While poking around the internet last spring I found this:

And this:

Then I saw this for sale, given that it was not quite the same as the one pictured above I had doubts as to it's authenticity but wasn't about to pass it up so I bought it. It appears to ba a Swiss movement that is difficult to identify and equally difficult to repair. The good news is that I ran it once and it went for 20 hours so I hope it just needs a good cleaning.

Movement. It is in a display case that has the odd trace of what looks to be gold plating. The crystals appear original as there are quite a few bubbles and other imperfections

Closer view of the dial:

Pinset:

Case seams:

More research found this:

As well as this:

Great find & fantastic research. Hard to imagine that paper sticker has remained in place for well over a hundred years.

I am jealous!

You may have already seen this, it is from The Railway News Vol 46 July 10, 1886

Tom

Thanks Tom, every little bit helps. I love the term "Afternoon Numbers"

Yes that paper sticker has seen a few miles, the fellow I bought it from was in Tennessee. I asked him to try to contact the man he bought it from to perhaps get more info but nothing came of it.

Hello Lorne:

Great research, and interesting about the Union Pacific thinking of adopting the 24-hour system, I don't know if that ever happened, but I know CPR extended it east of Winnipeg to Fort William it's lakehead port on Lake Superior, and the Canadian Northern, used it from Port Arthur adjacent to Fort William to Vancouver, and the Grand Trunk Pacific from Winnipeg to Prince Rupert, when the Canadian National Railways was created after World War I all railways west of Lake Superior use the 24-hour system.

Interesting looking Swiss movement, while the balance wheel looks simple, the highly polished Wolf tooth winding wheels and click mechanism are characteristic of high grade Swiss movements that you see on Agassi pocket watches.

Larry

The initial letter from Van Horne refers to implementing the 24 hour system west of Lake Superior and in the 3rd bit of research it states:
"and I am assured that by the end of next year the twenty four hour system will be in common use by the railways from Halifax in Nova Scotia to Vancouver on the Pacific Coast".

Pure speculation on my part but perhaps this dial is from that second phase of implementation east of Lake Superior and they decided to use the CANADIAN PACIFIC RAILWAY TIME notation.


I found a watch very similar but still no markings to attribute it to any maker in particular. This one sold at auction just recently.

quote:

The good news is that I ran it once and it went for 20 hours so I hope it just needs a good cleaning.

I had this cleaned and it runs for 44 hours, Yippee!

Hi Lorne

I just came over from the other post and had a look on your watch.

your watch is something very special, unique and a mixed bag at once (I like those). The hi(story ) of the dial and your research is great but the movement makes me wonder. It is a simple swiss cylinder escapement watch with 8-10 jewels and a wolf-tooth winding system that seems not to fit.
There is a lot of working traces, the screws turned over and over again, different blueing.
No movement I would spend dollars for. Ok lets assume that someone loved his watch and did a lot to keep it going. Thanks Good it still runs. so have fun and enjoy.

The second movement is a total different league:
Swiss lever 19 jewels, the wolf-tooth winding appropriate, good finish = state of the art when it was made.

Regards
Gerald

Gerald, I bought it only because of the dial and didn't have to pay near what I expected to. Whoever did own it took good care of it as there are at least a dozen jeweller marks around the inside of that display case.

I had only heard rumours of these dials and when it came up on ebay a couple years back I was a bit surprised at the lack of interest.