Show us the earliest serial number for one of the watches in your collection. Here is my earliest number-Seth Thomas--sn 215

Here's an early elgin convertible bridge model 2.
#701076 number 76 of first run.

This is one of the most spectactular watches I had ever owned, a 17 jewel Howard, #133.
Harold

Here is my s/n5541 Illinois "Currier"

Movement one of 210 made in 1873 and this one is signed "O. W. Owen, Mc Henry, ILL"

I can't compare with you guys on your low numbers (how can anybody beat Number 1!), but here is a low number on a Peoria watch - a make not often seen.

Here's one not often seen, a United States Watch Co. Marion NJ. Ser. # 4399, an early one....

Fairly early Hamilton 992B. C-2604, Porcelain BMN Wide Outer Chapter, #11 Case 1231545

And C-2604 Movement;

Although not a pocket watch, but a marine chronometer, I have N41 which is a Hamilton Model 21.

Sorry, I don't have a picture of it.

Here's an early elgin grade 161 #6468012. that makes it the 12th one of the first run,I think.
How fast did they make them in 1895? Would it have been made the first day of production? First week?
Let me know what you think.

Steve

Here's a first-year Hamilton 992B, C612


C612 (1940) -- Note Small Serial Number Font

Like Steve, here a pic of my Elgin Gr. 150 20 jewel P/S. This one is # 29 of the first run, I also ask the question, how fast did they make them back then ?

Very early Hamilton 992B C515 in #2 case #H177466

Movement number C515

Most watch production took about 6 months to a year frpom the startup to the deliveies. Much of the "production data" shows a single year of production which we have presumed to be the delivery date. But the Gelson files listed in the Haimton data for Hamilton show considerable variation in production dates for each set of serial numbers. Also some of the records for other watch companies show a time frame with a multiple months beginning to end for a particular production run.

Just acquired my first Hamilton with a serial number under 1000. Hamilton 936--sn 952
Tony

Nice nice - Tony !!!

Adding to the Elgin family:

1871/72 M.D. Ogden 11J, Grade 12, hunter # 194267
Fronted by a National Watch Co. Dial

Picture No.2 movement of National Watch Co. M.D. Ogden # 194267

A watch that I am really proud of is my Dennison Howard and Davis pocket watch. Serial # 4243 I will try to find a photo of it.

No. 1392 Dennison Howard Davis . Anybody have a regulator ? (square end w/cone shape tip).

Regards, Paul

Great, great grandpas Waltham that he used while working on the farm! 1886-ish. I need to take a couple of updated pictures. David Abbe cleaned it up about a year and a half ago and it looks amazing!

Here's a Hamilton 975 movement serial #53777 from December 1897. It was the 278th 975 produced and was part of the first run which started at #53501. I managed to reunite it with it's dial and hands last year where the parts were being sold in three auctions. It was originally produced as a large pillar plate configuration but at some point the pillar plate was modified (nicely) to a standard 16 size. I'm still looking for a 16 size hunting case which will take a positive set stem.

Here is the 975 reunited with the dial and hands. The dial is a 4 post standard 16 size.

Here is a Hamilton 924 movement which may take last place in the "early serial number" contest. It is #1450479 which is 21 from the the highest Hamilton 18-size movement serial number. That was 1450500 produced in 1926, however it was not the latest 18 size produced by date. A 940 gets that honor at #1448200 in 1928 production.

This is my 18s Ball Hamilton 999, serial number 14,901, circa 1897.

Ball Hamilton dial. This shot was taken before nice thick William White crystal was added.

Serial numbers were not always issued in chronological order of production. That said, the lowest serial-numbered watch I have is a circa 1880s C.H. Meylan, #37 in a heavy 18k rose gold Jeannot & Shiebler OF case. Whether it was the 37th C.H. Meylan is anyone's guess. I don't think I have ever seen a lower-numbered C.H. Meylan. I am skeptical that it was #37, because all my many other C.H. Meylans are in the 5,232 - 97,494 range.

Although higher-numbered than my #37 C.H. Meylan, my #820 Elgin B.W. Raymond Grade 69 hunter clearly is a real deal in the low serial number stakes. It was one of the first 750 watches Elgin made in its first year of production, 1867. It's in a 5 oz. Dueber coin silver hunter case. I purchased on the IHC 185 message board.

Roman numeral dial, Ethan?

Yes, it has the correct Roman numeral dial.