Can anyone give me any background information on a hunter movement Hampden Wm. McKinley 17j that my daughter just carried handed me? Unfortunately it's now housed in an open face Defiance case.

It's serial number is 2072237, marked 'adjusted', and appears to have gold screwdown jewel cups. Double sunk dial with just a very few edge cracks.

Anything you can offer would be appreciated.
(Where's Mike Paynter when you need him? )

Regards! Mark

Mark ,you have a model 4 McKinley. They first came out in late 1901 and yours was from about 1906. McKinley who was a friend of John C Dueber. When McKinley was a Congressman he talked the Canton Bussiness community into donating about 20 acres of land and $100,000 to Dueber to bring his Hampden watch company (3000 workers)and his Dueber Watch case company (3000 workers) to Canton. Which left Springfield (Hampden county) hurting for over 20 yrs. Newport KY seemed to fare better than Springfield when the watch case company left. This all started about 1887, they broke ground a while later and opened the watch factory in 1889 and the case factory in early 1890. As for the model you have , they were all hunter till late 1902. The steel escape wheel was intoduced to this watch later on. The open faced 17j models were all pendant set and were good watches but not for railroad use. They did make a 21j hunter at first and later open face which both were lever set and adjusted to 5 positions. In the model 5 McKinley they came out with a 17j adjusted to 3 positions and they all came with a metal dial which from 1916 to they went broke around 1929. John C Dueber died in 1907 and his home as well as his mother in law home next door are now a Funeral Home in Canton. mike

Wow interesting info/knowledge THanks to Mark for a great question, something I thought of countless times when looking at some of these names on watches. I remember the story of BW Raymond also but so many others names out there it makes one wonder. Oh Well THanks to Mike I have one less to wonder about now. Mark this might be the start of a great thread anyone could add info of names on watches and where they came from. Like A. Lincoln on Illinois is that actually refering to president Lincoln or not.

EXCELLENT information, Mike!
By the way, Mike what IS your email address? I tried to reach you last night by the one in your profile, but it bounced back to me.

This one I have is a hunter movement, as I said, and is lever set, by the way, and has a double sunk porcelein dial. So, being in this configuration, and being adjusted, is there a possibility THIS version would have been railroad approved?

THank you VERY much for the information!

I agree, Robert. Hope this one picks up a little more about these interesting little watches.

Regards! Mark

quote:

Like A. Lincoln on Illinois is that actually refering to president Lincoln or not.

Yes Rob the A. Llincoln grades 18-16-12 sizes were in memory of Abraham Lincoln, the 16th president. He practiced law in Springfield.
Cooksey

Regarding A. Lincoln, I believe that one of the Bunn family, primary owners of Illinois WC, was in the same law office with Lincoln.

MIke

There is a nice short biography of John Todd Stuart here: http://www.famousamericans.net/johntoddstuart/

Needless to say it does not say much about his connection with the watch company. I suspect his biographers do not consider it important even though it resulted in his name on watches.

Mark,
I am a baker, school teacher (math) and a Hampden watch nut. From where I teach every night I can see John C. Dueber's house. mike

Just a little side note to this thread... Mr. Dueber was also a non-military pall-bearer for slain President McKinley.