What i would like to know is there a place where i can fine out what size a illinos or a Seth thomas pocket watch is.
Like you can do with a elgin or a hamilton.
If there is a web site that i can do this thru please let me know so i will not have to ask all the time what size watch i have.
Thanks Ruben

Hi Ruben

I do not know of an on-line site for those two brands. If you have "Complete Price Guide to Watches" on page 34 is a scale to determine the size of a watch, also you can buy a gauge that can be used.

Feel free to ask, we like to see photos of watches and questions about them.

Tom

Ruben, The complete price guide which you can buy right here in IHC185 helps you in many ways to learn watches. First the size guide as Tom mentioned, then you have the tech section that explains the parts and details of movements, cases, RR watches, etc., and then for each "brand" you have a wealth of data on values and models plus a good comprehensize movement pictorial that helps you define the sizes and types as well.

That said, to answer your question, I made a simple sizing pictorial below, and warn you that as you look at these, unless the actual size is listed by the seller, you had better be sure what it is before spending hard earned money on the watch. You will learn very soon that the same "look" and "name" can be totally different in collectible value if it is a 12 or a 16 for example the "3" size watch could 'pass' for an 18.

Thank You Tom & David.
The reason i asked this question is because i buy pocket watches from e-bay when i can afford them which seam to be getting harder and harder to do.
I would like to complete my seth thomas and illinois collection as well as the others.
I am trying to get one size each of the american brand watches.
But a lot of times they do not give the watch size in there listing on e-bay.
Any way i do thank you for your help.
Thanks Ruben

Usually the lister gives a movement serial number and that is often sufficient to find the size. With some like Seth Thomas ask the lister to measure the diameter of the watch less the stem and that will tell you what it is.