Calling all Pocket Watch Buffs

noelekal · May 11, 2021

G.S.T.P. = General Service Trade Pattern.

World War II British service I think.

TexOmega · May 11, 2021

Yes, British, arrow is the tell(&GSTP)

WestCoastTime · May 11, 2021

Canada doesn't have the watchmaking history of USA or Switzerland, but at the turn of the 20th Century there was Dingwall Jewelers

The Longines cal 15.94 was made most famous as the workhorse movement for the fine Czech Air Force Majetek pilot’s watch, presented here as Longines’ ébauche movement for Dingwall, c. 1935. 17j, 15’’’. The 15.94, as you would expect, used the Swiss style winding stem, but is cased here in an American style case. Making this work required an intermediate coupler (don't know what else to call it) between the American style stem and the Swiss style keyless works. And if you're wondering why that never caught on...

Dingwall was best known for their Railroad Watches, and Donald Dingwall had a 2nd job as, of all things, Railroad Inspector... ;-)

Dingwall eventually went on to be acquired by Birks, with Birks still being a prominent brand name for fine jewelry in Canada.

Canuck · May 11, 2021

I think I detect a karat gold case. That watch is absolutely breathtaking! As is the ornate engraving on the case back. D. R. Dingwall was a major centre for watches, and particularly railroad watches. In the heyday of the 1920s, Dingwall employed 22 watchmakers! I have a much more pedestrian Hamilton 944, railroad approved, 18-size, 19-jewel pocket watch. Your dial is marked Dingwall, and mine is marked D R Dingwall. I bought it at an NAWCC mart in Portland, Ore., many years ago. It was overlooked by hundreds of collectors because they didn't recognize the name! WOW! JUST WOW! Thanks for joining us pocket watch fanatics.

WestCoastTime · May 11, 2021

Canuck
I think I detect a karat gold case. That watch is absolutely breathtaking! As is the ornate engraving on the case back. D. R. Dingwall was a major centre for watches, and particularly railroad watches. In the heyday of the 1920s, Dingwall employed 22 watchmakers! I have a much more pedestrian Hamilton 944, railroad approved, 18-size, 19-jewel pocket watch. Your dial is marked Dingwall, and mine is marked D R Dingwall. I bought it at an NAWCC mart in Portland, Ore., many years ago. It was overlooked by hundreds of collectors because they didn't recognize the name! WOW! JUST WOW! Thanks for joining us pocket watch fanatics.

GF case (sadly ;-)

A.W.C. Co case for "American Watch Case Company", which was about as 'American' as I am an ape... A.W.C. was a Canadian company leaning hard on the implication that it was an American brand in the hopes of dodging American import duties.

I happened to be out of the country when this piece came up for auction, but bid absentee & won. My brother picked it up for me from the auction house, he opened the outer case and saw the winged-wheel hallmark. Since he is a normal person & not a watch obsessive he mistook the winged-wheel for the winged-hourglass from Longines, and then reported back to me "I think you got a Longines". Turned out he was right, but only found that out after exposing the dial-side of the main plate 😀

Canuck · May 12, 2021

I love Canadian private label pocket watches. Aside from my Dingwall, I have a Hamilton 940 for G M Rioch, Kenora, Ont., a Waltham 1883 CRTS from G W Beall, Lindsay, Ont., a Waltham 1883 model from Jos. Pequegnat from Guelph, Ont. (a brother to Arthur Pequegnat of clock fame), a Brandt (Omega) grade CCR for A Logan, Greenwood, B C., and a D E Black, from Calgary. American and Swiss watches with Canadian private labels.

JimInOz · May 12, 2021

Even these?

😁

river rat · May 12, 2021

One of my Howards.

Kind of cool how they did the clam shell plus the Howard name on the inside case covers.

Canuck · May 12, 2021

The Keystone Howard series 5 is one of my faves. I have two of them, neither as nice as yours. I found your serial number difficult to read in your photos, but I think yours is a bit older than my two series 5s..

Canuck · May 12, 2021

I found this an interesting read. It may fill some gaps for those who are on the fringes of collecting railroad standard watches.

https://vorticwatches.com/blogs/the-vortic-blog/railroad-grade-pocket-watches

Comments? Questions? Always glad to contribute wherever I am able.

noelekal · May 12, 2021

Funny you should stick that link up. I only ran across that one day before yesterday.

Thanks.

I'm amazed about the solid gold gear trains. Some really featured that much gold in the movements?

river rat · May 12, 2021

Canuck
The Keystone Howard series 5 is one of my faves. I have two of them, neither as nice as yours. I found your serial number difficult to read in your photos, but I think yours is a bit older than my two series 5s..

Canuck the serial number is 1079289

Canuck · May 12, 2021

Mine are both in the 110 series, so, newer than yours. A friend also has one in the 110:serial number range.

JimInOz · May 13, 2021

Another Moeris similar to the one shown by @TexOmega but an earlier caliber 19A with pin setting.

Although the case is very tired and missing the caseback, I bought it for the lovely dial and movement.

The movement has an interesting feature. The click has an extended lever that can be moved by a stud (yellow arrow), thus disengaging the click from the ratchet wheel (in the window just below the 19A)
.

Does anybody know what this feature is for?

😕

WestCoastTime · May 13, 2021

JimInOz
Another Moeris similar to the one shown by @TexOmega but an earlier caliber 19A with pin setting.

Although the case is very tired and missing the caseback, I bought it for the lovely dial and movement.

The movement has an interesting feature. The click has an extended lever that can be moved by a stud (yellow arrow), thus disengaging the click from the ratchet wheel (in the window just below the 19A)
.

Does anybody know what this feature is for?

😕

The way the barrel bridge covers the click, I think the little lever is the only way you would be able to disengage the click to let the power down for the mainspring.

TexOmega · May 13, 2021

Illinois Model 1 Grade 101 not RR grade
18s 11j KWKS
3 oz Dueber coin silver case and thick glass crystal
Circa 1883
A good, solid working mans watch for the era, just not RR grade.

Canuck · May 13, 2021

The skinny on @TexOmega ’s Illinois.

https://pocketwatchdatabase.com/search/result/illinois/281372

By the time this one was made, stem-winders were well established from most American watchmakers. But there was still a market among an element of the population for a key winder. Being a key winder, this movement could be used in both open-faced and hunter-cased watches. The Illinois model 2 was a transitional stem winder/key winder, suited only to a hunter case. The demand for an open faced, stem winder was a problem for Illinois. They didn’t have a stem winder suited to an open face case. At about the time this one was made, Illinois introduced the model 3 “fifth pinion” model which gave them a stem winder they could fit into an open faced case. An interesting transitional time for Illinois.

DaveK · May 13, 2021

TexOmega
Illinois Model 1 Grade 101 not RR grade
18s 11j KWKS
3 oz Dueber coin silver case and thick glass crystal
Circa 1883

Cool movement decoration! I think that chair yours seems like a fascinating place to sit and enjoy a pocket watch 😎

TexOmega · May 13, 2021

Bay Window one way, music the other, chair/computer in middle.

35 year old Leather Hancock & Moore Judges chair

Great arrangement to weather a Pandemic

TexOmega · May 13, 2021

Canuck
The skinny on @TexOmega ’s Illinois.
https://pocketwatchdatabase.com/search/result/illinois/281372
https://pocketwatchdatabase.com/search/result/illinois/281372

By the time this one was made, stem-winders were well established from most American watchmakers. But there was still a market among an element of the population for a key winder. Being a key winder, this movement could be used in both open-faced and hunter-cased watches. The Illinois model 2 was a transitional stem winder/key winder, suited only to a hunter case. The demand for an open faced, stem winder was a problem for Illinois. They didn’t have a stem winder suited to an open face case. At about the time this one was made, Illinois introduced the model 3 “fifth pinion” model which gave them a stem winder they could fit into an open faced case. An interesting transitional time for Illinois.

Refer back to page 17 for my Transitional Model 3 with 5th pinion....one of my favorite, case, too.