Railroadgrade watches had to meet strict guidelines to ensure their reliability and accuracy. You may see other marks that may confuse you, but remember that makers often put their own mark on twice, for instance, or you may see different monarchs heads, lions heads and the same letter mark but on a different background see below. An antique gold filled hampdendueber mollystark womens pocket watch. This information will require a loupe or magnifying glass. This hunter pocket watch is designed with an foliate etched case. A lion passant is the english hallmark for silver, not gold. Also, i have a howard and waltham i believe are as well.
Antique gold filled womens hampdendueber mollystark. Goldfilled or goldplated pocket watchcases were common. Goldtraders has compiled a gold hallmark identification wizard to help decipher the markings that are stamped on your item have a look at your piece of jewellery. Does anyone have suggestions as to how i may determine what ive got on each pocket watch case. Features include a roman numeral face, black brequet hands and a seconds sub dial is presented at the six position.
Gold pocket watch with enameled portrait and engraving on front of case. An antique gold filled box hinge hunting case pocket watch from elgin national watch co. These are fairly common and often confuse people as to whether they are solid gold. Info, specs, and value american antique pocket watches, with serial number lookups for manufacturers such as elgin, illinois, waltham, and hamilton. Generally speaking, the american pocket watch was sold in one of two types of cases. This is a simple and informative guide for understanding gold hallmarks, how to identify them and the methods used for testing the purity of gold. Newyork historical society pocket watch with charms. The seller is belmontcoinandjewelry and is located. Jack woods article that described how his technique for determining the date a wadsworth case was made was published in the septoct 2012 nawcc journal. Before that date gold cases were usually stamped with their carat fineness by the case maker, and silver was marked with its millesimal fineness, usually 800, or sometimes just fine silver. These are all the marks you need to effectively date an item of sterling silver.
In a few years, it moved to brooklyn, ny and was renamed the crescent watch case co. Hampden dueber watch company production dates by serial number table. This how to show how to remove the movement from a pocket watch. According to the national association of watch collectors, the crescent watch case co. Marks found in watch cases such as hallmarks, sponsors mark, date letter, assay office mark. Other case grades and trade marks are illustrated and described in the nawcc message board thread dueber solid or gold filled case gladiator grade case the book history of the american watch case, contains the registered trade mark application and gladiator illustration on pages 78 and 79. A hunting case pocket watch has a closed case that goes over the face of the watch. Identification of british clock types from brian loomes. Antique gold filled box hinged hunting case pocket watch. Sr and fa these markings do not refer to the maker of the movement. If your vintage pocket watch is in a goldcolored case, odds are pretty good that your case.
The case had red lacquer sealant around the primer annulus. Identifying vintage clocks depending on vital attributes from ezine articles. The english goldsmiths marks from 1400 to 1900 1 makers marks and. Date letter search facility for birmingham hallmarks. Technique 1 serial numbers that begin with the letter g or l. Compare the manufacturers name, serial number and movement caliber with. Original rockford wood box, 4 bridge, double roller,15j. I believe the watch to be made in swiss and exported to germany, hence the german crown. Is there a mark or lack of marks that will indicate this. Waltham pocket watch case identification nawcc forums.
The term open face is rather self explanatory in that it simply means that the face of the watch is open to viewing without opening a cover. An introduction to the american pocket watch ventura county. Swiss made gold and silver watch cases were not hallmarked in switzerland until hallmarks for watch cases were introduced by swiss law in 1880. Gold and silver watch cases submitted for hallmarking at a british. How can i tell if a 1908 elgin pocket watch is solid gold. See more ideas about makers mark, pottery marks and vintage costumes. Examples of solid gold case marks on american pocketwatch cases. How to take out pocket watch movement from its case. When all of the dots were gone after 2005, the xs were removed one by one until 2010. Read the information carefully to determine the metal content of the case, as this will aid in dating the watch. Ventura county chapter 190 national association of. Pocket sized 5 x 7 and with a new foreword by llewellyn h.
Most solid gold watch cases sold in the usa were 10k 14k 41. Made in switzerland 14k gold and has white and blue enamel case. When you first look at a pocket watch, the most obvious component is the case. Elgin watch identification guide waterstone watches. Gold filled case the case is very nice and has a stag engraved on the back cover, no dents or dings. In most vintage collector circles the word polished is right up there with redialed on the list of big nonos. American pocket watches used a system of relatively standard watch sizes, so it was possible for a customer to select the watch movement they wished to purchase, and then select a case to hold it. Overandunder flintlock pocket pistol of the hughes of gwerclas family with case and accessories ca. All watches of a particular model had the same case style though the material may vary, i. How to understand the meaning of gold hallmarks jewelry. The headstamp has a twoletter manufacturer code and the lot code rather than the year is the number 40 followed by a third numeral. The hunting case was made by dueber and has the following engraved on it.
This illinois hunter case pocket watch was special for a railroad company. Gold is a soft metal and can easily bend or be broken when in its most purest form. Gold pocket watch with turquoise and silver charms on rawhide thong. The full traditional hallmark comprises five marks.
Makers mark reference swiss watch brands, swiss watches, luxury. See the case material encyclopedia article for an explanation of the terms. This has been made by the watch movement centre pivot. Below are examples of markings on solidgold watch cases. If a watch case is solid gold it will usually be hallmarked or stamped with a karat symbol or assay mark, like warranted u. I have a 1908 elgin pocket watch that i have been told is solid gold. In 1893, the hamilton watch company of lancaster, pennsylvania began producing pocket watches primarily for railroad workers.
No matter what youre looking for or where you are in the world, our global marketplace of sellers can help you. Given the markings, at face value, your watch case appears to be a brooklyn watch case co. Pocketwatch 101 materials used in pocketwatch cases. One interesting feature of this case is the little dot right in the centre of the case that looks like a punch mark. Noblespirit no reserve desirable antique solid 14k gold waltham pocket watch. How to identify a waltham pocket watch our pastimes. The photograph here shows a nine carat gold borgel watch case with an example of these swiss hallmarks. A gold pocket watch with huntercase and watch chain. Click dating a gruen wristwatch from a wadsworth case serial number to download a pdf copy of the article.
Swiss hallmarks and other marks found in watch cases. Here is the revolutionary book on monetary reform brilliant, compelling, clear, with specific reforms to do now in an edition for global distribution. Gold jewelry chain styles best 10 types of necklace chains jewelry tools. Identification of types identification of makers identification services dating of timepieces bottom. A selection of 18th, 19th, and 20th century british silvermiths illustrated with their marks and biographical information. Web horology message board the pocket watch industry american pocket watch case companies. This hallmark belongs to my 1881 size 10 elgin gold hunters case if wanting. How to tell if your vintage watch case is gold or goldplated. Rare 14k solid gold 15j rockford pocket watch multi color case diamond running.
Remontoir pocket watch i inherited this remontoir pocket watch when my pop passed away and i would really like to know a little bit more about it, such as the maker, what year it was made in, if it has any value, although i am not looking to sell it but would like to know just out of curiosity. Gold watches may have the gold karat content within the logo, or they may have a number like. A pocket watch or pocketwatch is a watch that is made to be carried in a pocket, as opposed. Discussion in american pocket watches started by vandd, oct 19, 2009. Delicate foliate chasing on the back and front covers. Gold hallmark identification wizard goldtraders uk ltd. Hallmarking of watches incorporation of goldsmiths. Bulova watch identification guide waterstone watches. I have a elgin pocket watch from the late 1800s, size 6. The watchmakers name or the name of an independent case maker, may be engraved.
The first elgin watch a pocket watch dates to 1867. If it was made in a country that adheres to the convention on the control and marking of articles of precious metals otherwise known as the common control mark, you should find a set of hallmarks stamps. Indiscriminate polishing ruins the lines of cases, strips finishing, and turns a watch case into a bizarre, overshined, characterless blob of metal that never quite looks right in fact it looks terrible. Howard boston 17 jewel series 7 pocket watch in a keystone gold filled case is in sale since saturday, january 19, 2019. Gibson brown bonded leather journal ruled, 3 x 5 markings by c. There is a reasonably priced pocket version available that shows the. A sidewinder pocket watch has no cover over the face and it. I picked up a waltham hunters pocket watch at an auction recently.
Pocketwatch 101 how to identify pocket watch case types. The little clover flower could be importers watch case makers mark. An open face pocket watch has no cover over the face and it winds at the 12 oclock position. Identification of types of timepieces antique clocks identification and price guide. Gibson jumbo black leatherette journal ruled, 7 x 9 assortment pack. There are two main styles of pocket watch, the huntercase pocket watch and the. Materials used to make vintage watch cases pocketwatch 101. Wadsworth pilot case serial numbers lastflighthhs diary.
High resolution image of a clockwork with silver hallmark and precision surface finish. Unfollow pocket watch cases to stop getting updates on your ebay feed. The 1738 plate offences act the 1738 act, an act for the better preventing frauds and abuses in gold and silver wares,4 usually called the plate offences act, was the beginning of current hallmarking practice. Etsy is the home to thousands of handmade, vintage, and oneofakind products and gifts related to your search.
How to identify vintage pocket watches our pastimes. Marks in watch cases hallmarks, sponsors marks, etc. In 2000, case developed a dating system using an old style case xx stamp along with a mix of dots and xs both above the case xx symbol and below. With movement out you can then progress to many repair avenues. Pay close attention to things like the shape of the lugs, or the lines or lack thereof on the case. The key to identifying models by their case design is to pay attention to the details. The same letters were used for gold, which has been marked in birmingham since 1824, but with a.
How to read english hallmarks antique pocket watch. Gold and silver watch cases submitted for hallmarking at a british assay office. Starting around 1932, elgin used model numbers to identify unique case designs. It should identify the type of metal used for the case and case back, such as 18k for gold or 999 for silver. Joseph egg overandunder flintlock pocket pistol of the.
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