Internet Horology Club 185
CANADIAN Private-Label Watches

This topic can be found at:
https://ihc185.infopop.cc/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/5656047761/m/745103698

February 25, 2005, 19:24
Larry Buchan
CANADIAN Private-Label Watches
We are now going to take a trip from Toronto on the line that runs to Windsor, Ontario and Detroit, Michigan. The Guelph subdivision runs from Toronto to London, Ontario 87 mi. down the line is the community of Woodstock where are next Hamilton private-label jeweler was located, Woodstock is a junction point for the 34 mi. St. Thomas subdivision.

Hamilton #924 movement J. L. Wilson, Woodstock


February 25, 2005, 19:32
Larry Buchan
J. L. Wilson, Woodstock, Ontario dial.


February 25, 2005, 19:44
Larry Buchan
Going down the St. Thomas subdivision 9 mi. out of Woodstock we find the community of Ingersoll, Ontario Junction point for Saint Marys and Port Burwell Subdivisions, and the following Waltham Private-label:


February 25, 2005, 19:56
Larry Buchan
Waltham #845 private-label movement


February 25, 2005, 20:06
Larry Buchan
We now leave Woodstock for the Windsor subdivision after passing through London mileage 118 we proceed 64 mi. to Chatham, Ontario where we find a Hamilton #936 from the Von Guten Brothers marked RAILROAD KEYSTONE:


February 25, 2005, 23:42
Larry Buchan
Von Guten Brothers RAILROAD KEYSTONE movement:


March 03, 2005, 20:21
___________
Larry -

Once again this thread is incredible, and I am enjoying each and every post along the way.

On a side note, that Ambrose Kent private-labelled Illinois above is a damaskeen pattern I have never seen before on a 21 jewel Bunn Special, and I had to look the watch over 3 or 4 times just to make sure I was seeing it correctly. Terrific watch!

Fred


March 06, 2005, 19:04
Ed Ueberall
Fred,
If I am reading the serial number of Larry's Ambrose Kent and Sons Private Label correctly as 1,411,759, it is listed in Russ Snyder's Illinois database as a Grade 65E, not a Bunn Special.
At one time I owned a 21 jewel movement with the same damaskeen pattern private labelled for the Federal Watch Co.. Its serial number also indicated it as a Grade 65E.


Ed Ueberall
IHC Member 34
The Escapement
March 06, 2005, 19:27
___________
Interesting Ed, and I also see that now on Russ's database.

Even if it is a 65 though it is still something new to me then as I have never seen gold-jewel settings or a "Ruby Jewel" marking on a grade 65 before.

It is based on these features that I originally thought the watch a Bunn Special grade, and interestingly this block of serial numbers 1411751-760 is surrounded on each side (1411601-750 and 1411761-900) by what Russ's database identifies as Bunn Special runs.

Strange ... but in a great way! Big Grin

Fred
March 08, 2005, 01:06
Larry Buchan
Watch inspectors advertisement from 1906 Locomotive Engineers souvenir program for convention held at St. Thomas, Ontario.


March 08, 2005, 04:26
Jim Cope
...thanks Larry!...I really enjoyed the ride...
March 11, 2005, 01:24
Larry Buchan
It's now time to leave our trip to Southern Ontario, and return to Sudbury Junction to continue eastward through the Ottawa Valley to Montréal Québec. We proceed 79 miles to North Bay, Ontario than 117 miles to Chalk River, Ontario and then it is 130 miles to our nations capital at Ottawa where we find this interesting private-label dial from an Omega 16 size movement. It is marked: "GEO G. NETTLETON GTR (Grand Trunk Railway) & NYC (New York Central) INSPECTORS, OTTAWA.


March 12, 2005, 23:54
Larry Buchan
Leaving Ottawa we proceed 111 miles eastward to Montréal, Québec which was CPR's corporate head quarters from the 1880s until 1996 when they moved to Calgary, Alberta. Here is a postcard showing CPR's Windsor station.


March 13, 2005, 00:08
Larry Buchan
Montréal Watch Case Company.

I do not have any private labels from the province of Québec, if any of our members have any examples I would like to see them posted here.

Many of private labels shown in this thread were ordered from the Hamilton Watch Company by the Montréal Watch Case Company. I have not been able to find anything about this company except for a newsprint photo of their building in Montréal, Québec in 1905, and I read that they had a fire that caused a lot of damage to the building. I have inserted one of their company receipt from 1897 for a transaction with a jeweler W Andrews in St. Mary's, Ontario


March 13, 2005, 00:45
Larry Buchan
East eastward from Montréal through Québec, the State of Maine to St. John New, Brunswick.

While Montréal was a large shipping port for the Canadian Pacific Railway on the St. Lawrence River winter freezeups necessitated access to an all weather port on the Atlantic Ocean. The CPR chose a more direct route through Québec and across the largely uninhabited Northern part of the State of Maine to the port of St. John, New Brunswick. The portion of the CPR through the State of Maine was known as "The International of Maine"
March 15, 2005, 23:48
Larry Buchan
About 70 mi. northeast of St. John the Intercolonial Railway (Now part of Canadian National) ran from Québec through New Brunswick to Moncton, then through Truro, Nova Scotia to Halifax. Here is a private-label Hamilton #934 Serial No. 202726, according to the Hamilton Watch Co. Ledgers this watch was finished on June 2, 1902 and sold April 30, 1904 to the Montréal Watch Case Co. Montréal, Québec . It has a Arabic single sunk Hamilton Watch Co. marked dial, and the private-label movement is marked Earl J Thompson Moncton, N.B. (New Brunswick)


March 15, 2005, 23:57
Larry Buchan
Hamilton #934 Earl J. Thompson movement


March 16, 2005, 00:00
Larry Buchan
Hamilton #934 Earl J. Thompson private-label movement close-up


May 12, 2005, 21:57
Larry Buchan
Some new additions:

B.C. Crichton Moose Jaw, Sask. Hamilton #936 Serial Number 244483 with double sunk Arabic 24-hour dial.


May 12, 2005, 22:03
Larry Buchan
Hamilton #936 Serial Number 244483 movement.


May 12, 2005, 22:17
Larry Buchan
D.R. Dingwall, Limited, Winnipeg Man. Double sunk Arabic 24-hour dial.


May 12, 2005, 22:22
Larry Buchan
D.R. Dingwall Limited Hamilton #936 Serial Number 244003 movement.