A week or so ago I "snatched" a "Forest City" eBay listing that was sort of a low lighted smudgy picture of some kind of dirty pocket watch. After cleaning, some restoration work (Correct Balance staff, straightening some goofed up parts butchered by the last "watch repair" person, etc.) and regulation, I found this to be an all original and very very nice "Forest City" S/N 343035 made by Illinois Watch Co!
Posts: 6492 | Location: Southern California in the USA | Registered: July 19, 2007
So . . . I decided to research this little prize; "Blue Bible", Pg 333, Illinois S/N 342-344,000, "Columbia" grade 11 Jewel, Key Wind, Key Set Model 1, 11 J Hunter Movement. NO mention of "Forest City" there! Correct only as to Jewel count and Model 1 movement.
Posts: 6492 | Location: Southern California in the USA | Registered: July 19, 2007
I hastened to open the Golden Bible, page 282, "Forest City", Model 2 Columbia, etc., EA453. Well at least it agrees with the Blue Bible that my Forest City does not exist, even though Illinois double signed this example with Forest City on the movement and a FC logo on the beautiful hand-signed and scaled (incl seconds register) dial!
Posts: 6492 | Location: Southern California in the USA | Registered: July 19, 2007
BUT! FINALLY! The ONLY thing I have discovered for sure (so far) is from the wonderful Earhardt Trademark book which confirms "Thiery Watch Case Co., Boston Massachusetts, 1876-1890's".
So Far that is the "end of this case" and the "tale" so far!
Posts: 6492 | Location: Southern California in the USA | Registered: July 19, 2007
Hi Dave, Beautiful watch. Cleveland, Ohio is known as the Forest City. Maybe some old connection there. Not many forests around Cleveland now but probably were thick when this watch was made...
Posts: 198 | Location: Vermilion, Ohio in the USA | Registered: May 14, 2003
Here's a listing that states, "Thiery Watch Case Co. - Sole Manufactures in the United States of Solid Nickel and Nickel Silver Cases. 309 Washington Steet, Boston Mass."
RR
The Jewelers' Circular and Horological Review, Volume 15; 1884: Courtesy Google Books
Posts: 1413 | Location: Fremont, California in the USA | Registered: February 06, 2010
By searching on Google maps for [309 Washington St, Boston, Suffolk, Massachusetts 02108] you can see what the corner looks like today if you go to street view by clicking on the picutre under the address. The Old South Meeting House (Church described in 1871-1872 Directory ad above) is still there. The building has went through changes that are described here. Leader in Historic Preservation Ends up the Thiery Watch Case Co. was located in a very historical area in Boston. It seems both advertisements are putting the business in the same location.
Posts: 1413 | Location: Fremont, California in the USA | Registered: February 06, 2010
I Googled Thiery and found the following historical reference. This also explains why Ehrhardt's Trade mark book mentions there are two Thiery Watch Case Companies of the periods described below; Charles B. Thiery served his apprenticeship, starting at eight years of age, with Julian Favre, in New York City. He started his own business at the age of 16, in 1844, this, too, in New York City. He moved to Boston in 1848, starting a watch case factory, making only gold cases at that time. .... He had some financial help from Mr. Samuel Way, but owned the business after only a few months. ... In about 1853, he moved to Cambridgeport. In 1858 he again moved, this time to Boston. He took in a partner, John Serex, and the firm was renamed Thiery & Serex. Mr Serex left the company and in the year 1876 the company name became the Thiery Watch Case Co.
They made their cases by the spinning method, covered by one of Mr. C.L Thiery's patents, and it should be mentioned here that he had been granted a number of them.
Thiery Watch Case Co., 1876 to 1890's-Boston, Mass.
Posts: 6492 | Location: Southern California in the USA | Registered: July 19, 2007
Watches like this are a puzzle we may never solve.
Definitely an Illinois, problem is, they made more Private-Label movements that all the other watch companies combined. Checking page 241 of the "Illinois Encyclopedia" under "Forest City" we see "Forest City, circa. 1882" as an 18s, 11 Jewel, Unadjusted, "Columbia" and that is as far as I got, a "Private Label" movement and dial is what it surely is, but as David asked WHAT "Forest City" does it actually refer to?
As was pointed out by Keith Johnson above, Cleveland Ohio is indeed "The Forest City" and there are many, many businesses that used the name effectively in one way or another over the years. A big hardware company comes to mind "The Forest City Material Company" that had many retail stores a quarter century ago, but those stores are gone, the remnants evolved into "Forest City Enterprises" which today is a big-time real estate developer. There may have at one time been a "Forest City Jewelers" or some-such thing, but that is merely supposition on my part, checking old ads and other references such as city directories might reveal additional information, watches like this one add to the fascination of our hobby.
The case is also interesting and helps with time-frame, but likely not directly related to the "Forest City" movement and dial as watches were cased by the retailer in whatever case the customer would choose from those available. Bottom line, what "Forest City" is this?
Well, that's my read on it, let's hear yours!
Lindell
Posts: 10553 | Location: Northeastern Ohio in the USA | Registered: November 19, 2002
Researching Forest City online led me to many places across the country named Forest City. I came to find out there is a Forest City B. of L. F. Lodge No. 10 in Cleveland, Ohio. Hampden also made a private label watch named Forest City.
Locomotive Firemen's Magazine 1898
Posts: 1413 | Location: Fremont, California in the USA | Registered: February 06, 2010
RR having grown up about 30 miles west of Cleveland I know that there were local/area businesses that were labeled "Forest City" I have lived in the following states, MI,TN,GA, and traveled in most of the states east of the big river and some states west of it and have never see the term Forest City used as much unless the small town or city was called Forest City, which off-hand I can't recall too many like that. So whatever the history behind it is I can't say only that it was used in and all around Cleveland. Ok I had to look and found this topic about Cleveland and Forest City in Wikipedia Wikipedia-Forest City
Posts: 1797 | Location: Michigan in the USA | Registered: September 19, 2009
