Hi folks,

Still curious about my watch, case, dial combo. the watch is a "Type III' 60 hr Bunn

Special with Keystone case 173 two-tone patterned back and the Illinois bunn special

23 jewel 60 hour dial. The movement is in excellent condition serial 5182628 late 1928

case is very good, serial 7087884. Does anyone know how many 173,s with the patterned back

were made? Also was this case used in later models such as the Elinvar, 161' and 163,s ?

As for the variant dial , how many illinois models used it ? Finally, what is a good

estimate of the number of watches with this combination.


Thanks a bunch for any answers

John J Dolan

Hi John,

I'm definitely not one of the Illinois experts, but I believe the Model 173 case started being used in 1930 (don't know when they stopped using it).

Therefore I think it was most likely that 161As/163As also used these Model cases. A two-tone case is quite sought after,

Sorry, that's probably the limits of my knowledge on this.

Best Regards, Dan

Welcome to IHC185 John.

It would be very helpful if you could post a picture of your watch. If you could do that, you'll get more useful answers.

As far as I know, there's no surviving production records detailing the numbers of tutone and pattern-back cases out of the total production of the Case 173. We just know that they are uncommon.

Because of this they command a premium in the marketplace, creating an incentive for unethical sellers to cheat. So it's a good idea to check for signs of electroplating and also verify that serial numbers on the back, frame and bezel match on any tutone or pattern-back case you want to buy.

I believe we have discussed this very watch before on IHC if memory serves me for John

regards,
bb