21-Jewel Illinois Model 6 Grade 61 (movement #1374222, circa 1897)
Montgomery Ward Railroad Timer


Illinois made a lot of private labels for Montgomery Ward, this 21-jewel Railroad Timer is one of my favorites.

The Meggers & Ehrhardt Illinois Watch Co. Encyclopedia gives a total production of all types of 21-jewel Grade 61's as 2200 on page 100, with no further breakdown on how many of those were this PL version. The Shugart Watch Guide gives it one star.


Montgomery Ward & Co. RN Dial

Cool. I'm a sucker for both ds track dials and moon hands. I had a long exchange with the seller of that piece the other night. He was pretty high on it, so I'm surprised he sold it. The photos are at one end of the color range. If you get a chance, Ed, please put a better photo up for us.

kh

OK Ken, but I'm sending her to the beauty parlor first.

And . . . as long as we're going in the confessional, I'm a sucker for anything with a "swoosh" on the dial signature, like this Illinois Lakeshore

Ed, I was looking at one of those Lakeshore's a few years ago. I should have bought it. Aren't they pretty rare?

This is the adjusted version of the 17-jewel Lakeshore, which was a Grade 79. All types of 17-jewel Grade 79 had a total production of about 19,000 open-face movements circa 1905-1920 according to the Meggers & Ehrhardt Illinois Watch Co. Encyclopedia.

Mr. Meggers provides no further breakdown on how many of these were Lakeshore, so we are left to speculate. I know this is the first one I've seen with a correct dial that nice in a long time, so I pulled the trigger.

New aquisition, This is the one Roger Nolfe put so much work into to get it running correctly.

Illinois 18s, Geo. H. Churchill, Amsterdam,NY
Model 6, Grade 59, SW/PS

Here's an Elgin PL that is actually signed on both dial and movement - I believe pretty uncommon for Elgin - as I said above, if they issued a private label watch, it was usually signed on movement-only before approx. 1890, and dial-only after that time.

What I know about the label: Issac Bedichimer was a well established jeweler in Philadelphia, active from 1860.

Grade: 50

Movement Serial Number: 1211405
Estimated Production Year: 1883
Run Quantity: 2000
Size: 16s
Jewels: 15j
Movement Configuration: Convertible
Movement Finish: Nickel
Model: 1
Class: 17
Movement Setting: Lever
Plate: 3/4 Plate
Barrel: Going
Train: Quick
Adjusted: Yes
Adjusted to Positions: Unknown
Railroad Grade: Yes

Edward -- It looks like Roger did a nice job on your Illinois PL.
kh

I'll second that! I love Illinois DS RN dials.

Here's another one, marked "Special for Railway Service" which is the correct dial for an Illinois 15-jewel Grade 65-S Rail Road King (movement #1129120, circa 1892) (see photo).


Illinois Rail Road King Dial (see Meggers & Ehrhardt p. 277, Figure 2)

Good for you Ed, I like that watch and was going to take a run at it but am trying to restrain myself.

I can't really recommend restraint however because I now wish I had bought it.

At least I know where it is.

Can you give us a breakdown on the production numbers for the 65(gilded) and 65-S(nickel)?

I think those are the right numbers.

Thanks Lorne, I'm a sucker for anything with "Special for Railway Service" on the dial, as long as it's the correct dial for the watch.

That marking is even more interesting on a 15-jewel 3-position watch like this. However, Mr. Meggers says it would have been considered RRG prior to 1900.

I don't know about Grade 65 and 65-S. Meggers includes them in a single listing on page 101, which tells me they are essentially the same watch. I'd consider it more likely that 65-S signifies PL runs, since everything I have ever looked up was a PL and turned out to be a 65-S. Just a theory.

I like that Railroad King!

To my recollection, I've got a 65-s that is not private label. I'll look it up to verify. I remember reading recently that there were not a lot made.

kh

On page 101 of the Illinois Watch Co. Encyclopedia, Mr. Meggers estimates total production of about 1,600 for all types of Grade 65/65-S open-face 15-jewel movements.

How many of those were Rail Road Kings is anybody's guess.

While browsing my archives, I found the later and less common 16-jewel version of the Illinois Rail Road King (movement #1187717, circa 1893), which is also a Grade 65-S (see photo). It has the same "Special for Railway Service" dial as the 15-jewel version, which I posted above.

Mr. Meggers says the total production for all kinds of Grade 65/65-S 16-jewel open-face movements was 400.


16-Jewel Illinois Railroad King (movement #1187717, circa 1893)

Getting back to Montgomery Ward, here's the highest jewel count of their Washington Watch Co. brand, the 24-jewel Lafayette.

This is Illinois Watch Co. movement #2592138, a private label 24-jewel Bunn Special Model 6 (adjusted to temperature, 6 positions and isochronism). There was a total production of 310 double roller open-face "Lafayette" movements according to Meggers & Ehrhardt's Illinois Watch Co. Encyclopedia.


Washington Watch Co.'s Highest Jewel Count, the 24-Jewel Lafayette...

This is one of the very few P/L I have, but it is a little odd. A longines 18s Lever set, adjusted to 5 pos. Express Leader,
Bill

and the movement

Here is my Hamilton private label with a multicolored Roman Numeral dial marked A.M. Greer, Iowa City

Dial with bezel off.

Dial signature close-up.

Movement Hamilton 18 size, 16 jewel, Grade 930, Serial No. 32519, Manufactured 1898.

Movement close up.

Case back.

Philadelphia Silverode case trademark

Huh! A 930 with a fancy dial. And a swell-looking fancy dial at that. Thanks for sharing, Larry.

kh

Going East here's another Hamilton Grade 930 private-label from New York State.

Private label, Double Sunk, Roman numeral dial marked JC. Gray, Cortland, N.Y.

Dial signature close up. I think it's a "J" but I might be wrong.

Movement marked "JC Gray SPECIAL Cortland, N.Y"