Those Impressive-Looking Barrel Jewel Settings on Some 18-Size Bunn Specials . . .


I was doing some reading in the Meggers & Ehrhardt Illinois Watch Company Encyclopedia and Price Guide and discovered somes interesting facts on pages 59-60. Those impressive looking jewels in massive gold settings that we see on the barrel arbors of 24-jewel and 26-jewel Bunn Specials (see photo) are actually non-functional.

Here's how these watches were jeweled:



18-Size Bunn Special Jeweling Summary


All Movements have 11 jewels 1n the Escapement: 2 hole jewels and two cap jewels each for the balance staff and pallet arbor, plus two pallet stones and one roller jewel.

21-Jewel Movements: To the above add 10 more -- 2 hole jewels each for the escape wheel, third, fourth and center wheels plus 2 cap jewels for the escape wheel.

23-Jewel Movements: To the 21-jewel configuration add 2 hole jewels on the barrel arbor.

24-Jewel Movements: To the 21-jewel configuration add 2 cap jewels on the third wheel and an impressive-looking but non-functional jewel on the upper end of the barrel arbor.

26-Jewel Movements: To the 24-jewel configuration add 2 hole jewels on the barrel arbor, making a total of three jewels associated with the barrel, two functional and one cosmetic.

Mr. Meggers states that he felt these "cosmetic" jewels were a prestige feature added to appeal to those that wanted more jewels than anyone else, and that the large number of 24-jewel movements sold (estimated total production = 14,291) was proof that the sales strategy was successful.


24-Jewel Bunn Special Movement -- That Large Jewel in a Massive Gold Setting on the Barrel Arbor is Impressive-Looking but Non-Functional