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The Illinois Pocketwatch Thread

  1. Waltesefalcon Sep 28, 2020

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    I wanted to share my newest acquisition that arrived in the mail today. I bought this beautiful 1904 18s Illinois Bunn Special off of Ebay and I'm delighted. It is running well, has a clean dial with only one small chip by the one, a fantastic looking movement, and as a bonus it came in a 14K J. Boss case.

    Since this post has had so many contributors adding their own Illinois pocket watches I figure we can just make this a thread about the great Illinois watches we all seem to admire so much.
     
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    Edited Sep 29, 2020
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  2. michael22 Sep 28, 2020

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    Nice. The other IWC.
     
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  3. Fritz genuflects before the mighty quartzophobe Sep 28, 2020

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    I picked up the 24 jewel variant about a year ago, from 1900 with the same style face and case.

    if I had to sell all my watches but one it would likely be the one to stay.

    get it serviced and wear it!
     
  4. Dan S Sep 28, 2020

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    I love those Bunn Special Movements.

    This is not quite as special, but I have a Sangamo grade Illinois from the same general era that I inherited from my father. Not in a fancy case, just a later silveroid. Similar double sunk dial as yours.

    sangamo2.jpg sangamo1.jpg
     
  5. BrianPankow Sep 28, 2020

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    Nice watch!

    From my box an 18s and a16s from 1896 and 1918 respectively. D2430289-B83B-4AC9-AE68-BAB5FE47B748.jpeg C16610F4-2048-4795-92F4-CF8AEB3330D0.jpeg 3A0813FD-20A2-46EF-91A3-FE4A3A65AA45.jpeg F003FD53-DAEC-4C5A-A893-53A6D541EFF7.jpeg
     
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  6. DaveK Yoda of Yodelers Sep 28, 2020

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    Great decoration on that dial :cool: Congrats!
     
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  7. Deafboy His Holiness Puer Surdus Sep 28, 2020

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    Looks like rose gold too!
     
    Edited Sep 29, 2020
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  8. TexOmega Sep 28, 2020

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    Love the fishscale damaskeening. Great score




    Mine is from 1902, Model 6, 3rd pattern (gold inlaid circle two tone pink and yellow)

    Display case




    981E5AD6-70C2-4085-A9D5-1C09A9871B1A.jpeg 1AF4D683-F0A8-464E-B4E8-303C9D1DEE07.jpeg


    Pink and gold inlay was only done between 1900-02.
     
  9. Fritz genuflects before the mighty quartzophobe Sep 29, 2020

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    okay... since this has turned into the Illinois railway porno channel...

    P1030827.JPG P1030836.JPG P1030832.JPG P1030079.JPG P1030843.JPG P1030864.JPG P1030856.JPG P1030868.JPG
     
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  10. Waltesefalcon Sep 29, 2020

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    Why don't we just turn this into the Illinois pocketwatch thread? I'll change the name and take pictures of my other Illinois.
     
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  11. Waltesefalcon Sep 29, 2020

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    Once I can get out to my shed, I'm an invalid for a little while, I look forward to tearing this one down and giving it a service. The model 6 is a nice watch to work on.
     
  12. Canuck Sep 29, 2020

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    Several years ago, I was approached by a guy who had a 14-karat yellow gold, 24-jewel, 18-size Bunn Special. He wanted the movement removed from the case as the case was going to a scrapper. I offered him more money for the watch than he was offered for the case. He had a hand shake deal with the scrapper, so he declined my offer. Several months later he phoned me back to offer me the movement only, for $500. I declined it. I have a model 1, a model 3 (fifth pinion model, two model 2, grade 4, “Railroaders” (4,000 made), a model 5, 21-jewel, Bunn Special, (all 18-size), and a 16-size Bunn Special 60-hour.
     
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  13. Fritz genuflects before the mighty quartzophobe Sep 29, 2020

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    Brilliant.... i’ll have to get shots of my 1870s Illinois Miller up!
     
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  14. Waltesefalcon Sep 29, 2020

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    That is a heartbreaking story.
     
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  15. ebrohman Sep 29, 2020

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  16. Waltesefalcon Sep 30, 2020

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    Today, I'm offering up my other Bunn Specisl this one is a model 9 made in 1922. As you can tell this one was carried quite alot judging by the heavy brassing. This was the second rail road grade pocket watch I added to my collection a few years back, the first was my Hamilton 992. For a brief while I foolishly thought that that watch and this one completed my rail road collection.
     
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  17. ghce Sep 30, 2020

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    What an eye opening thread! never seen such beautiful pocket watches before and wasn't even aware of this manufacturer as I have never seen examples of this wonderful brand here in New Zealand before. Might have to start trolling ebay.
     
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  18. Waltesefalcon Sep 30, 2020

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    Troll away, Illinois is, in my opinion, one of the foremost watch manufacturers of the early twentieth century. They built watches that easily rivaled or surpassed what other companies were producing. Eventually Illinois was bought by their biggest rival, Hamilton, and after a couple of years Illinois was dropped as a separate line of watches.
     
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  19. Waltesefalcon Sep 30, 2020

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    One other thing to remember about any US produced rail road approved watch is that they had to be accurate to within 30 seconds a week and had to comply with a laundry list of other requirements. This was instituted after several deadly accidents occurred because trains were not sticking to their schedules as closely as they should due to engineer's and conductor's watches being off.
     
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  20. BrianPankow Sep 30, 2020

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    I so love the pocket watches. I got started when my father passed and left his grandmother’s pocket watch to me. I rotated my serviced dozen changing up every week, but switched to wrist watches when I kept snagging the chain on things. The final straw was playing with my grandson. The chain got caught in the deck boards and I stood up.