Internet Horology Club 185
Unusual 18s Hampden RR grade info

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February 23, 2020, 20:47
Theodore J. Brown Sr.
Unusual 18s Hampden RR grade info
Unusual 18s Hampden RR grade info

Today, I was looking at one of Roy Ehrhardt's books,American pocket watch encyclopedia volume 1. On pg. 152, there's a 1902 catalog reprint,it shows their 18s railroad grades.Well, there's 2 unusual statements I've never seen before.One is "any movement in first two rows furnished with steel escape wheel on special order".The other thing is, at the end of the description for the 21 jewel Dueber Watch Co. grade, it states "for Railway Service." Those were always considered RR grade, but not usually advertised that way.That kind of proves that those were a true RR watch after all.I can't remember seeing an ad for that watch that actually says it was RR grade, even though it has all the necessary ingredients! I thought the steel escape wheel thing was pretty unusual, must have been about the time railroads started clamping down on that. I've owned this book since it came out, and never noticed this before....Ted.


March 18, 2020, 19:45
Kevin Hoffman
Nice to know Ted ,I thought they were in the RR time early ,having many marked railway and suing for the exclusive right to the railway name , I like this era more than the later years 1930 and up
March 20, 2020, 09:45
Theodore J. Brown Sr.
Ageed Kevin! I think that point in RR time had the best watches.