Just added this one to my collection. 17jewels,
S/N 146348=1901 My
research shows 5111 made. Fresh COA and Mainspring
by Paul Davis. Any comments welcome.

Regards
Roger

Case back

Movement

Very nice! I have two of them and I did not realize there were so few made.

Lindell, I wonder if you are correct in saying that "a Railroad Grade . . . designation is what counts heavily to most [pocket watch] collectors." I don't doubt that this true for IHC 185 members, a self-selected group, but I seriously question whether it is true for the entire collector universe, including non-US collectors. I for one do not have, as far as I know, a single railroad grade watch among my 400 pocket watches.

I don't doubt that railroad grade watches generally were fine, robust timekeepers, but they generally were utilitarian watches produced in large quantities. Other watches then were being made that were equally fine, if not better, timekeepers, but that were much more stylish and much more expensive than railroad grade watches when initially marketed. Furthermore, some of the railroad grade requirements were parochial, such as actually or effectively requiring them to be made in the U.S., or arguably silly (e.g., requiring them to be lever set, when other alternatives were more convenient and just as safe, e.g., pin-set).

There is nothing wrong with collecting railroad grade watches, but I doubt that more than half of pocket watch collectors worldwide focus on them. There is a whole other collecting world out there. To illustrate, among other things, I collect certain makers, such C.H. Meylan and Touchon, certain models, such as Elgin C.H. Hulburds, 21j Elgin convertibles and Waltham American Watch Co. grades, and certain types, such as hermetic watches.

Thanks Lindell, I see now that it is not a RRG. The hand was changed after the picture as they became available to me. Looking at the Gelson list I came up with 5,111 with one run being 3!

Roger

Interesting Roger, but my Hamilton Watch Co Identification book shows that number between 1900 and 1909 as being 3,310 as Lin quoted.

Regards,
Larry being

Interesting Larry. By looking at the Gelson list I show the first year as being 1894 and the last as 1909. I wonder if all the s/n blocks were actually produced.

Roger

Good question that I cannot answer! But I do remember Lindell telling me that "blocked" often meant they planned to assemble them.

Regards,
Larry

Nice 934, Roger!

As far as RR Grade or no, I'm not sure how it is now days, but in the past some guys collecting 18 size Hamiltons for instance were more interested in the rarity than whether or not it was RR Approved.

That is to say it was kind of like pieces to a puzzle. There may be an 18S hamilton collector out there who has most everything else but not a 934. Hence that Grade would be attractive to him because he doesn't yet have it. 934s can be tough to acquire, especially in the condition like Roger's watch here. Murphy's Law applies you can find 2 or 3 when you're not looking for a particular grade, but when you ARE there's none to be had.

And how many of us have had opportunities to buy a watch but passed on it for whatever reason only to wish later we'd have bought it? I know I have...

Tom, I agree with you. I do collect the RRG's but I
also can not pass up a beautiful watch with low production.

Regards
Roger

Regarding railroad watch requirements and why: American made to assure quick parts availability and ease of movement identification. Hard to accurately I.D.Swiss movements and order parts pre-WWII. Not too efficient when Swiss parts had to be sent in to material houses to be matched to sample. Pendant-set not so safe if case sleeve or set spring breaks-stem will stay in setting position. The standards evolved over time for good reason. Things I learned from the "old timers" in the watch material business here in a one time big railroad center, St Paul MN.