Hampden 18s Gr67 17J special adjusted (Help me learn what I bought)

Hi All,

This watch is from a run either side of 5,000 total production. Circa 1893. SW-LS... it has the cool regulator and an over coil hair spring.

I'm not sure what the "special adjusted" designation is all about...

And also want to know if this is a "5th" pinion watch. The layout of the jewels is very different form anything else I have.

Thanks in advance. (The front is a simple Arabic single sunk dial with correct Hampden thin spade hands, script hampden watch co.)

I don't know what the Special Adjustment means but I don't think Hampden made a 5the pinion watch like Illinois did. I could be wrong as I don't know much about Hampden's other than I like them.

That looks like it should be an open face watch. Illinois 5th pinion watch was a way Illinois made a hunter style watch into a open face watch if my memory serves me well.

I'm sure someone with more knowledge will give you a better answer than I did.

Harry

Thanks Harry, got it... the jewels are exactly backwards from my Walthams... that's why it looked so odd to me. It is indeed a typical open face layout, just reversed from the ones I am familiar with.

The Hampden data base lists this as a "special adjustment", but it is not mentioned in the fat book and I have not found any literature on what this means or who it was marketed to.

I only paid $50.00 for the watch in great running (albeit dirty)condition with a nice Monitor screw case.

The movement dates to 1893, I'm thinking the case is a bit newer.

5575 total production and yours is one of the last one made with total of 10 runs from s/n 626501 to 934875

Paul, I had a "special adjust" Hampden like yours and it had the same regulator. I always wondered what the Special Adjust meant also. Keep us posted if you find out.

I think John Deuber cast Rune sticks to validate his daily epiphanies about what to call the next lot of watches in all that empty space on the "new" Canton styled barrel covers. This is a mid-range model 67 that is probably adjusted for temp, iso and three positions. The valuable thing to note is the 2-screw Hamilton type Hairspring stud cap that was soon dropped by Deuber, but had been used for higher end Hampden Springfield stuff and later became a famous mark of Hamilton watches..

Interestingly enough, My blue Hampden book discusses the M67 and refers to it as "the same as the John C. Dueber". It states that the watch left the factory with the Teske regulator and markets the watch as a special adjustment RRG, but stops short of defining the special adjustments. It was advertised for $30.00 in 1895. Online conversion works out to $829.00 in today's dollars.

So, for all intents and purposes, it is the same watch as Mike's Dueber without the name.

The cool thing is that there is a catalog photo and description that says it should have a DS dial with red outer track numbers and moon hands. I have a correct dial on the way from Andy and think I have correct hands in the drawer.

Mike, thank you for posting your photo... it tells me what I needed to know on the screws.

I've carried the watch for two days now and it is keeping perfect time.

Great fun, thanks to all.

Very nice watch Paul, you got a steal! That grade was railroad grade at the time it was made.I asked the question about the Special Adjusted marking a while back here on IHC.I can't find an answer anywhere, But like Dave mentioned it probably means temp. and position adjustment, that would make perfect sense.Did you notice those case screw washers?Those were used usually used under those garbage half-head screws that many if not most American watches came with.You may find some damage to the case rim in those spots.What a nice watch, that's a keeper! Regards, Ted.

Nice watch. I think Ted has it right and so does Dave. At that time Hampden was fighting hard for market and my understanding is that it meant essentially 3 positions adjustment as noted on latter watches. I think John Dueber would have blown the Special adjustment trumpet quite hard.