Well here is yet another 19 jewel Bunn 60 HOUR to be added to my collection. It is a Type III and again with the Hamilton style dial and hands meaning this was a movement that was sold by Hamilton as a leftover in the early 1930's. What I found perplexing about this was the case, which is in wonderful condition by the way, and has an engraving with the name W. A. (or W. H.) Webster, June 1-1913. My first thought was this was a watch that had been recased but then I got to thinking. If this was sold in 1931 and was given to him for his 18th Birthday it could be absolutely correct if that is his birthdate engraved there. What do others think? Was 18 a big deal back then?

I would also like to point out that it is a swingout case and looks like it received very little use over the period of time.

Maybe I can recruit the detective services of Tom or Sheila to dig up the information of this Webster fellow.

Steve

So heres some shots of the rest of the watch. Was C.W.C.CO. the Chicago Watch Case Co.? Nice Type III movement (60 HOUR) only and seems to be running well. Some chips in the crystal so I'll have to get the bezel sent to William to be fitted with a new one.

Steve - I may be wrong, but is there a case screw mark near the click? It could be Mr. Webster had the case (which may have been his or belonged to a family member) and placed this movement in it.

I do think 18 was an important milestone in a young man's life in that era, just as it is today. Perhaps even more so.

Mary Ann,

I looked at that highly magnified and there are marks but they don't look like case screws. They have raised the metal rather than depressing it. It may have had an alignment issue and some prying done to get to slide into the stem. These swingout cases you have to be careful with because you must install the movement and then try to line it up with the stem.

I get the movement screws started but don't turn down on them tightly until I have got the movement to line up with the stem correctly. Once it is aligned I open the case back up and snug the screws down and check again. I check it a third time and open it up again and make sure the screws are at the desired tightness. I managed to get it right the first time but maybe someone else was not as patient or lucky.

There are some similar marks just to the right of the Bunn marking and it may have done some damage to the nickle plating.

Steve

Steve - thanks for checking. The area near the click looked a bit different. And I know that the swing out cases can sometimes present a challenge getting the movement aligned and set just right.

The case seems to be very important to whomever it's owner was at the time, so I still think that person put this movement in it. Correct me if I am wrong, but wouldn't you usually see this type movement in a railroad style case during the 1930's?

Also, I think the first initial is a "D". This ornate script always gives me trouble. And I believe the case is from the Crescent Watch Case Co. I'll leave it to Tom and/or Sheila to try and find information on Mr. Webster.

I will do some looking but with just initials and no location & a common name like Webster I am not sure what I can do, other than offer to take the watch off your hands Steve.

Tom

Mary Ann,

These movements were sold to the jewelers uncased and the customer picked out the case they wanted. These movements were leftovers from Illinois when Hamilton took over the company. 19 jewels were not fast sellers and many were sitting in the vaults unsold.

This movement by serial number, was produced in 1926 and never found a home outside the factory until Hamilton decided to liquidate all remaining stock. I have about 6 or 7 of these with this dial on it which is almost identical to many of the Hamiltons of the early 30's.

These went out the door at such a snails pace that many of them got sold later even though there were only about 4000 of the combined Type I, II, and III made

You are correct about the "D". That is what I meant to put but was not paying attention. Thanks for pointing that out.

Tom, maybe the date and the name are enough to get a hit.

Steve

Steve - whoever D. Webster was, he had, and now you have, a beautiful watch. You did well picking this one up and adding it to your Bunn collection.

Beautiful, Steve.

The engraving is "D F Webster" in Olde English calligraphy.

Eric,

Thanks for the decoding. I can never read about half of those. Sometimes they look like Chinese. Maybe that will be of morre help to Tom and Sheila.

Steve

Steve, the condition speaks for itself, and the saatch Case is a Crescent Watch Case Co., and is very fine. The case design and the engraving are heavy on the earlier times than the manufacture of the watch, but who knows, all the specilation here speaks for itself. I would keep them together because of their condition first of all.

Steve

Not having much luck with the name, I am only finding D. Websters born in 1913 but no middle initial listed & only the year of birth listed.

I will keep looking.

Tom

Tom,

How many D. Websters were born in 1913? If there were more than one I would have to say it was one of them possibly.

Steve

Steve, I know it's a long shot but from which state did the watch come to you from....it's a place to start, anyway....

Nice watch, BTW....

Jerry

Steve

Several from 1913, still looking.

Tom

Jerry,

Kansas City.

Steve

Beautiful watch. Could it have been a graduation present? That would fit age 18 also.