Hello! My name is Don, and this is my first Post as a new member. I am looking to find out some info. on a pocket watch that I recently purchased. It is a 1925 16S, OF, Illinois "The Garland" 17J, M#7, grade 305, Ser.# 4,717,227 with GJS, GT, DR, SW & Set and is Adj.
With this watch I received some paperwork that states this watch was sold by Webb C. Ball, and under his name is the number ( EAV67 )
My question is; If this is true, is there a way to verify this information. I sure would be grateful for any help on this one! THANKX!

Webb C. Ball definitely sold a line of commercial watches marketed as the Garland

Don, Welcome to IHC185. Your first technical request reveals the thicket of bramble bushes our enormously rewarding and entertaining passion for collecting and studying these time pieces can land us in.

Illinois Watch Co was one of the smaller surviving quantitiy production manufaturers, yet largest "brand namer" companies in the watch business who also quietly led the market with breakthroughs in technology for such things as the Getty movement, 60 hour motors and low maintenance, high accuracy railroad watches.

The Illinois "Garland", was one of the only non "Ball Named" watches sold by Webb C. Ball who thourgh the Ball Watch Co. endeavored to control the entire RR watch business through his networks of dealer/inspectors without ever buliding 1 watch movement himself.

Ball did succeed at selling re-named "Ball" Railroad watches made for him by a dozen or so US watch compamnies giving us collectors another fairly collectible source of watches, but then comes the Garland which was a more surreptitious attempt by Ball to reach the general market, still without ever building his own watch!

A very intetesting watch and another "thorny wrinkle" in the History of American Watch Companies.

Here is a page from a Ball Watches catalog from 1916, the company was called the Noriss Alister Ball Co. Them after he had bought out the Norris Alastair Co. and the headquarters had moved from Cleveland, Ohio to the Garland Building in Chicago, Illinois.

Thank You Kind Sir's!
I can Tell already that I'm gonna like it here!!
...As for "The Garland" it is now in my top 25 watches that I wear right up there with the big guys, and with your info. it now means more to this young enthusiast! And by young I mean an infant as a watch collector/enthusiast!!! not in age!!!
Bless You!!! and many Thankx!!! See you again soon!!!

Here is a photo of a Garland Illinois movement that sold on eBay recently.

Illinois dial

From what I understand The Ball Watch Co. Introduced a whole line of jewelry under the Garland name, a view of the case back

Page 158 of the 2012 Price Guide Under Ball-Swiss 12-16 Size shows a 17J "Garland"

Just to clarify this thread a bit, "The Garland" is an Illinois private label which is seen in various grades and sizes. So far I have documented 16 size Grade 305 and 12 size Grades 405 and 274. Interestingly the Grade 274 is a 21 jewel and is not mentioned in the "Blue Book". Anyway, these are clearly marked Illinois on the dial and movement. According to the "Blue Book" (page 241) these were "sold by Webb C. Ball". The EA467 (not EAV67) is a reference to the movement style in the "Blue Book".

"Garland" is a 17 jewel Swiss watch made by the Ball Record Watch Co. They are usually marked with three letters and/or a grade (ie 433).
One look and you can tell they are clearly Swiss and have nothing to do with Illinois Watch Co.

Similar names, but two different watches completely.

Hope this clears things up.

John III