I recently acquired acquired a very pretty and interesting watch -- a 16 size hunter beautifully engraved with peacock feathers.

Here's the back.

Here's a detail of the engraving.

The case was made by the W.W.W. Co. I could guess as to the full name, but I am unfamiliar with this abbreviation. Who made the case?

The watch was sold to me as solid gold and it feels flexible enough to be solid gold. However, I am a bit concerned that this might be a gold-filled case. Do any of you know?

Now, the fun part.

Some of you are pretty adept at tracing the history of a watch from its inscriptions. This watch has two. The first shows a wonderful engraved broom and notes "51,646 tons, October 1906," suggesting that this was prize in a productivity contest.

The next inscription indicates that the watch was presented to an "R.A. Douglass" of "a mill" in Clairton,Pennsylvania. Clairton is a Pittsburgh suburb and once was home to one or more huge steel mills. Which mill was this, and who was R.A. Douglass?

The inscription states that the watch was presented to Mr. Douglass "By the employees of 40th and 28th." What were the "40th and 28th."

This inscription further states that the watch was presented to Mr. Douglass on March 21, 1908, about 18 months after the 51,646 ton-month. What was the relationship between these two events?

Here's the dial.

Here's the movement, a very high-end 21j Grade 156, of which about 4000 were made.

Chris Abell just overhauled the movement for me, noting that "it was completely gummed up with dry powder green oil . . . having been left alone for many years." He charged me extra for "removing the green powdery stuff everywhere," but no more than was fair.

Ethan

Nice, watch, nice case & one that may take some time to research. Didn't find anything in a quick search but I will keep looking.

I was wondering if the broom signified sweeping a coke furnace for some reason that sounds familiar.

As to the case maker, I was wondering about the Western Watch Case Mfg. Co. of Chicago IL. or the Wadsworth Watch Case Co. of Newport Ky.

Tom

That is one beauitiful watch and movement. The reference to "warranted" makes me a little nervous about it being "solid" gold. On the other hand, the condition of the case, the markings as a presentation piece, and being one of the very last Grade 156 3 finger 21 Jewel SINGLE ROLLER movements made makes it a 1 star watch with considerable value as a collectible.

Thanks, Tom and Dave. Tom, you might be on to something about the broom. According to my brief research, Clairton has or once had the world's largest coke oven.

I am a lawyer. One of my really important early cases was the first civil penalty action brought by the EPA for violations of the clean air act. The EPA brought this action (seeking hundreds of millions of dollars of penalties) against a steel company because of its allegedly polluting coke oven. That oven was a brick structure a mile long, a few stories high, and about 100 feet wide, with a rail line running down each side. It was divided into countless horizontal slots -- like a giant toaster sitting on its side. Special trains ran down the rail lines filling the slots with coal and emptying the slots after a long gas-fired "cooking" by ramming the burning contents through to a waiting hopper car on the other side. Yellow poisonous gases fumed through chinks in the brinks when the slot doors were closed and belched mightly when they were opened for the burning coke to be unloaded. I don't recall that brooms were used much in the process, but brooms might have a special coke-related symbolism.

The photographs do not do it justice, a really nice watch indeed, feels very solid and heavy, case alone weight alone was 34.1 dwt.

I found this online that may help,

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Information about the Wadsworth Watch Case Co. can be found on pages 49-50 of the book, “History of the American Watch Case,” Warren H. Niebling, Whitmore Publishing, Philadelphia, PA, 1971. Harry Arthur Wadsworth, at the age of 26, had moved from New York City to Cincinnati, Ohio in 1886, going to work at the watch case firm Duhme & Co. Prior to 1889, he moved across the Ohio River and worked at the Dueber Watch Case Manufacturing Co. Harry then became a partner with J.H. Stegman and they formed the case making firm of H.A. Wadsworth & Co. in 1889, also in Newport, KY.

Three years later, the company became incorporated as The Wadsworth Watch Case Co. The factory moved to Dayton, KY in 1900. At the same time, the nature of the company's sales began to change. Prior to the turn of the century, Wadsworth sold only to wholesalers, but after the move to Dayton, they began to sell directly to movement manufacturers. Known for making high grade solid gold and gold-filled cases, Wadsworth was absorbed by the Elgin National Watch Co. in 1953. The change of ownership didn't help hold off the loss of sales to foreign imports and the watch case factory closed in 1958.

Case Grades, Case Material

U.S. Assay 14K Solid Gold case
Permanent Gold-Filled, guaranteed permanently
W.W.C.Co. (Trade Mark) Gold-Filled, guaranteed for 25 years
Pilot Gold-Filled, guaranteed for 20 Years up through May 1903, guaranteed for 25 Years after November 1905.
Special Gold-Filled, warranted for 20 years
Referee Gold-Filled, guaranteed for 20 years
Arrow Gold-Filled, warranted for 20 years

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It arrived in wonderful condition completely neglected for many years no doubt sat hidden in a draw after its initial years of use. A incredibly thick green goo throughout, turned to chalk in some parts an glue in others holding fast the gears I had to soak the plates to get the gears out and break the sealed cap jewels apart followed by chipping & scraping away the green with peg wood, alcohol & care,. Not often do you get a chance to work on NOS 100 year old watch just shows there are still some wonderful watches to be found.

Here is an 18K case from a Jones & Horan auction in 2008

Here is another 14k. In these sells there were listed as 18 & 14 solid gold

This one I think is the Western Watch Case Mfg. Co

What in the world did they shoot those two case covers with, Tom? A shotgun?

Regards! Mark

I found this article about the mill in Clairton, it mentions parts of the mill being referred to as the 40 inch 28 inch etc. So I am wondering if that is who the employees are of the 40 & 28 in.

Here is the part on pages 76 & 77

Blooming mill used to reduce ingots to blooms, billets, slabs, sheet-bar etc

Billet Mill - A rolling mill for converting ingots or blooms into billets to be used in the production of wire rod, bars and seamless pipe.

So I am guessing your engravings are for the 40 inch blooming mill & the 28 inch billet mill.

Tom

Outstanding work.

So far the only thing I can find is back in the 1990's there was a Rodney A. Douglass living in Clairton Pa.

There was a R.A. Douglass that founded the Indianapolis Rolling Mill in Indianapolis in 1857 but that would make him fairly old in 1908.

I also found where in the 1900-1910 there was a R.A. Douglass that wrote several articles relating to steel mills but I can't find the actual articles or anything about him other than the name.

Both of these people half the time there name is written as Douglass & the other times Douglas

Tom, you really are a genius at this sort of research. Thanks so much!

In the first image of the case at top the design almost looks like the face of a puma or mountain lion. (Chris- do you suppose the watch was at one time serviced with "Solo-Lube" or Her-Mil "One Step" lubricant? Both have been named suspects in the green goo phenomenon).

Mark

Those cases photos I posted had diamonds mounted in the case, so the holes are the back of the diamonds.

Tom

Bill and Tom, now you've spoiled everything. Bill, I will never be able to look at my watch without seeing the puma. Tom, no one will still believe that Jones & Horan gets some of its watches from the local skeet range.

Here's that blasted puma.