I have a Hampden pocket watch, which the pocket watch database identifies as a model 4, grade 47, 17 jewel with an approximate manufacture date of 1896-97. The serial # is 1077661. It keeps time beautifully, has a Keystone silveroid case in very fine condition.

Problem is, I can't find any other info, and the drawings/pics I've seen are close, but not exact.

I believe Hampden produced a few unnamed watches during that period that were close to, if not the same as, the Duebner Special. Maybe this is one of them? Could it be railroad grade?

I would appreciate any insight you may have.

Many thanks,

JRH

 

The pictures aren't the best, but here is a start for you:

https://omegaforums.net/threads/info-on-hampden-pocket-watch.94276/

With 17 Jewels it would not be railroad grade. See:

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

 

John C. Dueber (not Duebner) was a watch case manufacturer who supplied a lot of cases to many American watch manufacturers, pretty well all of them who didn’t make their own cases. Dueber had taken the habit of quality stamping his cases in a manner that the watch companies didn’t like. So Dueber was hung out to dry, with no market for his cases. So he bought the Hampden Watch Co. who was in financial trouble. So it is not uncommon to find Hampden dials on Dueber movements, and vice versa. Your pictures are not the best, so markings on the plates is not very distinct. But my thought is it is not railroad grade, nor would it have been railroad approved.

 

Apologies for the Deuber typo. According to the database, there were only around 1200 of this variation, and only around 6000 of the grade, so I'm not surprised that my search is proving to be interesting. I didn't think it was railroad grade, and I'm fairly certain the watch case isn't original to the watch. I've found pics of serial numbered watches close to mine, and the movements are similar but not exact. I will try to send along better pics.

 

You didn’t provide information as to how the case is marked, but dial and movement are both marked Hampden, so it would appear yours was made before Dueber bought Hampden. Thereby, your Hampden movement might well have been fitted to a case by one of the case makers other than Dueber. Check the case ring around the movement for alien case screw marks. That usually indicates the case isn’t original to the movement.

 

The case is a Keystone Silveroid serial #220661, and there are alien screw marks on the movement , so I'm sure its not original to the watch.

Since the movement is marked "Canton, Oh", I assumed the movement was made after Deuber acquired the brand, and moved the company from Springfield, Mass.. Also sending a better image of the movement. I will post more detailed pics of the watch and case tomorrow.

 

There is a stray case screw mark showing on the case flange, as indicated by the arrow. So it is usually a good indication that the case housed a different movement in the past.