I have this old case

This is a 16sz Illinois Watch Case Co. "Napoleon" that has tri-colors of green, rose, & yellow inlaid gold in a stripped pattern on the case back of the screw back & bezel case. I refer to it as "The Neapolitan"

I have only seen 2-3 in my lifetime, so I thought I would share a couple of pictures with you and look forward to your comments and sightings of like cases. The colors are subtle and aren't stark, vivid colors, which is why they are difficult to photograph.

The long pendant dates it to the 1900-1918 time frame and I imagine it was quite the "eye-candy" for that period in time

Not the best pictures, but I think you can see the tri-colors and that was my aim.

regards,
bb

Picture#1;

Picture#2;

Gorgeous!!

wow this one will looks great on my sangamo
it has same colors on movement.

I like it! Is there anything in it or is it one of those cases you have kept empty, waiting to find just the right movement?

Really unusal and nice!!

Wow neat! Reminds me of the 60's.

I too have an Illinois W.C.Co. Napoleon GF ten-year case, again with Neapolitan striping. Regrettably the case is damaged, has the wrong crown, and a brassy bow, and houses a damaged C.H. Meylan movement. Apart from that, it's wonderful.

Thanks for the comments !!

Ethan I am guessing yours is a 16sz case also. It appears that your case has a shorter pendant which would place it into the 1920's era. So it seems that they made these cases from the 1900's and thru or into the 1920's. It would be nice to know how many of these cases were made, I feel sure not many were made, but I have no earthly idea or estimate as to how many.

I took possession of this as a case only Lorne.

Hopefully someone else will have other like cases that we can look at and into. Thanks for all the participation so far.

regards,
bb

I love these cases. The closest I have is an Illinois watch case company makeup compact with bands of yellow, rose and white. There is a 1937 inscription.

Buster your case is very attractive. I had an Illinois tri color case in a narrow up and down stripe. It had a 17j 12s Illinois watch in it but it seems to me it was from a 1925-40 period. I would think yours would be a rare case as I have not seen one similar and of that age before. Regards friend.

Mmmmmm . . . delicious!!

Of course, if you really like neapolitans, you might like this solid 18k version by noted Parisian casemaker Jules Person.

Now that's a < W O W > !! Very nice one !!

regards,
bb

That has to be one of the prettiest cases I have ever seen!

Thanks for the compliments. The watch is very pretty. Here is the dial side. The watch is signed "S. Cats, Paris." I don't know anything about S. Cats. I presume he was the jeweler who retailed the watch. I have seen another example of this case, but from Cartier, and with a somewhat different movement. The Cats has a much better dial and hands than that Cartier version.

very nice nice dial and case.