Wednesday, August 23, 2017

HAMPDEN "GOLDEN GATE". 18 SIZE, 17 JEWEL, M2, ADJUSTED TO HEAT & COLD.






Friday, June 30, 2017


DUEBER SILVERINE, SCREW BACK & BEZEL, CASE, ENGRAVED WITH AN ELECTRIC TROLLEY ON CASE BACK. ONE-OFF CASE, Serial # 6176, hidden on inside edge of case back & is the same as the serial # stamped on the case body [Dueber Cases had two numerals preceding the body number as the main case number]. 



Monday, June 5, 2017


                          Hampden, 18 size, Double-Sunk, "Blind-Man's" Dial.

Near Mint Dial. Large Arabic, 'Script', Numerals. 
This Dial is going on my 18s, 23J, Two-Tone, 1899, Special Railway, movement.


Back shows the 'Open-Face' Dial Foot location. 

Monday, May 22, 2017


1887 J.P.STEVENS, ATLANTA, GA. [HAMPDEN] 18 SIZE, 15 JEWEL, MODEL 2 [HUNTER] with STEVENS PAT. REGULATOR. SERIAL NO.1671.
J.P.Stevens Watch Co. modified Hampden movements [as well as other makers, such as Aurora] by adding their "Stevens Patent" Regulators. This movement started out as a 18s, Hampden, Model 2, 15J [Unclear if it was Adjusted but it's likely it was adjusted by Stevens if it had not already been Adjusted at the Hampden Factory. The Hampden Serial No. should be under the Dial & may provide Grade & Adjustment data].



Single-Sunk Dial has Arabic Numerals & 'Red' 5-min. Chapter. Signed; J.P.STEVENS ATLANTA, GA. The Hour Hand seems wrong as I've seen other J.P.Stevens watches with Open Morning Glory Hands, like the Minute Hand seen here [I also happen to have a set of Open Morning Glory Hands I could fit to this movement]. 

Housed in a DUEBER COIN Hunter Case, Serial #660170.

Case has a Floral Engraved Front Lid & a Plain Back.


Very, very, few of these J.P.STEVENS, Gems show up on the market & most are either priced at $5000 plus, in a GF or Solid Gold Case, or they're incomplete & not in running condition, though this one is. I'd say that this is as rare as the 17J, Ball-Hampden's are. 

Sunday, April 23, 2017



18 size Dueber Watch Case Co., Engraved Silverine, 3-Hinge, Open Face Case.
Bird & Floral Engraving on Case Back.


Thick Crystal, with Engraved Bezel.

Close up of Case Back Engraving.

Close up of Bezel Engraving. 3-Hinge Case for both Pendant & Lever Set Movements.

Inner Dust Cover. Marked "Dueber" - "Sliverine" - "Canton, O." - "41301".



Thursday, April 20, 2017


DUEBER, "CHAMPION", 18 SIZE, BOX-HINGE, HUNTER / DISPLAY CASE [serial #1494630]. Movement is an 1886, 18 size, Hampden, Grade Springfield, 7/11 Jewel, Gilt Finish, Hunter [HG2L-U] Serial No. 428493.
"Champion" Dueber Cases are Gold Filled, 10K, & Warranted for 20 yrs..


Instead of a Dust Cover Back has a Second Bezel & Crystal. I don't know if these Hunter / Display Cases were done at the Factory or were Modified later.

Fitted with an 1886, Model 2, Gilt, Grade Springfield, Movement.

Plain, Roman, Single-Sunk, Dial, w/ Thin Spade Hands.

Front of Case.

Rear of Case.
 

Saturday, April 1, 2017


1906 Hampden Watch Co., "John Hancock", 21 Jewel, 18 size, Model 3, Adjusted to 5 Positions, Double Roller, Open Face Pocket Watch.
ON3L-5P DR. Running. Gold Screw Settings, Damasked Nickle Back & Barrel Plates. Serial No.2277563.


The Hands are Extra Broad Hr. & Whip Min. The Dial is Incorrect for this Movement.

This is the Appropriate Style Dial for this Watch [with the addition of Masonic Symbols at the center].
Currently housed in a "Gibraltar", Rolled Gold or Plated, Embossed, Case. 

Wednesday, March 29, 2017


DUEBER WATCH CASE CO., 18 size, Gold Filled, 10K, "Champion" Hunter Case.

Blank Shield Front, with Floral Engravings.

Village Scene Back. Completely Hand Engraved.



Dueber "Champion" Logo that appeared on their early cases. Indicates a 10k, Gold Filled Case, Warranted to Wear for 20 yr's.

From the Side. Coin Edged with a Dotted Band.  

Tuesday, March 21, 2017


Serial No.2354915, HAMPDEN 21 JEWEL, 18 SIZE, SPECIAL RAILWAY, TWO-TONE, MODEL 3, MANUFACTURED IN 1907.
OT3L-5P, DR [Open-Face, Two-Tone, Model 3, Marked; "Adjusted to 5 Positions", & "Double Roller"]. Circle Gold Damasking, w/ the 'Late Style' "Special Railway" script markings.


Only 400 of these 2-Tone, Model 3, Open-Face, Sp.Railway movements were made in 1907. In 1908 another 130 were made before the line was discontinued. During this time [1906/'08] 565, 18 size, Hunter Case, 21 Jewel, Special Railways were also made [See earlier post of my 1908, HT4L-5P, DR, Special Railway].  In 1906 / '07, Hampden made 250, 18s, 23 Jewel, 2-Tone Sp. Railways making them the rarest of them all. After 1907 / 1908 all these models had Damasked Nickle Movements.

Double-Sunk, Glass Enamel Dial, w/ Arabic Numerals & Lg. Spade Hands [dial has 3 quite noticeable hairlines]. 

"Monitor" Case was Gold Plated, which has been rubbed off through the ages. This Watch is running [as of this writing it's been running 13 hrs. & keeping exact time] but needs a Mint Dial & a Good, Dueber, Gold Filled Case to go with it. 

Sunday, February 26, 2017


The End Result; My 1899 Hampden, John Hancock, 21 Jewel, 18 size, Open Face, Model 3, [ON3L-A], Serial No.1439526, with Canadian 24 hr. Dial, mounted in a Canadian, Gold Filled, Case.
Made for the Canadian Market, this John Hancock has a Damasking Pattern similar to the 3-Ball Style [as an aside, to give you an idea of the % of US made movements that were intended for Canadian sales, I remember a Bartender in Vancouver, B.C., showing me a book on population figures, back in the 1990's. The population of the entire Nation of Canada was within a couple of hundred people of the population of Los Angeles County, California. Figure the relative population figures for the 1890's was similar].


The 24 Hr., Canadian Dials were not listed as an option in the Dueber-Hampden  Ad's like the Numerical 'Montgomery' Dials were {they are listed in the Dueber-Hampden Parts Catalog though} so my guess is that they were only Factory Mounted on Movements that were intended for 'The Canadian Trade'.

The Case I've mounted this movement in is an A.W.C.Co. of Toronto, Ont., Gold Filled, 20 year, Open Face, Case. Most of the 'Canadian Trade' Watches I've come across have Canadian Cases. I don't know if this was a requirement for imported watch movements or that Jewelers felt that Patriotic Canadians would be more likely to buy a Watch with a "Made in Canada" Case. 

Thursday, February 23, 2017


This one's a Dueber Grand, 17 Jewel, 18 size, Hunter, Serial No.1236709.
Movement is a Model 4, 17 Jewel with Screw Set Jewels & Hampden Star Regulator. Movement is running & keeping time.


The Dial is a Fancy Hampden Factory Dial with the HWCo. Logo.

The Gold Filled Hunter Case is Hand Engraved w/ a Rampant Stag on a Floral Field.

The Case Manufacturer is the Keystone Watch Case Co., J.Boss model. It's a 14K, Gold Filled, 25 year, Hunter Case [marked 25 yr. / 14K & the Crown over Scales Logo indicates a 25 year ware guarantee as well as being 14K Gold Filled].

Tuesday, February 21, 2017


18 size, Keystone, J.Boss, Open Face, Screw Back & Bezel, Case. Gold Filled, 10K, & Warranted to Wear for 20 years. 
1900 to 1910 era, Pendulum & Lever Set Case.


Elk Engraved Back.

Serial Number 8553704. Marked Keystone & J.Boss, 20 yr. The Scales symbol indicates a Gold Filled Case of at least 10K [a Crown over the Scales would indicate a 14K Case] & the Keystone represents the Manufacturers Trade Mark.. This currently holds my Illinois, 18s, 17J, Bunn.

This is an 18 size, Open-Face, Screw Back & Bezel, Gold Filled,  A.W.C.CO., Case, Warranted for 20 years. Made by "The American Watch Case Co., of Toronto, LTD." 511 King St., W. Toronto, Ontario, Canada. 
Highly Hand Engraved, Case Back.


From the Front.

Coin Edge, with Thick Crystal.

Screw Back & Bezel, Warranted for 20 years. The Style indicates it was made around the Late 1800's or the Turn of the Century.

I bought this Canadian Case to go with my Hampden, John Hancock, ON3L-A, that has a Canadian Dial [Roman, 1 through 12 & Arabic 13 through 24, Numerals]. As a "Canadian Market" Hampden it would have, most likely, had a Canadian made Case.