an ardent Illinois collector. Well done!
Seriously 😳 I hit the random jackpot lol 😂. That's first time ever. Maybe I should collect pocket watches instead. Thanks a lot for the clarification. What makes this model so special besides "special" name? The production run is not that rare or? Is this possibly first batch of motor barrel? Found some interesting reading here https://ihc185.infopop.cc/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/8881029912/m/5301099323

It's a bit confusing because all 3 types described seems to be 60hrs version but mine is 48h according to specs you sent.

I'm sold 😀
 
Canuck
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The sixty-hour version has the movement clearly engraved as Sixty Hour as in the photo attached. Mine is the 21-jewel version. The word “Special” I suspect applied to all Bunn railroad grade pocket watch movements. Yours is from the 5th run of this model Illinois grade.

P2268606.webp
 
DaveK
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Kapka Kapka
Seriously 😳 I hit the random jackpot lol 😂. That's first time ever. Maybe I should collect pocket watches instead. Thanks a lot for the clarification. What makes this model so special besides "special" name? The production run is not that rare or? Is this possibly first batch of motor barrel? Found some interesting reading here https://ihc185.infopop.cc/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/8881029912/m/5301099323

It's a bit confusing because all 3 types described seems to be 60hrs version but mine is 48h according to specs you sent.

I'm sold 😀
Welcome to the club 😎
 
Canuck
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Kapka Kapka
Seriously 😳 I hit the random jackpot lol 😂. That's first time ever. Maybe I should collect pocket watches instead. Thanks a lot for the clarification. What makes this model so special besides "special" name? The production run is not that rare or? Is this possibly first batch of motor barrel? Found some interesting reading here https://ihc185.infopop.cc/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/8881029912/m/5301099323

It's a bit confusing because all 3 types described seems to be 60hrs version but mine is 48h according to specs you sent.

I'm sold 😀
The pocketwatchdatabase listing calls it 48 hour model. I see no confusion there.
 
Kapka
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Canuck Canuck
The sixty-hour version has the movement clearly engraved as Sixty Hour as in the photo attached. Mine is the 21-jewel version. The word “Special” I suspect applied to all Bunn railroad grade pocket watch movements. Yours is from the 5th run of this model Illinois grade.

P2268606.webp

I get it now, thanks a lot. So the 60h version is kind of next generation.

There is so much to read about these lovely watches. I'm just so stunned how beautiful this movement looks . The details are just incredible.
Final question?? Why is the case double signed Illinois & Elgin? Were they cooperating at that time? I know that Hamilton bought Illinois, but that was at the later stage.

Thanks, Kapka
 
Canuck
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The Illinois Watch Case Co. was not part of the Illinois Watch Co. The Elgin Watch Case Co. was not part of the Elgin Watch Co. Were they the same company with a name change? Or was your case made BY the Elgin Watch case company, but labelled FOR the Illinois Watch Co.? There’s only one place name for both……Elgin, Illinois. In short, your watch case was made by the Illinois Watch Case Co. (Elgin, Illinois), NOT the Illinois Watch Co. of Springfield, Ill.

From Warren Neibling’s book on American watch case makers, here is the trade mark for the Illinois Watch Case Co.

IMG_2931.webp
 
Canuck
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I rather suspect that the 48-hour version (yours) came before the 60-hour version. I have read that Hamilton had experimented with a version of a movement with 60-hour duration, but whether it got to the prototype stage, I don’t know. I suspect that Hamilton acquired Illinois because they wanted a 60-hour movement. But after they bought Illinois, they only produced the 60-hour movement as an Illinois version.
 
Kapka
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Canuck Canuck
The Illinois Watch Case Co. was not part of the Illinois Watch Co. The Elgin Watch Case Co. was not part of the Elgin Watch Co. Were they the same company with a name change? Or was your case made BY the Elgin Watch case company, but labelled FOR the Illinois Watch Co.? There’s only one place name for both……Elgin, Illinois. In short, your watch case was made by the Illinois Watch Case Co. (Elgin, Illinois), NOT the Illinois Watch Co. of Springfield, Ill.

From Warren Neibling’s book on American watch case makers, here is the trade mark for the Illinois Watch Case Co.

IMG_2931.webp

Wow, that didn't even strike me that the case company and watch company were not the same. Thanks for sharing you amazing knowledge. I feel like the whole new world is opening. After 12 years of collecting exclusively wrist watches I feel like I have to catch up fast 😀

This will for sure not be my last pocket watch. The aim is now set to find one 60h version of Bunn Special.

Many thanks for your help!
 
ghce
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Kapka Kapka
Wow, that didn't even strike me that the case company and watch company were not the same. Thanks for sharing you amazing knowledge. I feel like the whole new world is opening. After 12 years of collecting exclusively wrist watches I feel like I have to catch up fast 😀

This will for sure not be my last pocket watch. The aim is now set to find one 60h version of Bunn Special.

Many thanks for your help!
Damn beginners luck! Lol, you've started with a watch that many would class as being in the top 5 (Illinois) to collect and not in the US to boot.
 
Canuck
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You’ll find this forum to be one of the most interesting forums on the Omega Message Board. You’l find American, Swiss, and European watches here. Those of us interested in pocket watches have a wealth of information available to us, compiled by those who have gone before. Thanks to them! The very best source of knowledge concerning Illinois watches is the book by Bill Meggers and Roy Ehrhardt. Commonly referred to as “The Blue Book”. It is out of print, but it can be found for sale. If you need the ISBN number, I can get it for you. Let me know.

May your luck continue in your search for a Bunn 60-hour model. One thing I can say is that when you find one as nice as your new acquisition, you’ll find the price to be a LOT higher! You couldn’t possibly have such extremely good luck as you had when you found the one you have.
Edited:
 
pdxleaf
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Kapka Kapka
I think that I just entered the pocket watch rabbit hole 😀 Must be those damn Peaky blinders.


This is exciting 😁
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You got a beautiful watch there. Nice score.

Paid four times as much for mine with no regrets. Ten years older from 1908.

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Canuck
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I just did a currency conversion from € 150 to $ Canadian. That is $223.00 Canadian! That’s still one halavah bargain!
 
Kapka
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Canuck Canuck
I just did a currency conversion from € 150 to $ Canadian. That is $223.00 Canadian! That’s still one halavah bargain!
Lol, setting a new standard for pricing 😀 . My wife is Canadian and she still calculate in CAD even though she's been in EU for nearly 15 years. Since this discussion starten I feel like I'm open to pay 250 EUR for the next one 😀
 
Canuck
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Don’t get your hopes up that you’ll ever see such a beautiful piece at such a bargain price, ever again! The seller obviously didn’t know what they had, and simply wanted a quick sale! Their loss is your gain!
 
TexOmega
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Nifty Bunn, indeed, congratulations.

Inspired me to dig out a favorite.

Yours has the 4th rayed pattern and this 1902 version has the “gold inlaid circle” in yellow and pink gold. This model 6 was made only 1900-1902 and is the 3rd pattern.

Dial has their nifty Gothic pattern.

Keep an eye out, as shown already, many variations with these Bunn’s.

Many more previously posted in this thread.

IMG_6349.webp IMG_6348.webp
 
Kapka
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TexOmega TexOmega
Nifty Bunn, indeed, congratulations.

Inspired me to dig out a favorite.

Yours has the 4th rayed pattern and this 1902 version has the “gold inlaid circle” in yellow and pink gold. This model 6 was made only 1900-1902 and is the 3rd pattern.

Dial has their nifty Gothic pattern.

Keep an eye out, as shown already, many variations with these Bunn’s.

Many more previously posted in this thread.

IMG_6349.webp IMG_6348.webp
Those full plate movement are really cool. Is there any way to determine the grade of movement or quality based on the dial? Obviously classic RR style dials are signature I guess, but it seems like there are many dial variation for Bunn Special movements.
 
TexOmega
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Kapka Kapka
Those full plate movement are really cool. Is there any way to determine the grade of movement or quality based on the dial? Obviously classic RR style dials are signature I guess, but it seems like there are many dial variation for Bunn Special movements.


No, dials can be switched around after 100 years.......The Gothic font could date the dial, within 20-30 years, but it changed, also, even within the Gothic design.
 
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