BOSTON WATCH CO. 11 Jewel, Hunter, made by Hampden in 1882. 

Dial & Movement both marked Boston, Watch Co. 

Movement is a Model 2, 11 Jewel, Nickel Finish, w/ Plain Regulator, made by Hampden in 1882. [ The original Boston Watch Co. only made 5000 watches & went belly-up in 1857. The first Hampden Serial No. marked Boston Watch Co. that I could find, was a Key Wind, Gilt Finish, 18s, 15J, Adjusted Model, made in 1878 ].

The Case is a 18 Size, Gold Filled Crescent Watch Case Co., Case w/ a Stag's Head Engraved on the Front Cover. 

Rear Cover is an engraved Village Scene. This case seems to be original to this movement [ no extra screw marks ] of course without the original Jewelers Invoice no one can be 100% certain.

Crescent didn't mark most of it's cases with Karat numbers or Wear Guarantees but this Trade Mark was used to indicate a Gold Filled, 14K, 20 yr., Case. 

Another John C. Dueber Special, 15/17 Jewel, Hunter (HN2L-SA), c.1889.

Special Adjusted w/ Teske Regulator, Model 2 Movement. Running well & keeping time [a bit fast but, most like it, needs to be demagnetized, as the Regulator is hard on "Slow]. 

Dial is a Double Sunk, Arabic, Style, w/ 'Moon' Hands. Both the Dial & the Back Plate are marked "Special" but the NAWCC Database & pocketwatchdatabase.com both have this Serial No. as a plain John C. Dueber & a 17 Jewel, which is questionable because it's not marked [early Hampden's below 17J's were unmarked so this is likely a 15 Jewel Movement]. 

The 14K, Yellow Gold Filled Case is a Hand Engraved, "True" Box Hinged, Hunter Case.  Made by the Dueber Watch Case Co. & Guarantied to Wear 20 Years. It appears to be Original to the Movement & the pictures do not do it justice. 

I took this pic. so you could see just how bright the Case really is. It still has crappy resolution but gives a better idea of the Case's Yellow Gold Colour.  

There are "Faux" Box Hinged Cases that are usually 3-Hinge Open Face or Screw Back & Bezel Cases (in fact a Screw B&B, Box Hinge, 21J, Dueber just sold, first for $189 & then, w/ better pic's, for $520.75). They have 'cosmetic' protrusions that make them look like a Box Hinged Case. A 'Real' Box Hinge Case, like this one, have the front & back Hinges attached to the lower protrusion, or Box, & is a Full Hunter Case.   

This is a 21 Jewel, Special Railway, Two Tone, Hunter Movement, [HT4L-A], c.1900, in a J. Boss, 20 yr., Gold Filled Case. 

Currently mounted in a Open Face Case these are often called "Sidewinders" The above shows the Chipped & Hair-lined Dial I got it with it [one of the chips is hidden under the Hour Hand]. 

           Nice "Circle" Gold Damasking & Gilt Screws [this picture doesn't do it justice]. 

This pic. taken after Old Dial was replaced by the Montgomery Dial. 

I considered this Mint, SS, 24 hr., Canadian Dial as a replacement but wound up settling  on the Montgomery Style.

Even though Montgomery Dials didn't come in till 1904, I keep seeing many of them on pre-1904 movements. Obviously the owners had them added when they became available. So, it wouldn't be out of character to install this one on a 1900 Model 4, like this [perhaps I can install the Canadian Dial on my Menlo Park Hunter that's currently in the Aluminium Dueber Case, w/ a totally incorrect dial on it. This has the added advantage of having the Single Sunk Dial on the 17J & the Double Sunk on the 21J which was the usually Hampden configuration]. 

Inside of Case marked Keystone w/ the "Scales" Logo & J.Boss, Guaranteed 20 yr's.. This case is a bit beat up & doesn't seat well but, with a bit of effort, it gets nearly flush.  After switching Dials I believe I'll leave the Movement in this Case or perhaps another 'Hinged' Open Face Case. It makes some sense to make a Hunter Style, Railway Watch into a "Sidewinder" [easier to read while on the job]. Kind of a Transitional Step before only the Open Face Watches were "Approved" & the Hunter's "Refused" by all but the smallest Railway Companies.  

A Group of 18 size Hampden Dials.

A Fancy Open Face Dial, which could be Special Ordered. The 1923 Parts Catalog Lists "Extra Fancy" Dials @ $18.00 a dozen, (Heavy Arabic Dials were $15.00 a dozen, Double Sunk $30.00 & Montgomery Dials, $33.00).  

A Roman Numeral Hunter Dial, w/ the "Canton, Ohio." Logo below Hampden Watch Co. This Logo is usually found on some John Hancock's, & "The Dueber Watch Co.", 21 Jewel movements, though I have seen one on a 23 Jewel Special Railway. 

This is a 24hr. Canadian (Hunter) Dial. These Dials were attached to RRG Movements intended for Canadian Service or Special Ordered. They came as Open Face or Hunter in a  Plain Center, Circle Center, or Double Sunk Style.  This one's a particularly nice, almost Mint, Dial. 

Painted "Masonic" Open Face, Dial. 

This Dial is made out of some kind of Vinyl. An After Market not made by Hampden. 

A Truly Rare Hampden. This John C. Dueber Special is a Model 4. According to the NAWCC Data Base & the "Hampden Watch Co." Book, no J.C. Dueber Special, Model 4's were ever made!                                                                                                                   

John C. Dueber Special's were made in the Early Hunting , Model 2 & the Open Face, Model 3  configurations, (Model 2's were phased out in 1895 & supplanted by the Model 4.  Both M2's & 4's were made in 1895 with non-consecutive serial No.'s. Serial No. 1,024,042 is the last listed M2 in the "Hampden Watch Co." book, after which it shows only the M4 ). 

The only Model 4 Recorded was a HT4L-A. Which was a 2-Tone Damasked model & just a J.C. Dueber, not the "Special Adjusted" Model. 

This Watch does have the "Moon" Hands common to all J.C. Dueber's & a Double Sunk, Roman Numeral Dial which appeared on the later J.C.'s. It also has "Gold Flashing" on the Back Plates. It's hard to see in these pic's. but the Barrel Plate also has very nice Toning, much like some old Silver Coins develop over time. 

www.pocketwatchdatabase.com did recognize the Serial No. 1026963 as a John C. Dueber Special, Model 4, but had only pictures of the Model 2 (till I up-loaded a pic. of mine). 

There is no way to know how many of these were made but I'd hazard a guess that they never made more than a handful (in fact a Serial Number search did turn up 3 other examples & by the spread of the Numbers I'd say there were possibly Two Runs of 200 & 300 ea. for this Version, though the small amount of Documented Examples would lead one to think that far fewer than that were actually made, or that they have had an unusually poor survival rate).  Below is the "Comet" 10Yr. Gold Filled Hunter Case I recently acquired. This movement fit perfectly & it would be about the right era so, for now, this is the Model 4's new Case {case does need some repair to the front hinge, which is cracked}. 

 
                                                                          

 This Watch is my pick for the Case below. I've reasoned that the Case belonged to an Indiana Farmer so he wouldn't need the best in "Railway" accuracy but would need a sturdy Movement. This watch is "Railroad Grade" for the time of manufacture but not a "Top of the Line", 21 / 23 Jewel, Fancy model, like the New & Special Railway's. 

This is a 3-Ball Model, 18 size, 17 Jewel, Hampden, Open Face Movement, w/ a Star Patent Regulator. The Grade designation "3-Ball" comes from the circular Damasking Pattern. 

This "Fancy" Dial is a good match for this Movement & Case Combination,with it's sentiment; "From Ma" & it's Custom Engraving on the Dust Cover.  

The Original Dial has a Arabic Script, Double Sunk, Dial, w/ a Spade Hour Hand & Whip Minute Hand & like all RR Grade Watches is Lever Set. The Dial has a Chip {repaired} @ 5:00 & 7:00 which is why I'm considering the New Dial. I've been carrying this watch for about a week & it only gained about 1 minute. 

Here we have a 18 size, Dueber, Open Face, 3-Hinge, Anchor & Serpent,    Gold Filled Case, with Case Paper. I've mounted the 3-Ball Movement [above] in it.                                                                                                                                                                                                                              

The Back has an Unusual Floral Engraving & looks like the same style as the Engraving on the Inside of Case.

The Anchor & Serpent Logo on Dueber Cases indicates the Case is Guaranteed to Wear for 20 Years.  

Engraving looks like it was Hand Engraved "Freestyle".

Possibly a "One Off" Job, made 'On Order', for a specific individual.  The 'Shield' on the Back has a faded inscription that looks like it says; "From, Ma", w/ decorations.

   Dust Cover has Wheat & a Bird (Chickadee?) Engraving, along with Owner's Name,     ( which looks like; "C.F. Votaw,  Camden Ind ) with some of the letters made of Wheat Stalks (the owner was most likely a Farmer).  This alone makes this Case unique as I've never seen a Dust Cover on any Cases I've looked at that was Engraved with more than just the owners name & date or a sentiment.  

Case Paper's were placed in all new Cases but few of them remain intact. This one's particularly well preserved, (because it was loose I put it into a plastic dial holder so it will remain 'well preserved').

Case has a type of Rope Edge Design. 

Sometimes called a Half-Hunter this kind of Hinged Open Face Case made it far easier to Set the Hands on a Lever Set Movement.