Hello everyone, new member and really love this place. I would like to start a new thread about: What if you could travel back in time with 500 dollars in cash of the period you traveled to? What decade would you want to go? What would you like to get your hands on that was brand new?? What would your dream purchase be?
For me, I would like to go back to the 1890's, walk into a jewelry store and purchase the most beautiful 18S hunter cases I can find. Imagine being able to own these things with not so much as a case screw mark on them, let alone having no ware to the detail. I have some nice 18's but none of them are like new.It would be great to have a few where when you press the button, the lid flies open to a perfect 90, the hinge has not even the slightest movement, and all the original detail is as sharp as can be. Yea man, I would buy as many as my 500 would allow.
How about you??? Where would you like to go back to?? What decade? What would be your dream purchase that is in perfect new condition? Lets here from every body. Thank you for allowing me to be a member of this wonderful site.

Good question! I, too, would have to say the time between 1890 and 1910 and look for box hinge hunters with RR grade movements inside. I've never owned one, and the ones I've seen are always amazing.

Welcome to the club, by the way!!

Regards! Mark

Welcome , for me the 1850 -1900 period has the most fascinating inventions and styles , not only the dress but the houses ,tools ,transportation, etc . ,although my parents said that "train" towns were really dirty ,everything had a layer of black soot . the town i live in is an old town , most homes have carriage steps in front ,my garage is a stable, and the towns stable is still across the street . BACK to the question , I would definetly buy a high grade watch , maybe a bunn and a Sangamo , and a couple ball's

All the spare parts I could get.

Welcome aboard, Mike!I'd like to go back to the late 20's-early 30's,when the depression ruined the economy.You could get a boatload of nice railroad movements when the cases got scrapped, and wristwatches were taking over.I'd be like a kid in a candy store, going thru the traded-in pocket watches!

Greetings Mike and welcome to IHC185; you will not find a better group of like minded folks!

For me, I would travel back to the early 1900's and tour as many of the watch factories of the time; particularly, Elgin and South Bend. I would pay to spend time learning from the artisans and watchmakers of the day and along the way pick up some special watches for my humble collection

I'd set the machine for 1865, right about the time that the America Watch Company had fully recovered from the last economic depression, and sign on to work there, somewhere. It was a good place to work. From that base of operations, many things would have been possible with $500 in seed money. What watch would I wear? Well, no pretension at first. A silver-plated A.T.&Co., while working and waiting toward that well-earned solid-gold Am. Watch Co grade, model 1872!

kh

Hello again everyone.
Mark, box-hinged cases, yessss that would be a treat to have in brand new condition.
Kevin, yes when I got to the time I chose, I would take a little extra time to see what it was like to live when cars and airplanes didn't rule.
Mike, spare parts, hmmm, they would all be identified as to what the go to, parts numbers, grades etc and fresh from the factory. Wouldn't it be great to get about 1 dozen of each grade of each brand of complete balances.
Theodore, did people really do that to watch cases back then? I would think that they kept what they had because purchasing a new case or complete watch would not have been justifiable.
Serge, if tours of the factories are permitted, that would be a great way to spend a day.