Hello everyone! Super excited, yesterday I received my Rockford Watch Company Pocket Watch to wrist watch conversion. Really happy with how it turned out, looks very clean. Here are the watch specs, some pics and a brief history of the Rockford Watch Company for your reading and viewing pleasure. Leave a comment, looking forward to hearing what everyone thinks. This is a Rockford 16s 17 jewel Hunter pendant set movement in a stainless steel wrist watch case with a ball stitch leather band. The movement Serial number is 783521 made in 1908 that makes it 112 years old and this was not a large production run. Grade: 561 Manufacturer: Rockford Manufacturer Location: Rockford, Illinois Movement Serial Number: 783521 Grade: 561 Model: 4 Estimated Production Year: 1908 Run Quantity: 1,000 Grade/Model Run: 2 of 4 Total Production: 5,000 Size: 16s Jewels: 17j Movement Configuration: Hunting Movement Finish: Nickel Movement Inlay Color: Gilt Movement Setting: Pendant Plate: 3/4 Plate Double Roller: Yes Standard Dial Type: Double-Sunk Adjusted: Yes Adjusted to Position: No Adjusted to Temperature: Yes Railroad Grade: No On March 4th, 1874 the Rockford Watch Company is organized in Rockford, Illinois with the capital of $150,000 by Hosmer P. Holland, Israel Sovereign, and George Troxell. The original equipment was purchased from the Cornell Watch Co. C.W. Parket and P.H. Wheeler, former employees at the Cornell Watch Company, were employed at the Rockford factory. Construction on their factory building was started in 1875 and finished in 1876 and was located on the 300 block of South Madison in Rockford (parts of the original factory building were later used by Rockford High School). Rockford watches were quite popular with railroad men, as 3 railroads went through Rockford, and the company advertised heavily to them. Many of the later Rockford watches are signed "RG" for "Railroad Grade". The first Rockford watch, a key-wind, 18-size, full plate with expansion balance was released in May 1876. The company had 40 employees and was soon turning out 10 watches per day, all 18-size, in five different grades. By 1877, the company was producing 3/4 plate nickel movements. The company sold directly to retailers. The highest grades of early Rockford watches were signed "Ruby" or "Ruby Jewels" which later became a stylized letter "R" engraved next to the jewel-count. By September of 1881, The Rockford Watch Company was producing 70 watches per day, well behind the market demand. Starting in 1888 Rockford Watch Company moved up to producing around 150 movements per day and employed nearly 350 people. Later that same year Hosmer P. Holland resigns from the Rockford Watch Company. On January 25th, 1890 The Ottawa Free Trader newspaper reports that the Rockford Watch Company will relocate to another area of town to build a larger factory and hotel. May 15th, 1896 Stockholders declare insolvency and assign all assets and debts of the Rockford Watch Company to Mr. Irwin French. Then in May of 1901, The company reorganizes as the Rockford Watch Co. Ltd. and becomes a subsidiary of the Illinois Watch Case Company, headed by Jacob Franks and Max C. Eppenstein. In March of 1904, The Rockford Watch Co. lays off 75 factory workers due to slowing business. Finally, in 1915 After manufacturing nearly 1 million watches, the Rockford Watch Co. ceases operations and closes.
This almost makes me think of what a wristwatch created by Sherlock Holmes and Rube Goldberg might have crafted together would come out as. Complex (for the era), meticulous, practical, and beautifully quirky.
Thank you my friend! It is very comfortable on the wrist. I am actually wearing it now to try and break in the stiff leather. I am thinking about getting a metal band for it mainly because I think it would go better with the watch and I just like SS more haha. No it is not, sorry for the bad pics. I forgot to take one of the crown. I believe the crown is made by the case manufacturer but I am not 100% sure. I will have to ask.
Lovely conversion. Just remember that these lack shock protection like modern watches so be careful. I wear my trench watches pretty regularly but only on desk duty days and am always aware of not whacking them into door jambs, etc.
Good info, I wont be wearing it often like an everyday watch. Do you think it will be fine just out having a drink or walking around town?
Absolutely gorgeous and mighty fine work adding a touch of modernity to an old beauty I would have loved to see an onion crown to complete the look imho. Stunning piece nevertheless Congrats!
Thank you kind sir! I really appreciate it. I just can't wait for places to start opening up around here so I can wear it haha.
Thank you Larry S, I appreciate you. My apologies, I knew I forgot something haha. A gentlemen by the name of Robert on Etsy. He has a store called antiquewatches4u. Great guy to do business with he has so many movements and dials that he will have something that you like. You just have to contact him. He will be doing a pocket watch for me in another couple months when I save up some money. I was thinking of a late 1800's or early 1900's Elgin pocket watch.
