This is only mark on Case that holds an Elgin movement. Movement is 1880s. No etching on gold case.

Anyone know this mark

Dave, I believe that mark to be a Crown gold filled case, made by Philadelphia Watch Case Co. If I'm wrong, hopefully one of the others on this site will chime in.Take care, Ted.

I've stumbled in to another imperial crown mark that doesn't quite seem to match with the Philadelphia case mark we see so often

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NOTE: In this topic we see two pictures of similar but upon close inspection very different Trade Mark designs from two completely different watch case companies. This response however brief took some time and research, including Warren Niebling's "History of the American Watch Case" and Roy Ehrhardt's "Trade Marks" book and reviewing various IHC postings along with personal recollections so I hope what follows is found to be of help in response to the postings above.

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First to Dave,

Your case features a very distinctive Crown with Star above registered in 1882 as Trade Mark Number 9,567 by Michael H. Cronin of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania as a Trade Mark for Watch Cases. They were in business first during the 1870s in New York City and then in the 1880s they relocated to Philadelphia, registered the Trade Mark found on your case and apparently by the end of that decade had gone out of business. I could not find a direct connection to any other watch case company.

Lindell



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And now to Paul,

Your case marking showing a Crown with Maltese Cross above was registered by the Muhr Watch Case Company, another Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Company as Trade Mark Number 12,862 in an 1885 filing for use on Muhr 25 year Gold-Filled Cases, called "Gold-Stiffened Cases" in advertising. Muhr used at least five variations of the "Crown Case" Trade Mark theme.

Another similar but not identical Trade Mark was later registered by the Philadelphia Watch Case Company, that is understandably why they are at times confused with each other today as Ted Brown did above in this topic. That later crown-based marking was always encircled by "Philadelphia Watch Case Company" and was used on a wide variety of cases of differing content.

Interestingly, by the early 1900s both Muhr and Philadelphia had been absorbed into the Keystone Watch Case Company which would survive until 1956 when it was taken over by the Star Watch Case Company and Star would then be America's last volume producer of pocket and wristwatch cases, but by the 1980s they and the American Watch Industry would be gone.

Lindell



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Good stuff Lin, we all got our $12 worth today.

Amen.

regards,
bb

Lin, Thank you for taking the time to put that together. R/Paul-T

Don't quote me on it but I believe I have seen that mark in the fat book. Either that or it's in one of Frieds books. I know it's a gold filled mark, I just don't know who it belonged to.
I believe Lin is correct all around.

page 66 of the trade marks by Roy Ehrhardt shows the
mark as 25 years gold filled case made by Mauhr
Lin is correct.

Muhr marks from an 1899 catalogue.
J.H. Purdy & Co. Chicago 1899

Here is a Cronin mark!

Here is Cronin's initials on the same case.