I was getting ready to take down another "purdy" Model 5 Illinois HC watch and thought I had a busted Regulator whip, but closer inspection shows this is a complete regulator. The Micro adjust screw is riding in a slip nut under the regulator arm. Anybody seen one of these? What is it?

I found these same regulators pictured ONLY on early 18s Bunn models in Ehrhardt's Illinois "Bible". Evidently they were transitional between the Teske and the later Gooseneck designs, certainly more expensive to make than the Goosenecks.

That checks as mine is the model 5 with the cock angled almost radially, and the one you pictured is the model 6 which was TOTALLY redesigned for a more tangential cock angle allowing more space for the longer balance cock arm needed to use a gooseneck design. The nice thing is that Meggers reports the pre-1900 grade 64's (as mine is) are RR Grade mvts., although as a hunter case, I doubt it was used for RR.

If either of you need a shelf in my safe just let me know. Really. Please.

Dave,

I just bought Illinois M5 S/N 1614974 mounted as a sidewinder in a very nice nickle swing case. It has the same unusual micro-regulator you are discussing here.

I was looking for a candidate to fit my NOS Illinois RR conversion dial.

My movement is a 15J movement, not marked adjusted. But the "Pocket watch database" says it is an adjusted RR movement.

Can you validate or crush this data point?

Thanks, Pault

The Illinois Vol. #2 on pg 99 under Grade 51 [which yours is and from 1902],paragraph 4 says that watches finished before about 1900 and marked "adjusted" would have qualified as RR Grade.

regards,
bb

I believe if it was made before 1900. It would of been Railroad Grade. NOT Railroad Approved.

Which I think yours was made in 1903.

This info was from the Bill Meggers Illinois Watch Encyclopedia.

Anyone wanna buy a Grade 51 movement with a lousy dial and mismatched hands??? It runs and has a really cool regulator... I'm keeping the case.

At this rate, I figure in about six months I'll have a nice $600.00 18s Illinois RR conversion watch to show y'all.

Thanks a mil,

Pault

Thanks Gents,

Are these references available on this site? Or they part of your extensive libraries?

Pault

The reprints are available on Ebay as well as the downloadable CD. I find the reprinted book more to my liking and use.

regards,
bb

I just sold an Illinois Grade 65-E hunter made for the Non Magnetic Watch Co, this was RR Grade with the same type of micro regulator. It was a extremely nice watch with gold inlaid writing and damaskeening, this was made around 1897 and came in 17 nd 19 jewel variants and supposedly only 290 made in these variants.