I bought this gorgeous Illinois movement from Desmond and couldn't be more pleased! It is a model 2, grade 104, 18 size, 15 ruby jewel, adjusted, key wind/lever set made in 1883.

There were 4 runs of 420 made and the watch guide gives it 3 stars. The serial number is 500316. The dial is in good condition with a few hairlines. It is running well with brisk motion of the hairspring and keeping very good time.

I now have it in an open face silverode case, but am looking for a proper hunter case. Would a coin silver or gold filled case be most appropriate? Here are some pictures....

And the movement. It was very hard to get the lighting right to capture the beautiful damaskeening.

Hello Mary Ann....Just came online and your post was the first one I saw....

I agree with you the old Illinois is a good looking movement and you know me, I am partial to silver, coin or sterling, doesn't matter....and of course some of the old Silverode cases are nice as well when cleaned up....

If you run into a lot of trouble finding what you want, get back to me at my email address and maybe we can do something....no promise but who knows....

Good luck,

Regards,
Jerry

Very nice, Mary Ann! And I agree with Jerry; coin silver or sterling is the way to finish it.

Nice KW, Mary Ann.

I agree with Jerry, also - it needs a nice, hulking, silver pair case with the keyhole alligned properly.

I like that regulator, too. What is that second piece coming off the balance? Does that hold the hairspring collet?

Nice Illinois Mary! I like that DS dial and closed tulip hands. Mary is this a grade 104 or could it be a 105 which is also 3 star and states KW KS? Is it a transistional where as it can be either KW or stem wind? I have a model 2 gilt finish that is. Love those Chamlers regulators too. Mine is later grade 60-s 15j without the stand alone hairspring end keeper.

I put mine in a coin silver to play off the gilt movement, but you may want to at least go gold filled as real gold for that time period may be pricy to find with the key hole cut out.

Next to yours mine is a dollar watch

Roland.

The serial is 337350 which puts it around 1880 according to the Price Guide. Heres a pic of the front. Want to swap?

Roland

Thanks, all, for your thoughts and comments. I appreciate your ideas and you sold me on coin. Coin silver it's going to be. So I will have to find a hunter case with lever slot at 5 o'clock and the winding hole in the dust cover properly aligned. The hunt is on!

Jerry, good to see you posting again! Hope Mary Ann is feeling much better now! I greatly appreciate your offer and may have to call you for help if I can't find a suitable case.

Eric - forgive my not knowing the name of that arm. There is a stud on the underside with a hole. The hairspring end slides into that hole and a small pin is then put in the same hole to anchor the hairspring.

Roland - It is a grade 104, not 105. I am going on information from a friend and member. And it is not transitional...only key wind and lever set. I don't know enough about Illinois models and grades to say whether any of this grade were made as transitional. I thought initially the regulator to be a Chalmers, but in very fine script it says Wheeler's and a patent number. The do look similar. And don't put down your watch. The gilding is still in very good condition and I really like the Old English script. Every watch, no matter the number of jewels or how "prettified" is an integral part of the horology story. Somebody owned it and it was important to them.

Nice watch, Mary Ann. "Studly!", as we used to say. It has 'massive, strong, manly' written all over it It doesn't hurt that it was RR grade when it was made.
So, Desmond,I'm on the hunt for an older Illinois watch, 18s, that has one of those fancy Roman numeral dials - not just a Roman numeral dial, but a fancy Roman numeral dial. They seem to be found occasionally on Bunn specials, Stuarts, and Grade 105's.
M.

Thx Mary Ann for the kind words. I lucked out with my old Illinois as it was so clean that I feel it was perhaps never cased until I got it and found an appropriate period case as it is a transistional I was able to use a stem wind case, or keywind. So it's a Wheeler regulator, a bit rarer than the Chamlers that Illinois seemed to have pushed. As for you finding a coin case, they are not too hard to come by in hunter form and keywind. Try to find one with a nice flat mineral crystal and with the lever cut out at the right area. Remember that for your movement it's at the 5, but a pendent set with the cut out at the 2 will also work. Also if you do find a case you just have to have it's not too hard to do the cut for the lever and the front bezel cut.
Have fun with it, thats for sure!!!

Roland.

Hi i am fairly new to this site and don't really know a very lot about watches and was wondering if anyone could tell me the date of this Illinois 21 jewel serial # 6760223 3 position capitol pocket watch any information sure would be helpful

thanks Lloyd

Lloyd

Can you confirm that is the serial number on the movement, I believe it is way to high to be an Illinois number.

Tom

i don't know what i was looking at but this is the correct # 4740223 thanks again lloyd

It should be a size 12, 21 jewels, model 1, grade 274, stem set, open face, made in 1926.

Should be adjusted to 3 positions, temperature & isochronism, with a double roller.

Tom

thanks Tom what do you think it is valued at in good condition as i am just learning

Lloyd

The only thing I can tell you is in the 2010 price guide for a Illinois 12s Time King 21J stem wind adjusted 3 pos. they list it as $60 $150 $175

Thanks Tom

Lloyd