Keystone JBOSS case

January 09, 2018, 17:50

Dennis Bailey

Keystone JBOSS case

I would like to know about when the ubiquitous 16S Mainliner look alike cases began...I've seen them on watches from 1917 and my thought is that these have been recased and that these cases came out later than that..

January 09, 2018, 20:04

Tom Dunn

Dennis I'm thinkin about 1922-23 or so, maybe a little earlier? I think Buster knows seems like I read something once?

I personally like those cases because right or wrong ANY railroad watch looks good in them

January 09, 2018, 20:33

Dennis Bailey

Sure, they're a nice looking RR case but they scream RECASE..for instance, I just bought a 1915 Elgin Veritas WI in one of those cases...If I can't have a movement in its original case, I like to put them in era correct cases. That's part of the pocket watch collecting hobby as I see it...

January 10, 2018, 02:10

Lindell V. Riddle

Dennis and Tom,

The earliest advertisement I have found for the "J. Boss Railroader" case carried a 1923 date and was arguably the most popular railroad model case ever produced. It was sold by retail jewelers beginning in 1923 through the 1950s and was even revived in the 1970s time-frame as what we term "re-strike" cases. So to find one on any movement earlier than 1923 means you found yet another re-cased movement.

In 1937 the true "Mainliner" case which was from Hamilton and differed in several respects came along. The real-deal "Mainliner" came only on "Hamilton 950 Elinvar Mainliners" produced from 1937 through 1941 when they were replaced by the 950B which was a new movement offered in then-new model cases.

Keystone's "J. Boss Railroader" case is often referred to as a "Mainliner-Style" by many collectors.

A true "Mainliner" case will carry one of the two signatures shown in the image below.

Hope this is of help,

Lindell

The real-deal Mainliner cases carry one of these two signatures...

January 10, 2018, 09:53

Dennis Bailey

Yes, it does...thanks Lindell!

January 11, 2018, 10:56

Larry Lamphier

Thank you Lindell.

I always get a kick out of the term "Mainliner wannabe" when people talk about the "J.Boss Railroader" case. As we can see in Lindell's thorough explanation here, that case came out in 1923. A full 14 years BEFORE Hamilton contacted Keystone to make the few subtle changes in there "J.Boss Railroader" case to come up with the "Mainliner" case for there new 1937 950E.

To me the "Mainliner" case should be called the "J.Boss Railroader" wannabe!

JMHO

Regards,
Larry

January 11, 2018, 12:12

Dennis Bailey

I wonder if movements were ever cased in those cases at the factory for mass consumption? Perhaps only for special orders? Maybe exclusively for recasing?

January 11, 2018, 12:24

Kevin Moodie

Two signed factory cases, with small modifications.

January 11, 2018, 18:25

Larry Lamphier

This was the most popular case ever made, and used in variations by almost every major watch manufacturer.

I'll be putting on a beautiful 950 Mainliner Elinvar tonight. What a beautiful case/watch, and it falls right in with these that Lindell put up as an example on another one I found in 2010;

Beautiful 950 Elinvar in a Mainliner case

The one tonight has a movement No of #2618690, and the case No is #1144096. Love these 950 Mainliner Elinvars!

Regards,
Larry

January 11, 2018, 21:37

Dennis Bailey

Those two pictured [by Kevin] are not the same as the generic one we all see constantly...those are marked with the watch co. name, like Elgin, the generics are just marked with Keystone J.Boss, etc....show me a generic marked with a watch co. name....

January 12, 2018, 10:23

Dennis Bailey

Lest one think I'm anti-J Boss Railroader, here's one I just bought casing a 1917 Elgin Father Time WI...the photo of the design back doesn't do it justice, it's spectacular...but again, not appropriate for the movement era..a high pendant case would be correct I think..

January 12, 2018, 10:24

Dennis Bailey

might as well show more:

January 12, 2018, 10:25

Dennis Bailey

and

January 12, 2018, 11:32

Roger Stephens

Not correct but beautiful non the less!!!

Roger

January 14, 2018, 11:50

Larry Lamphier

Sure is! I love those cases!

Someone had said that they didn't make a lot of the fancy back cases either. To find one in the condition of the ones shown here is really a nice find for sure. I sold a customer in Alaska a really nice NOS WGF case like the one Kevin's Howard is in. What a beautiful watch that was.

Regards,
Larry

January 16, 2018, 19:33

Theodore J. Brown Sr.

I've seen pictures of some Canadian-made "Sturdy" nickel cases that are the Mainliner style, anyone know anything about them? I'm wondering if they also made then in gold filled or RGP.

January 17, 2018, 06:26

Lindell V. Riddle

We are off in several directions! Which stimulates additional interest.

Perhaps we should consider the one Dennis shared as a suitable replacement case, that was common.

Ted, often when a case-style was discontinued the dies were shipped to Canada, this even included A few Hamilton styles like the very cool Case 7, a favorite of mine.. Of course the signature inside case-back was updated.

Check out this 2005 sale, looking back an exceptional bargain...

https://ihc185.infopop.cc/eve/f...511077931#5511077931

Scroll up and down, eight sharp images and carefully read the description too.

Lindell

January 17, 2018, 19:36

Theodore J. Brown Sr.

Thanks for the info Lin, I never knew that American watches sold up there had to be in Canadian made cases.That must have been good for their case makers.That model 7 style case was really nice, you'd never know it wasn't a Hamilton from the outside!