I recently purchased this nice private label pocket watch signed "R.P. Thorn & Sons, Albany, N.Y." I have been unable to identify the 16s, 15 jewel, lever set Swiss movement. The serial number is 537,757. Do any of you guys recognize this movement and can help me ID it? Thanks.

Here is a shot of the dial.

http://historicnewspapers.guil...april%20-%200562.pdf

Found this pdf file with an online search. (See ad on right side of paper)

Dave, neat old ad. Of note, I live in Altamont, NY, and The Altamont Enterprise is a small town newspaper that has been in business for over a hundred years. Their office is about 10-minutes away from where I live. One thing I forgot to mention in my initial description, this watch movement is shown on page 193 of Ehrhardt and Meggers “Gold Book.” The caption lists it as being a “Swiss Contract” ebauche produced for the J.P. Stevens Watch Co. (EA 851).

Page 386 of P.G. describes "16s Swiss, 15-17J, 3/4 Plate" which I think is actually a modified full plate Longines making for an easier mainspring service. The value shown is about $175-$300. My opinion is any 16s-18s J.P. Stevens Watch Co. piece in this good condition should be at $500.00 or above.

Dave, wouldn't you agree this is a private label made for Thorn, rather than a private label made for Stevens which was, in turn, modified for Thorn? Also, do you think all the Swiss J.P. Stevens watches were Longines? In the PG the one line lists Longines, and the next line does not identify the company providing the ebauches. If this is in fact a Longines movement, the date would be approximately 1889.... J.P. Stevens went out of business in the spring of 1887, so that would preclude this from being a Stevens. Sure wish that picture in the gold book was identified as to the maker!

My "educated guess"() seeing the "signing" of the movement suggests this could have been supplied directly, sans Stevens, from an importer or swiss sales rep to R.P. Thorn. The design of the movement could easily be an 1880's Longines as testified by the serial number.

Hi Bruce and David, I feel certain that Stevens did not supply the movement as the movement appears to be a Longines or Agassiz or perhaps a Charles Jacot. Jacot did quite a bit of American market work with a fellow named Saltzman and I seem to recall years ago a Stevens watch offered for sale that was identified as a Jacot so I mentioned Jacot but to me it looks most likely a Longines probably thru a New York importer.

Dave and Deacon, thanks for your insight concerning this old Albany watch. Personally, I tend to lean towards it being a Longines. I have a few Agassiz Albany contract watches and the workmanship on those seem to be a step up from from this particular watch. I am thinking that I may be able to identify it more easily if I pull the dial. There may be some marks on that side of the movement, or I may be able to match up the setting components with either a Longines, Agassiz, or Jacot in my old Swiss watch parts catalogs. While we are on the subject of old Longines, I figured I would share with the members a couple of shots of what I believe to be my oldest 18s Albany watch. It is signed "P.D.F. Goewey" and I believe the Longines movement dates to around 1869 (serial number is 14,013).

Here is a shot of the movement. It has an excellent balance, but the stem is broken off and the end of the lever for setting the time is also broken off. The stem actually looks like it was a part of the gear it was entering. I may have to drill it out on the lathe and rethread for a new stem if that is actually the case.