At our land based chapter meeting yesterday I saw and held for inspection three unique pocketwatches.
Elgin Convertible model-21 jewels
Fredonia signed Mark Twain
Acid etched movement by the U.S. Watch Co. of Waltham
Any comments or info regarding these watches is appreciated.

The Mark Twains that I have seen are recycled U.S. Watch Co. of Marion material. There were a variety of cut-out patterns including none at all and only slightly distorted butterfly. What did the one at the meeting look like?

I have only been able to afford two 21J convertibles at a time. My late friend Mike Laux was very fond of them and left about 10 to his son. Those are the only ones being kept of a couple of thousand watches.

I once owned both the 21 Jewel Elgin Convertibles. One model was the Model 72, 3/4 plate. The other the three finger bridge Model 91. Both took "snap on" dials, double sunk, but the pillar plates were drilled for dial feet too. I still have a Fredonia I bought a long time ago. It's a 15J KW marked Adjusted, double sunk dial, damasceened gold flashed movement. It had a Jeweler's Private Label marking on it from Mt. Pleasant, Iowa. As far as I know this watch was Fredonia's highest grade Keywind watch.

The discussion of the Mark Twain got me thinking about the Marion based Fredonia watches. The authentic Fredonia/Peoria watches are very interesting also, but have little relationship to the Howard brothers earlier snake oil watches.

This is the Fredonia that was part of the Grade 105 article on 15J high grade full plate watches.

Yes it does.



By the way, click on any of the pictures to make them bigger. Jeff, where did your post go?

Okay, I have to ask. What is an acid etched watch? Is it a movement decoration, a case decoration, or both? Ignorance wants to know.

Acid etching was an early photo lithograph process that produced a design on watch plates using a photoresist material. It is usually pretty crude, but flashy looking.

The design has a tendency to etch at the edges and deteriorate over time so most of them are a bit fuzzy by now.

Tom;
Thanks! That is very interesting. I do not believe that I have ever seen an acid etched plate except in a photograph. Either that must have been a rather unremarkable photograph, or I just did not know at what I was looking.

The closest thing I have is the retaining ring on this Frances Rubie Elgin.


On the U.S. Watch Co. movements, the design is always black, but I think the process is the same. Click the picture to make it bigger.

Here is a scan of my United States Watch Co. of Waltham, etched watch. Not as good as a digital picture, but you can get the idea.
Brian C.

Acid etching is still used for custom built knives and long edged weapons. My daughter and son-in-law use this method on many of their wares they make for the Rennissance Fairs they attend.

Regards! Mark

Tony;
First I should apologise for having actively helped drag this discussion off on a tangent; also, I am about to do it again.

This metal acid etching design technique is interesting. Did it ever develop in popularity to where photographic portraits were used? Full plate construction would provide an excellent "canvas".

More on track this time. Samuel Clements was an interesting character. He registered the name Mark Twain as a trademark in order to exercise tighter authorization control. Ingersoll advertised "Mark Twain" patronage and now both Tony and Tom have revealed that there was a Fedonia Watch connection as well. Other than these two companies were there any others?