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LesXL
·This arrived today... I must say, I'm quite pleased. Very attractive dial to my eyes.
Elgin Grade 315 size 12s 15j
Elgin Grade 315 size 12s 15j
Calling all Pocket Watch Buffs
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Fritz
·The dial on your Elgin. The decoration is called “jewelling”.The decorative bits are hand applied while the enamel was soft following the firing. When the dial had cooled, a coat of powdered clear glaze called “flux” was sprinkled on, and the dial fired again. If you catch the dial in a glancing light, you’ll see the decorative bits are “under-glaze.” They are completely submerged in the glaze.
Quite a decent Hamilton 992. Well done!
Any idea when these dials were popular and what they cost as an option? The thing its pretty much handmade so they can't have been cheap. I've only seen them in 18s so they must have been falling out of popularity by 1900.
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Canuck
·@Fritz ,
Your Elgin is a 12-size model. The pocket watch database.com indicates circa 1938. America 18-size pocket watches had fallen out of fashion by about 1915, followed by 16-size pocket watches by the early 1930s. Except for railroad watches, of course. Metal dials (yours) in my experience, have mostly been used on some 16-size watches and 12-size watches. The impression I get is that dials similar to yours are 20th century styles. Your dial was probably die-struck, not likely hand chased.
https://pocketwatchdatabase.com/search/result/elgin/37628839
Your Elgin is a 12-size model. The pocket watch database.com indicates circa 1938. America 18-size pocket watches had fallen out of fashion by about 1915, followed by 16-size pocket watches by the early 1930s. Except for railroad watches, of course. Metal dials (yours) in my experience, have mostly been used on some 16-size watches and 12-size watches. The impression I get is that dials similar to yours are 20th century styles. Your dial was probably die-struck, not likely hand chased.
https://pocketwatchdatabase.com/search/result/elgin/37628839
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Waltesefalcon
·If you ask @DaveK nicely he might make you a slightly narrower one that will fit those smaller bows easier.
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Alpha
··Kilt Owner, Beagle Parent, Omega CollectorAn old group shot from a time when I had a few pocket watches,
Pity about the image quality 🙁
Pity about the image quality 🙁
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Canuck
·I don’t see a Smiths in your image. Seems to me you have one, or more than one. I think we have made a pocket watch guy out of you!👍
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LesXL
·@Fritz ,
Your Elgin is a 12-size model. The pocket watch database.com indicates circa 1938. America 18-size pocket watches had fallen out of fashion by about 1915, followed by 16-size pocket watches by the early 1930s. Except for railroad watches, of course. Metal dials (yours) in my experience, have mostly been used on some 16-size watches and 12-size watches. The impression I get is that dials similar to yours are 20th century styles. Your dial was probably die-struck, not likely hand chased.
https://pocketwatchdatabase.com/search/result/elgin/37628839
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Canuck
·FWIW. It was King George III of England that championed John Harrison regarding enabling Harrison to receive final payment of his award for work on the marine chronometer. This followed the king’s trial of Harrison’s H-5 chronometer in his private observatory. H-5 was too large to be considered a pocket watch as it resembled his earlier H-4 which performed so well on sea trials. There is an excellent article on Wikipedia, in case you are interested. H-5 is pictured in the article.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Harrison
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Harrison
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Canuck
·In 1912, almost exactly 109 years ago to the day, the Titanic sank. In 1985, the site of its sinking was discovered. Since then, many artifacts have been retrieved from the site of the sinking. Several pocket watches have (purportedly) been retrieved. One of them appears to be a key winder, (without the winding crown) which appears to have a hallmark stamped on the pendant. So this one is likely English, in a coin silver case. The yellow coloured hunter case one has markings on the dial that appear to me to be typical of an English American Waltham pocket watch, likely in a Dennison case. Not enough detail on the third one to come to any conclusions.
Considering the fact that the wreck is submerged in miles of water, how it is that these weren’t absolutely crushed, might well be asked. Perhaps they filled with water as they descended, thereby equalizing the water pressure? Who knows?
View attachment 1204765
Considering the fact that the wreck is submerged in miles of water, how it is that these weren’t absolutely crushed, might well be asked. Perhaps they filled with water as they descended, thereby equalizing the water pressure? Who knows?
View attachment 1204765
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TexOmega
·circa 1926
Elgin 12s
GM Wheeler 6 adjustments movement
14kt gold Wadsworth Case either white or maybe green gold
Gold hands/numerals
Not as highly decorative inner dust cover as the Hamilton I posted recently.
Elgin 12s
GM Wheeler 6 adjustments movement
14kt gold Wadsworth Case either white or maybe green gold
Gold hands/numerals
Not as highly decorative inner dust cover as the Hamilton I posted recently.
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Canuck
·Sharp! Here’s the skinny on @TexOmega ’S Elgin.
https://pocketwatchdatabase.com/search/result/elgin/28982066
Most of the American watch companies applied people’s names to many of their models. The same grade of movement with the same features may be a numbered grade, or a named grade, with no difference between the grades. The people named may be a dealer, in which case the watch might be considered a “private label”. Or it may be the name of an investor, or an important person in the company. As an example, the Elgin B W Raymond name was applied to Elgin watches in 12, 16, and 18 size models, all except the 12-size ones, were of railroad grade. The B W Raymond name was also used on Elgin railroad standard wrist watches, when wrist watches were approved for use on railroads. B W Raymond was a one time mayor of Chicago who had a lot to do with Elgin getting the land the factory was built on. He also capitalized the company at start up.
I have read that G M Wheeler was secretary of the Elgin Watch Co. during start up. The G M Wheeler name was applied to many early 18-size, key wind models made back in the day when Elgin was called the National Watch Co. So, the name was in use for approximately 70 years, and may have been used on many different sizes of movements.
https://pocketwatchdatabase.com/search/result/elgin/28982066
Most of the American watch companies applied people’s names to many of their models. The same grade of movement with the same features may be a numbered grade, or a named grade, with no difference between the grades. The people named may be a dealer, in which case the watch might be considered a “private label”. Or it may be the name of an investor, or an important person in the company. As an example, the Elgin B W Raymond name was applied to Elgin watches in 12, 16, and 18 size models, all except the 12-size ones, were of railroad grade. The B W Raymond name was also used on Elgin railroad standard wrist watches, when wrist watches were approved for use on railroads. B W Raymond was a one time mayor of Chicago who had a lot to do with Elgin getting the land the factory was built on. He also capitalized the company at start up.
I have read that G M Wheeler was secretary of the Elgin Watch Co. during start up. The G M Wheeler name was applied to many early 18-size, key wind models made back in the day when Elgin was called the National Watch Co. So, the name was in use for approximately 70 years, and may have been used on many different sizes of movements.
Edited:
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TexOmega
·Gruen Veri-Thin Precision
circa 1940-50’s
12s GF case by Wadsworth
Swiss made other than the case
circa 1940-50’s
12s GF case by Wadsworth
Swiss made other than the case
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Canuck
·Gruen is one of the major watch manufacturers for which ther is no reliable S#/Date reference available. Somewhere, I have a list of Gruen movement calibers and the dates these calibers were introduced. But today, try as I did, I was unable to find it. The number 385-571 inside the case back of @TexOmega ’s handsome dress model Gruen, translated, mean “movement caliber 385, case style 571. There is a Wikipedia article on Gruen, here:
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gruen_Watch_Co.
Pocketwatchdatabase.com, (my usual resource) was no help in uploading the skinny on the Gruen. The Wikipedia article indicates that a factory operated by Aegler who supplied movements to both Gruen and Rolex, was acquired by Rolex, when Aegler shut down. The Gruen North American headquarters building in Cincinnati, Ohio, still stands. Thanks to @TexOmega for contributing his good looking Gruen.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gruen_Watch_Co.
Pocketwatchdatabase.com, (my usual resource) was no help in uploading the skinny on the Gruen. The Wikipedia article indicates that a factory operated by Aegler who supplied movements to both Gruen and Rolex, was acquired by Rolex, when Aegler shut down. The Gruen North American headquarters building in Cincinnati, Ohio, still stands. Thanks to @TexOmega for contributing his good looking Gruen.
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TexOmega
·
Smiths pocket watch
British issued GSTP for WWII
Screws at 3 and 9 on the dial are one tell, the other is "Made in England" inside the case back and no issue numbers on the back.
From what I read when researching, Smiths did not want to be identified and were heavily lobbied to even build these.
Please correct me if my research was incomplete.
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