That is a very nicely finished movement. Do you know who the manufacturer is?
Illinois made nice two tone movements
checkerboard
18s model 6 grade 89
17j
1920
Display case
a nice high grade workingman’s pocket watch.
Not RR grade,(& being mindful of Canuck’s admonishing in the past, “for the US”)
Illinois made nice two tone movements
checkerboard
18s model 6 grade 89
17j
1920
Display case
a nice high grade workingman’s pocket watch.
Not RR grade,(& being mindful of Canuck’s admonishing in the past, “for the US”)
Never a problem with the stick on hooks, just give them a couple of days before you attach anything to them 👍
If I “admonished” anyone as per the definition above, I must apologize! I might have “suggested” a difference between a U S railroad standard watch dial, and a Canadian railroad standard watch dial, I don't police this forum, so I don’t think I “admonished” anyone.
Thhis watch is from my fathers collection, I am trying to research it. Claming to be made of one M J Tobias of Liverpool, I´m not so sure it ever been anywhere near this mr Tobias. But I can be wrong. Apparently there are a lot of Swiss made 19th c copies at any case. Still a nice pocket watsh.
If anyone has further information pleas let me know.
^^ Outstanding example of a pocket watch, I always like seeing screwed down jewels.
Great damascening, too.
This watch is marked 23-jewels. Legislation was enacted decades ago, during the era of the 100-jewel watch (75 of which did nothing, and were fitted only to avoid fraud). This watch would not meet modern standards regarding “functional” jewels. Cap jewels on most watches act as thrust bearings, and where they are used, the pivots beneath them are conical, so the tip of the pivot contacts the cap jewel. On this Porte & Markle, there are 4 cap jewels (three of them circled) that are only there for decoration. Beneath them are standard plate hole jewels, and square shoulder pivots. In fact, this watch has only 19 actual functional jewels when the modern definition of a cap jewel is used. These cap jewels appear to be held by screws, but the cap jewels are not removable! Never saw anything like this before.
I bought a watch today. I went to a automobile show and shine about 50 kms south of here. I spent almost two hours hunting down some friends I knew would be there. One of them had three watches with him that had been given to him. Two I didn’t want…..one being a 19th century English key wind, and the other being a 7-jewel junker New Haven ladie’s watch. The third one, I liked.
It is about a 17-Ligne (16-size) private label watch, dialed for the jeweller/watch inspector Porte and Markle, Winnipeg, Manitoba. Swiss movement, Canadian case, double-sunk vitreous enamel dial, adjusted to 5 positions, temperature compensated, 21-jewels in gold jewel settings, patent regulator, double roller, blued steel Breguet hairspring, nicely finished., gold filled case in excellent shape. I told him I was interested it it. He said, “all three, or no go”. So I told him I would take the two off his hands for nothing, but we needed to talk price on the third one. He told me he was giving them to me. So I told him the private label one was worth $100.00 to me. He told me that would be fine, but he would just give the money to the guy he got them from. So I upped the ante to $150.00……..$100 to the other guy, and $50.00 for him. Deal done.
Porte & Markle were major watch merchants and railroad watch inspectors in Winnipeg, Manitoba, about 108 years ago.. I believe they were bought out by Henry Birks & Sons in 1913. I suspect my new watch had been a loaner, given out to a railroader whose railroad standard watch was in dry dock for repairs.This watch has had little wear.
Thomas Jeffares Porte partnered with George Markle in 1907 to form Porte & Markle Jewellers. By 1913, when they merged with Henry Birks and Sons, they had 5 stores. So this watch has to be 110 years old, at least.
