While most of you won't get that excited I finally got tonight a 12 size 17j Grade 366--only the second one I have ever seen.

I now have every 12 size non private label Hampden known. I can rest easier tonight.

The first one I saw was a Buy it now over 5 years ago that someone beat me to by an hour or so.

The grade 327 and 366 were not recorded in the Hampden Watch Co Book.

The watch is in a run of a private label called 17 jewel Specials of little is known about either.

Bob

PS Had to pay the outrageous price of $145

dial

Grade 366 case

Very nice indeed, Bob.... and quite a nice collection as well....

Any clues as to who 'EM' is or was, as it were....

Thanks for letting us see your latest addition....

Regards,
Jerry

Bob,
Great watch pickup and great watch collecting story. This is just one of the reasons why collecting watches is so much fun.
Tony

Very nice Hampden Bob has everything going for it, the damaskeening, dial, and case.

That's a very nice-looking watch.

Is there such a thing as a S12 railroad-approved watch? I've never seen one. Some S12 watch movements conform to railroad standards, but not the cases.

Another great find Robert!

Every railroad had its own standards of acceptance for watches, but I've never heard of one that accepted 12 size watches, unless it might have been an interurban street car line. In the early days all railroads accepted 18 size watches (that was all there was) but when they developed 16 size watches railroads gradually began to accept them, and eventually accepted nothing else.

Steve G.

Congrats Bob,

Thats a nice feeling to complete a certain collection, and this one seems to be be in beautiful condition. I think that in general, these 12 sizers lived a bit more comfortable lives than their 16 size counterparts. Like you always say, 12 size watches offer a lot in collectibility for a lot less money.

Robert
There are many high grade 12 size pocket watches that are as good a time keeper as any RR watch.

I need to find my pictures again (which I previously posted) of a 23j Ariston (made by Illinois) with a timing card that showed it accuracy in each positions.

Remember these 12 size watches originally sold for more than the comparable RR watches. Think of them as minature RR watches as to their accuracy.

Bob

I have a watch like that. It's a 23j Hamilton in a Hamilton case. I think its a model 972 adjusted to 5 or 6 positions, so the movement would be up to railroad standards. It has a strange, swing out (Hamilton) case. It's a beautiful watch, just not a railroad watch. When I get the right camera, I'll start posting pictures to the site.