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Unusual Two-Tone Model 6 Illinois "Click" to Login or Register 
posted
This literally dropped into my lunch the other day, so I cased it up properly after cleaning it thoroughly.

 
posted
Fronted by an excellent Arabic dial with matching light hands:

 
posted
Can someone supply a grade number and production totals?

A two-tone 17-jewel Model 6, SN 1752680:

 
IHC Vice President
Pitfalls Moderator
IHC Life Member
Picture of Edward L. Parsons, Jr.
posted
Very pretty watch Eric. Smile

It's a Grade 89 from 1904 production, adjusted to temperature, 3 positions & isochronism. The Meggers & Ehrhardt Illinois Watch Co. Encyclopedia says estimated total production for the 17-jewel open-face version was 34,920 movements.


Best Regards,

Ed
 
Picture of Ken Habeeb
posted
I bet not all 34,000+ looked that neat.
Smile
kh
 
IHC Member 1555
posted
Not to refute Ed's good info Eric, but another list says this is from a run of 330 made in 1905, total production of all variants 36,540 in 105 runs, various patterns, damaskeened or gold-inlaid damaskeened. How accurate this is I do not know. Also had a look at another 8 different types of damaskeening for these and none of them matched yours, a very nice watch.

Regards,
Bila
 
posted
Thanks for the info, boys.

I've got the same pattern in a Model 5 Getty:

 
IHC Life Member
Picture of David Abbe
posted
What earns my deepest respect for the work done to finish these fancy two tone Damaskeened watches is just imagining the work it took to;
1. Conceive the pattern
2. Plan the double Damaskeening finishing steps required before and after Gold Plating,
3. Fixture and coordinate the parts AND demaskeening apparatus such that the patterns were truly synchronous on each separate plate piece which surely had to be done on its own.

Perhaps this "Art if Watchmaking" (which was never truly matching in European watchmaking) stands out to exhibit the "shock and awe" of these instruments that were so commonly available to the American public.

The low cost of labor in those days may give some excuse for this extra work, but I also believe that it was an effort by the Watch Makers to show and earn the greatest respect for their superior workmanship evidenced repeatedly throughout all the finished components of the watch and their precision assembly and adjustments.
 
IHC Member 1693
posted
Eric, I want to have Lunch where ever you do ....
Nothing like that ever drops into my lunch.
 
posted
all depends who you are eating with I guess!
 
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