Hampden 23 Jewel 18 size "Special Railway" w/ Gold 2-Tone Damasking. Manufactured in 1898/99 at Canton, Ohio. This watch is keeping Railroad Time which is quite surprising considering it's 117/18 years old.  

Double Sunk "Arabic" Dial needs to be Replaced but "Spade" Hands are in good shape. The Brooklyn Watch Case Co., 20 yr., Gold Filled Case, is in excellent condition. It's a Screw Back & Bezel Model without any wear or markings.   

This is the Replacement for the Chipped & Cracked Dial.

J.S. Townsend's "Superior". Hampden, 15 Jewel, Model 2, in Gold Filled, Dueber-Hampden, Salesman's Display Case. Manufacturing Date; 1883 at Springfield, Mass. before "Hampden" became "Hampden-Dueber Watch Co.". 

This 2nd Townsend may well be in it's original case, (no extra screw marks), which might account for the Dial being marked "Hampden" & the movement being marked "J.S. Townsend's Superior" so as to advertise both "Hampden" & "Townsend" to prospective buyers. The other "Superior" listed in the "Hampden Watch Co." book is listed as HN2L  A/T 15 Jewel. The A/T listing is unusual (if not unique) but I think this means it was Adjusted & Timed by Townsend rather than at the factory. After all Townsend was a Railway Time Inspector. 
So far I have never seen another Gold Filled Factory Display Case except this one. All the rest were "Silverine". It's in astonishingly good shape, showing no wear or markings & has a good tight bow.  

John C. Dueber "Special" (Special Adjusted) Serial No. 949500, (which was the last Serial # in this Run), 18s 17 Jewel, Gold Trim, Teske Regulator. In a Keystone, Off-Set 3-Hinge, Coin Silver, Case.

 Double Sunk Dial, w/ Roman Numerals & Red 5 Min. Chapter. Correct "Moon" Hands.  Running Very Well & Keeping Time to within 30 sec. in 48 Hr.'s.

Another John C. Dueber "Special", Serial No. 700640, HN2L-SA, Teske Regulator & Gold Register. Has Double Sunk Dial. Roman Numerals & Red 5 minute chapter. Has Correct "Moon" Hands. 

In a 14K Gold Fill "Essex" Hunter Case. 

 Now a Hampden Grade 44 18s 17J HN4L-U, with Unusual Red Canadian Dial. 
From Serial Numbers this movement was made for "The Santa Fe Watch Co. of Topeka, Kansas". It has no markings identifying it as a "Santa Fe" watch but for the Unusual Dial (Hampden Canadian Dials had Black 24 Hr. Numerals). Manufactured in 1908.

One Thousand of the HN4L-U & HN4L-A were made for the Santa Fe Watch Company & the serial Number 2568145 does fall within these. The W.J. Johnson Co. Hampden's were also unmarked except for their Identifying Special Damasking., so, perhaps, this is similar being only Identified by it's Proprietary Style of Dial.
Watch runs & is fairly accurate but not in the "Stem Down" Position.

  Case actually cleaned up nicely. Has 'carry ware' & a few 'spots' but all in all in Good Shape  w/ some wear through, (certainly 1000% better than it looks in this picture). It's largest draw-back is that it's missing both Crystal & Bezel. Case is an Illinois Watch Case Co. GF, Hunter Case. 
This is # 34 of my Hampden Watch Collection.

 18 size, Hampden, 21 Jewel, "Special Railway", Two-Tone Movement. 

Dial has been replaced with an inappropriate Single Sunk Dial. I have a correct Double Sunk, Arabic, "Script", Dial w/ Red Minute Chapter & a "Bold" Arabic, Red Minute Chapter, Dial, w/ Masonic Symbols I can use to replace the current Dial.The Blued Hands are very nice & appropriate to the movement so I'll not be replacing them. 
Currently housed in a Plain, Gold Filled, Open Face, Case [in future I might find a 3-Hinge, Gold Filled, Case for it]. 
Running Fast (needs to be Demagnetized & Readjusted). 
Number 27 in my Collection.  

                                    

Double Sunk, Arabic Script Dial.

Alternative; Double Sunk, "Bold" Arabic Dial, w/ Masonic Symbols. Below is a 4 oz. Dueber Coin, 3-Hinge, Case {that originally cased the 21J, John C. Dueber which I re-cased in a later model Gold Filled, Dueber, 25 yr., 3-Hinge Case} that I'll use for this movement.  

    

 Now here's a Hampden "Railway" Grade M2 18s 15J Private Label. 
This watch was made for J.S. Townsend, 1554 Wabash Ave. Chicago, Ill. ("The Railway Mans Jeweler"). Townsend had many Railroad & Union Clients including Eugene V. Debs. He was also a Railroad Time Inspector (a fact he did not advertise to his clients). 

The Serial No. is 199981, manufactured in 1882. This Serial # is listed in "Hampden Watch Co." as J.P. Townsend. 18s 15J 
HN3L which is in error because, as one can see, it is a HN2L-A (besides there are no 18s Model 3 Hunters as the M3 designates an Open-Face Movement). 
As with all "Railway" Models it has Gold Jewel Settings but it has Blued Screws like some Early "Railways" & has a Tucker Regulator which was added by Townsend as the Early Models had Plain Regulators.
Dial is excellent but for a repair at the top of the 'Seconds' Chapter where it had been chipped. Otherwise Dial is Clean & Bright. 
Runs well but a bit Fast (needs to be Demagnetized & Readjusted).
Both Rare & Historically Important.

Here a 23 Jewel 18 Size Hampden "Special Railway" with the 'Checkerboard" style Gold Damasking. Movement is a Model 4 (the Last of the Hunting Movements, it replaced the Model 2). 
The Dial is a Double Sunk, Arabic (Script) Numeral, & Red Minute Chapter Enamel Dial, w/ Morning Glory, Blued Hands.  

Cased in a 2-Hinged, Dueber-Hampden Marked Factory Display Case (without bow). Watch is badly in need of Cleaning & Oiling in order to Run well. 

 Here a Hampden 18 size 17 Jewels Two-Tone "Special Railway" w/ Teske Regulator. Gold Register, Gilt Screws, & Gold Jewel Settings.  Serial Number 762778, Manufactured in 1890. This is No.20 of my Hampden Watch Collection. 

Watch keeps good time but the Mainspring slips & has to be wound many times till it catches & watch runs. 

Movement is Cased in a G.W. Ladd, 3-Hinge, Gold Filled Case. Ladd Cases are comparatively Rare. This example is in Very Good Condition w/ some Carry Ware & 2 small Rub Marks on Case Back.  

 Here we have an unrecorded variant of the Two-Tone Damasked John C. Dueber, OT3L-A. My NAWCC Data Base lists these at a total production of 200. As I have this example which is earlier than the listed Serial #'s & have come across one other being sold on E-Bay, this brings it to 202 known examples. 

Serial No.968175. Manufactured 1894. Correct 'Moon' Hands & Single Sunk, 'Circle' Dial. Possibly the Original Case, a Wadsworth, 20 yr., (Ships Wheel),  Screw Back & Bezel, Gold Fill, Engraved Back Case, (being that there are no extra case screw marks, it is likely original to the movement but there is really no way to be certain as most movements & cases were sold separately & Cased by the Local Jewelers). Unlike the "Special Railway" 2-Tone's this Model has Blued, instead of Gilt, Screws & a Nickel, rather than Gold, Register. 
Great Timekeeper (might loose 30 sec's in 3 or 4 Days). 
This being Number 13 in my Hampden Watch Collection. 

Here we have a Hampden Serial No.2431623 18 size 17 Jewel Adjusted, Lever Set / Stem Wind, Two-Tone, Model 3, w/ Gold Jewel Settings & Gilt Screws, Grade; "Anchor (in Shield)". Manufactured 1906/07. A Total of 2000 Made. 

The picture does not do justice to the Gold Damasking which is literally blinding when it catches the light. 

This watch has the same features as the 17 Jewel "Special Railway" but a lot fewer of these were made (most likely because it didn't sell as well due to the lack of "Railway" in it's name).  

Right now it's slow about 30 sec.'s in a 24 Hr. period but I haven't adjusted it yet so I should be able to bring it into compliance with the RR Standards of 1906/07.

  I have re-cased this movement in a 3-Hinge J.S. Boss, Keystone, Gold Filled, Engraved, "Pie-Crust", Case, from it's former Plain Back, B&B Case.  

I really prefer a 3-Hinge to a Screw Back & Bezel Case for Lever Set Watches. Lots easier to Set the Time & if you want to show off the movement's Back Plate you don't have to juggle the watch & case back. 

This is Hampden Number 34 in my Collection & certainly one of my best.