Calling all Pocket Watch Buffs

ghce · May 3, 2026

Just purchased this one last night, don't normally buy Swiss PW's unless they have have good brand name chops and this brand meant nothing to me and even looking online I was very Ho-Hum about it https://www.time2tell.com/en/history-of-the-brands/551-the-true-story-of-postala-watches.html section 3 on this web page However one of the competing bidders gave me pause as they are a very well known Omega and high end watch retailer and repairer in this country so my interest became piqued, then another bidder a fellow collector and watch flipper, maybe they knew something I don't, which was extremely likely as I dont know a whole lot about Swiss PW's other than the big flashing red light in my head that says AVOID AVOID!
Anyway its a 0.800 Silver cased watch with a patent regulator and either 16 or 17 jewels ( those cheeky Swiss skimp out on the bottom center wheel Jewel ) and it looks ok in a modernist Swiss looking way ( not my cup of tea ) but Ill say it again, its got a Silver case so some intrinsic value there.

Seller pics as wont be here for a few days, they say its working and the seller is a good one I have bought many PW's and watches from before ( nice people).

Canuck · May 3, 2026

Good looking Swiss watch. I am unable to read the decimal stamp, but likely .800 (coin silver). Barley corn finish on the case back is hardly worn. Likely means the watch was not worn much. Looks to be a blued steel hairspring (not non-ferrous alloy), and the balance wheel is bi-metallic, temperature compensating. So, early to mid 1920s?

ghce · May 3, 2026

Canuck
Good looking Swiss watch. I am unable to read the decimal stamp, but likely .800 (coin silver). Barley corn finish on the case back is hardly worn. Likely means the watch was not worn much. Looks to be a blued steel hairspring (not non-ferrous alloy), and the balance wheel is bi-metallic, temperature compensating. So, early to mid 1920s?

Yes mid 20's would be my guess too, they are often referred to as Rail Road from what I can see on Google but I am pretty skeptical of that, certainly not in the US / Canada! though it has 24 hour markings on the dial but nothing of note on the movement itself.
Does look to be a nice clean example.
I think the seller gets a lot of estate stuff in particular coins, jewelry and watches but they are as far as I can see not scrappers but genuine antique dealers so I am always happy to give this seller my business.

bobertdob · May 5, 2026

watchmann44232
I started with small Elgin (womens?). Because I had no connection to the brand previously I rationalized this is a good specimen to start from a clean slate. And, one appeared online that ticked many boxes: hunting case, pre-1900 with roman numerals on the dial, moon hands, movement mid-grade(ish?), felt good about the looks, and the price wasn't too bad. Unlike a lot of people who appear to be selling grandpas old pocket watches, this gentleman after some messaging appeared to be a collector downsizing (having purchased this watch some ~20 years a go via EBay from US seller).

Please see below the pictures (sellers, it arrived but I'm out of town too). I've been 'dissecting' the watch as follows while learning where to draw information on various characteristics.

Movement serial/grade: 3746817 (Elgin grade: 67, 15 jewels, 1890) [serial]

Case type, size: Hunting, 6s/40.8mm (64.3g), gold filled

Dial: Single Sunk / Enamel / some uneven discolouration [dial]

Hands: Moon [hands]

Case: Dueber [dueber][wikipedia]

Observations: The dial has this 'robot(ish)' figurine around Elgin text - only found a couple of women's Elgin's via google images that had similar figure (but not the same). Also, I'm thinking the moon hands are little early, but then again internet tells me they were around at 1890s. I didn't look too hard on this because I've realised I really like the moon hands!

I suppose other than obviously period incorrect case, there are no easy ways to tell if the watch has been re-cased?

One down. I am feeling pretty good about this right now. Also my wife gave it a pass. I hope I didn't miss anything too obvious here...

[serial] https://pocketwatchdatabase.com/search/result/elgin/3746817
[dial] https://mb.nawcc.org/wiki/Encyclopedia-Subjects/American-Pocket-Watches/Pocket-Watch-Dials
[hands] https://pocketwatchdatabase.com/reference/hands
[dueber] https://pocketwatchdatabase.com/guide/case-companies/dueber-watch-case-mfg-co
[wikipedia] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dueber-Hampden_Watch_Company

bobertdob · May 5, 2026

Nice watch and excellent documentation of its features. The only thing I think you need to document is that it does not use the Elgin patented Moseley Regulator system which even for a 6 size pocket watch I would have thought would be there as its indicative of a higher class ie 15 jewel
movement. Good Job!!

G___ · May 5, 2026

I'm not a pw collector, myself, but every now and again I see one that is too nice and too cheap; especially as so many are works of art on the movement side.

This Longines with Mappin & Webb Jewelers dual-branding (dial and movement) caught my eye and followed me home from an auction. Gold filled case made here in Toronto. Movement serial decodes to 1925. M&W is a UK store but it seems plausible they had a Canadian branch at one time that continued as "Mappins" until a few years ago.

Needed some hand clearance adjustment, but it wound and worked!

My dilemma with pws is always "what do I do with it after I admire it". I owned it for less than 24 hours and it went, at an NWACC Chapter meeting, to a watchmaker memeber of our chapter.

Canuck · May 5, 2026

G___
I'm not a pw collector, myself, but every now and again I see one that is too nice and too cheap; especially as so many are works of art on the movement side.

This Longines with Mappin & Webb Jewelers dual-branding (dial and movement) caught my eye and followed me home from an auction. Gold filled case made here in Toronto. Movement serial decodes to 1925. M&W is a UK store but it seems plausible they had a Canadian branch at one time that continued as "Mappins" until a few years ago.

Needed some hand clearance adjustment, but it wound and worked!

My dilemma with pws is always "what do I do with it after I admire it". I owned it for less than 24 hours and it went, at an NWACC Chapter meeting, to a watchmaker memeber of our chapter.

My wife and I were in Montreal in 1967 (Expo 67). We were on St. Catharine’s Street where we happened upon a splendid building with the Mappin & Webb name on a bronze plaque. I don’t know if Mappin & Webb had more than one store in Canada, but by 1962, they sold to People’s Jewellers. The Webb name was dropped, and Mappins expanded across Canada. I ran a Mappins store for 10 years, and it closed in 1990. There are no longer any Mappins stores in Canada. Mappin & Webb is still in business in England.

bobertdob · May 5, 2026

G___
I'm not a pw collector, myself, but every now and again I see one that is too nice and too cheap; especially as so many are works of art on the movement side.

This Longines with Mappin & Webb Jewelers dual-branding (dial and movement) caught my eye and followed me home from an auction. Gold filled case made here in Toronto. Movement serial decodes to 1925. M&W is a UK store but it seems plausible they had a Canadian branch at one time that continued as "Mappins" until a few years ago.

Needed some hand clearance adjustment, but it wound and worked!

My dilemma with pws is always "what do I do with it after I admire it". I owned it for less than 24 hours and it went, at an NWACC Chapter meeting, to a watchmaker memeber of our chapter.

Beautiful pocket watch!..... another Mappins & Webb sold a week ago up in the Thessalon auction.
Are you talking about the Chapter 33 event last sunday. If the same event you likely sold it to Lothar who is collecting European these days. I bought an unusual Tavannes on Sunday as well. A bit of a impulsive buy as the movement is quite different from my Canadian Graham and MacKay Tavannes private label. The dial instead of being inscribed Tavannes says Le Tavannes and minimal information on the 3/4 plate 16 Size movement....had to have it!!

gilb12 · May 6, 2026

Waltesefalcon
Last year I bought this Columbus Railway King, at the time it was in a badly worn open face gold filled case I bought an Illinois Model 2 Grade 2 in a plain coin silver hunting case to swap the cases on (the Illinois is in the old worn case the Columbus came in) but I remembered I had this case squirreled away. The only problem was that it was missing a bezel. After talking to a member over on the NAWCC forum I was directed to Bill Eichholz in Florida who provided the bezel for this one and did some case repair on another of my watches. Anyway, I am happy to have this watch in this 4 oz coin silver Chicago case.

Oh my God 😲😲

Waltesefalcon · May 6, 2026

gilb12
Oh my God 😲😲

Thanks.

Duracuir1 · May 6, 2026

From my maternal grandfather, who died years before I was born.

A very nice match for my Illinois.

And thanks for the post about your broken lanyards Canuck. If Dave’s broke, mine could too.

Leather is rarely perfect.

G___ · May 7, 2026

bobertdob
Beautiful pocket watch!..... another Mappins & Webb sold a week ago up in the Thessalon auction.
Are you talking about the Chapter 33 event last sunday. If the same event you likely sold it to Lothar who is collecting European these days. I bought an unusual Tavannes on Sunday as well. A bit of a impulsive buy as the movement is quite different from my Canadian Graham and MacKay Tavannes private label. The dial instead of being inscribed Tavannes says Le Tavannes and minimal information on the 3/4 plate 16 Size movement....had to have it!!

Ha, you know the C33 crowd and Ontario markets. I actually chatted to Lothar about converting it to a ww and his advice was to find one with a higher grade movement (only 15 jewels, not worth the money to convert). It went to another member who is a watch maker and jewellery.

We may even have spoken, I was trying to hawk various watches and parts.

Re the Thessalon auction: I've got some non-PWs coming from that auction, including an overlooked Gallet chrono and Lanco Fon alarm watch.

G___ · May 7, 2026

Canuck
My wife and I were in Montreal in 1967 (Expo 67). We were on St. Catharine’s Street where we happened upon a splendid building with the Mappin & Webb name on a bronze plaque. I don’t know if Mappin & Webb had more than one store in Canada, but by 1962, they sold to People’s Jewellers. The Webb name was dropped, and Mappins expanded across Canada. I ran a Mappins store for 10 years, and it closed in 1990. There are no longer any Mappins stores in Canada. Mappin & Webb is still in business in England.

Thank you! I was trying to get to the bottom of Mappin & Webb in Canada and all I could find is that People's owned them and shut them down.

watchmann44232 · May 7, 2026

bobertdob
Nice watch and excellent documentation of its features. The only thing I think you need to document is that it does not use the Elgin patented Moseley Regulator system ...

Thank You for this. Another lesson learned. So it appears the watch owners were actually using the regulator to adjust the watch themselves as well (vs. only being done by watchmaker during service). I think I've been conditioned not to poke or fiddle with the movements so this might get some getting used to...

And for completeness sake, below is link to PWDB listing known Elgin regulators.

https://pocketwatchdatabase.com/guide/company/elgin/regulators

bobertdob · May 7, 2026

gilb12
Oh my God 😲😲

G___
Ha, you know the C33 crowd and Ontario markets. I actually chatted to Lothar about converting it to a ww and his advice was to find one with a higher grade movement (only 15 jewels, not worth the money to convert). It went to another member who is a watch maker and jewellery.

We may even have spoken, I was trying to hawk various watches and parts.

Re the Thessalon auction: I've got some non-PWs coming from that auction, including an overlooked Gallet chrono and Lanco Fon alarm watch.

bobertdob · May 7, 2026

Interesting note exchange. We are both local as per the chapter 33 affiliation and of similar inclinations re pocket watches. Lothar is an artist supreme rejuvenating 19th century watches or refabricating them into 20th century masterpieces...Im considering my 23 J 12S Waltham Riverside maximus. On the Thessalon auctions they have recently liquidated a huge pocket watch collection from many many years ago...I just got a National pre Elgin, Waltham 1857 in 15 J and a CRTS in their auction a week ago....Hello!!!!

bobertdob · May 8, 2026

Duracuir1
From my maternal grandfather, who died years before I was born.

A very nice match for my Illinois.

And thanks for the post about your broken lanyards Canuck. If Dave’s broke, mine could too.

Leather is rarely perfect.

I too just got a nice Illinois pocket watch with a leather case I haven't seem before.....its an 18 Size 11Jewel key wind key set watch made about 1886 and it came in a very well used black leather pocket case. The leather case can't be as old as the watch and it would have been nice to have something on the back of the leather case to attach to my belt versus sticking in my jeans but the watch is a big watch at 18 Size and the case weighs in at 4 ounces of coin silver.

Canuck · May 8, 2026

The PWDB info on the model 1 Illinois pocket watch posted by @bobertdob .

https://pocketwatchdatabase.com/search/result/illinois/713630

Waltesefalcon · May 8, 2026

Model 1s are great watches, congratulations!

bobertdob · May 9, 2026

Canuck
The PWDB info on the model 1 Illinois pocket watch posted by @bobertdob .

https://pocketwatchdatabase.com/search/result/illinois/713630

Thank you I should have done that. I routinely run a PWDB review of all my new pocket watch acquisitions and log them into my collection journal...I have been particularly busy over the last two weeks as two large auction acquisitions plus the spoils from the Chapter 33 Toronto invitational last Sunday. This Illinois in the leather case was one of three I recently acquired the other two being 18S 15J one being a key wind and the other a Stem wind beautiful Gold Filled Hunter. The Best of the Bunch however is a very early Elgin under the National Watch Company name from 1871 being an 18S 15J KWKS H.Z.Culver Series 1 Grade 62 variation in a 4 oz coin silver case...Adjusted Yes Railroad No. Running but with the accumulated dirt of being idle for well over a hundred years. The patina is just black and will be going in for a cleaning in a few weeks....
https://pocketwatchdatabase.com/search/result/elgin/68346