Grade 930, Serial No. 34517, Manufactured 1898.

Yellow gold filled screw back and bezel trademark of warrior holding shield 20 year engraving.

Case trademark close-up

Cool, is that a Dueber case?

I researched it myself in Roy Ehrhardt's Trade Marks book (page 58). The warrior with a short sword and shield signifies a Dueber Champion case, 10K gold-filled, warranted to wear 20 years.

Thanks Ed for the information that the case was made by Dueber, I didn't have my trademark book handy. Here's another example of a 16 size Hamilton that was manufactured earlier than the 18 size.I found this on the Internet.

Hamilton 16 size, 17 jewel, Private label, Double Sunk, Arabic dial marked JC. Gray, Cortland, N.Y.

Grade 962, Serial No. 50249, Finished July 27, 1897 Date Sold November 15, 1897 to JC Gray, Cortland, New York. Movement marked "JC Gray SPECIAL Cortland, N.Y"

You're welcome, I always keep my trusty Trade Marks book right beside my computer work station.

Nice early 962 Larry! That's a grade I don't have

Hello Ed:

Here is a cool Dueber Hampden advertisement from the back cover of the March 1892 Locomotive Engineers Journal, It has the warrior with the shield standing on top of the world with the caption underneath "WHAT IS WORTH DOING IS WORTH DOING WELL"

Larry

That's a great caption, and a cool logo too!

Ball Official Standard Private Label:
B.H. Stief & Co., Nashville, Tenn.


Here's a seldom-seen item, a Ball Agent Jeweler's private label watch [#13153:1895] which is also from the 2nd production run of Official Standard watches.

Congrats Ed!

happy hunting

My only private label Hamilton 18s grade 932 serial # 217. maybe someone in this group can tell me something about James R. Connell Portsmouth N.H. The case is a 4oz coin Dueber Railway.

932 dial

another dial... has some chips on the outer rim near the 2

dueber case

case back.

Very nice Joseph, those early Hamilton dials make me happy.

The RAILWAY case is a beaut as well, I have one in silverine.

Holy smokes, Joseph. That's a beaut. In addition to being a pretty version of an uncommon grade - in a coin case yet, it has a serial number within the first 400, and that gets you well into rarified air. Lucky you.

kh

Ken, what's the deal with the price guide? If the last 200 deserve ★★ the (S#'s less than 400) should as well, correct?

I'm with Lorne!! I would think under 400 would at least rate (1) star. Oh well, I wonder if serial # 201 is still in circulation, would be like coming in second place in a race.... lol

That's just a blip in the book needing a copy edit.
If that watch isn't at least a two-star, nothing is.

Joseph, on page 101 of the 2013 Guide:

★★★★………………………SCARCE -100 First run 21-30 (10)
★★★……………………………VERY FEW -350 Second run 61-400 (340)
★★…………………………………SPARSE -1000 Third run 6801-7000 (200)

So I guess it depends on how you interpret the "star guide". If you combine the last two runs they should be 2 star (540)

Taken separately they should both be 3 star as each run is less than 350.

How do I know the production figures you ask? Well you see I recently acquired some watch books which I highly recommend blah blah blah

Lorne - quit bragging you big braggart.

A monster in the making. lol

Oh, and I would like to thank Chris Abell for servicing my watch!

Regarding the William M. Shlaes "Head Captain" Hamilton 927 - Shlaes was a watchmaker in Hancock, Michigan, at a time when it was a center of the copper mining industry. A "Head Captain" was the mine manager in charge of letting contracts to miners. It was pretty much the top position in the mine. So it was the copper mining version of the "executive" model.

William M. Shlaes, my great-grandfather, was a watchmaker and jeweler in Hancock, Michigan, and later in downtown Chicago (where he did a brisk business in regulating railroad watches for the Northwestern conductors across the street) and on Garfield Boulevard on Chicago's South Side. He was also known as Max.

[Image from Tom Brown's October 28, 2013 13:19 post on page 3 of this topic]
.

Noah
Thanks that is what it is all about.

See page 3 for original post

Nice provenance with that timepiece !
You answered the earlier question about Shlaes in a big way!
Thanks for sharing.


kh

Noah please say you have a sample of great gramps watches.
Mike

Wow Noah. That's very interesting, Thank You. Like Mike said, I hope you have one of these. As I stated, I've seen 3
so far. Half the fun of owning a great watch is learning all you can about it. This is Great.
Do you have any photos of the shop in Hancock ? Jack

Thought I would add this Hamilton 927 Hunter to the
long private label list. Movement isn't marked only
the dial is. S/N 619618=1908.
Name on dial A.B.Macdonald
Chillicothe,Mo.

dial