18 SIZE WADSWORTH 20 YEAR, GOLD FILLED, ENGRAVED, HUNTER CASE.

Starting to make a dent in my severe lack of Hunter Cases w/ this Late 1890's / Early 1900's GF, Case.

Photo's show the Case still unpolished. It's a Yellow Gold Fill & should polish up Flashy Bright.

This is a Lever & Pendant Set Case & the Later Style Winding Ball & Bow.

Guaranteed to Wear for 20 years. Serial No. 661514 [which is of absolutely no use in dating or identifying any of these cases & one wonders why no Case Co. bothered to keep track of them]. 

HAMPDEN "ELECTRIC RAILWAY STANDARD", 16 SIZE, 17 JEWEL, MODEL 4. MANUFACTURED in 1905/06. 

Watch has "Electric Railway Standard" on Dial but not on Movement which is a Open Face Grade 107. The Grade 107's were both Open Face & Hunter & quite rare. I've seen examples of 16 size Electric Railway Standard "Hunter's" but only one example of the 18 size Electric Railway [documented here above].  

The Movement is a Model 4, 3 Finger Bridge. It is a Grade 107 but it's not marked. It also has a Steel Escape Wheel, Sapphire Pallet Stones & Gold, Screw-Set, Jewel Settings. It may or may not have a Double Roller. The Screws were Originally Gilt but some have been replaced. Also had a Gilt Regulator.

Inside of Rear Case. Case is a Screw Back & Bezel Type w/ a Plain Back & a Modern Winding Ball & Bow arrangement.

This Watch sold for approximately $47.00 in 1905. Adjusted for Inflation this would be $1,213.00 today, which gives one more of an insight into the quality of these old Railway Watches. They might be said to be the Rolex of their times. 

COLUMBUS WATCH CO. 18 SIZE, 11 JEWEL, "NORTH STAR" in DUEBER "GLADIATOR" 10K, 20 YR., GOLD FILLED, HUNTER CASE. 

Nickel Finished, 11 Jewel Movement, Marked Columbus Watch Co., Columbus, Ohio, w/ the Logo North {star}. 

Single Sunk Enamel Dial.

Dueber "Gladiator" 10K, 20yr., Gold Filled, Hunter Case. 

Fully Hand Engraved Case. 

Large Profile [Thick Style] Early Case. I really bought this watch for the Case [& at the price I paid I got the Case Cheap & the Movement Free]. The Movement was sold as 'Not Running" but as yet I don't know why. From what I see all the Parts are there, including the Regulator [which is often missing parts on Columbus movements]. This is one of the Lower-End Models but not the Cheapest being an 11J, Nickel Movement.

Another John C. Dueber from 1896. This is a Rare, Early Two-Tone Movement. 

A HT2L-A [Hunter-Two Tone Gold Damasked-Model 2-Lever Set-Adjusted]. 17 Jewel, 18 Size. 

Double-Sunk, Roman Numeral, Dial, w/ Thin Spade Hands [probably replaced as most J.C. Dueber's had Moon Hands]. 

Currently in a Fahy's Oresilver [Nickel] Open-face, Case. Watch is Running. The Dueber-Hampden Factory seems to have been playing around w/ applying Gold to their movements around the Mid-1890's before they settled down to producing these Two-Tone Models systematically. Which is most likely why I keep finding these unrecorded examples like the 1893, Grade 80, from the earlier posting.

Here's a Dueber Watch Case Co., 3-Hinge, Open Face Case. It's Gold Filled w/ a 25 yr. Guarantee, as well as having it's Original [matching] Case Paper.  

Front View. This is a Late Style Case {1900 & Later}. It's thinner & has a smaller Bow & Winding Ball than the earlier Cases.

Case Back. Engine Turned, w/ Hand Engraved Shield Design. Case has no Monogram & hasn't been Polished. 

With Front Lid Open. The 3-Hinge Design makes setting the Watch a lot easier & the Dust Cover adds protection for the Movement.

Back Lid Open, Showing the Dust Cover & the Case Label.

Original Case Paper, w/ Numbers that match the one's stamped on the Case {in this instance No. 6098353}. It also shows it's 14 Karat Gold Filled & Guarantee not to Wear for 25 Years. 

Side View, showing the Coin Edge Design & the thickness of the Crystal. An Excellent Case for one of my 1900 & later 18 size, Model 3's.  { The 1908, 21 Jewel, DR, John C. Dueber is the best movement for this Case. }. The Crystal has a tendency to pop out of the bezel, so I'll take it over to Jimmy @ Anderson's & have him apply a bit of  ultra-violet glue.  

Referred to as "A Notable Eccentric" by Friends in San Francisco it's no wonder I'm drawn to "Odd Balls", so here's another one: A 16 Jewel "Railway".  Manufacturing Date of 1890/91. Every   book & data base I know of shows only 15 Jewel Hampden "Railways" except for Pocketwatch Data Base & the Seller {who is quite knowledgeable & has a good reputation with me} who claim this one has 16 Jewels. Well, I'll get to count them when I change the Dial to a Mint SS, Circle Dial that I have. So there!  

The Dial though, is not the usual "Canton, Railway", Double Sunk Type. Instead it's a Single Sunk, "Circle" Dial [these have been documented on "Springfield, Railways"] & the Hands are Wrong. "Railway's" came with Fluer de Lis Hands. The usual Font Style for the Double Sunk Dials was "Old English" but Formal Script has also been documented. I'll replace this Dial w/ a Mint SS, Circle Dial I have, or I can swap Dials w/ a Non-Running JC Dueber movement, which has a  Double Sunk, "Old English" Style Dial. The Seconds Hand is obviously Wrong as it's Gilt, so it'll be replaced forthwith. The Hr. & Min. Hands should also be replaced. Some "Railways" have been documented with "Crescent" & "Morning Glory" Hands {which are easier to obtain} & I might use these if I can't find "Fluer de Lis". Update; have acquired a nice set of "Crescent" Hands, so I'll try these.  
                                                                                                                                                                            

It seems I've acquired the type of Dial & Hands usually found on the "Railways" so I'll be fitting them on this Movement. The Dial is a near perfect, Double-Sunk, Roman, 'Gothic' or 'Old English' Font Style & the Hands are the 'Fleur de Lis' Style & still Brightly Blued.  I'd say that this is the Original Style of Dial & Hand fitted to this Movement when it was made [95% certainty].

Not Part of My Collection but I thought I'd add this "Last of the 17 Jewel, 18 size, John C. Dueber's" which were made with alternating serial Numbers along with the 21 Jewels {this one is Serial # 2527240}. The NAWCC Data Base has the 17J as One Run of 400 which only confuses the situation more {were they counted along w/ the 21J's or separately? Does this mean there were 800 17 & 21 Jewel models made, altogether? Or, 400 of each? Or 200 of each? & is your head hurting by now?}. 

This one has the Usual Spade Hour & Whip Minute Hands.

It has different Damasking than the 21 Jewel & I don't know if it has Ruby or Sapphire Pallet Stones & Steel or Brass Escape Wheel. It does have the Gold Screw-Set Jewels though.  

The Dials seem to be Identical. Another Double Sunk, Arabic Script, Dial w/ Red Marginal Figures.

This one's housed in a B&B, "Royal", 20 yr. Gold Filled Case, which is Engine Turned w/ an Engraved "Shield" Back, which has been monogrammed. No matter if there are 400 ea. or 200 ea. of these 17 & 21 Jewel John C. Dueber, ON3L-5P DR's ever made, they're damn rare now & I've only documented this one 17J & the one 21J {the one in my collection} since I started following Dueber-Hampden's 5 Yrs. ago.