Hello Gary,
Thank you for sending in this pocket watch to mearto.com for an appraisal.
TITLE:
Gent’s, 12s, pendant wound and pendant set, yellow gold-filled, savonette, open face pocket watch, Grade 275, model 2, S/N 10388354, case made by the Crescent Watch Case Company of Chicago and Brooklyn, watch made and sold by the Elgin National Watch Company, Elgin, Illinois, circa 1904.
Provenance: Was owned by my father, John C. Robinson, until his passing. To my knowledge has always been in the family.
DESCRIPTION:
Case/Condition: Size 12, gold filled, round open face pocket watch with a suppressed ball fluted pendant and oval bow placed at the three position (savonette) opposite the case hinge. The gold back cover has engravings (worn) of floral and foliate patterns with a small foliate embossment around the periphery of the back cover as well as on the glazed dial bezel. The inside of the watch case is not shown but I am told there are no gold hallmarks, only the logo of the Chicago Watch Case Company(1882-1885) which then became the Crescent watch Case Company. Moderately worn case cover in the Art Nouveau style of circa 1880-1910.
Dial: This is a round white enameled dial with black Roman hour chapter ring with a bar minute track to the outside, red Arabic markers are placed every five minutes around the circumference of the dial. There is a sunken subsidiary seconds dial @6 and steel ‘Continental type Spade hands. The upper dial is marked “Elgin”. Condition of the dial is very good.
Movement/Condition: NOT SHOWN - This is a nickel split three quarter plate movement with exposed ratchet and crown wheels, the size 12, Grade 275, model 2, Class 100 movement made by the Elgin National Watch Company with serial number 10388354 made in the year 1904 in a run of 1000 such movements. There are 17 jewels, some in Pressed Raised Cup Settings. The watch is pendant wound and pendant set, has a going barrel, quick set train (more than 18000 beats per hour). The center wheel is in gold, and there is a Moseley type regulator. [Moseley regulator, patent number 15702, patented Nov 17 1874 by Charles S. Moseley and George Hunter.]The watch has extra positional adjustments, but is not of railroad grade. The plates are properly signed and numbered. The movement is functional. The movement will be assumed original to this case, genuine and functioning.
HISTORY:
~CRESCENT WATCH CASE COMPANY:
The Chicago Watch Case Co. started in Chicago in 1882, manufacturing gold cases, mostly 10K.
"... one of the incorporators of the Chicago Watch Case Co. was Martin S. Smith of Detroit, who had become somewhat wealthy and invested in various business, especially lumber. He is the same M. S. Smith of the Detroit jewelry concern, and of the rare M. S. Smith watches. It is not clear that he is associated with the Chicago Watch Case business after its move to Brooklyn.” Michael C. Harrold noted in 17-Apr-06 post
Around 1885, the Chicago Watch Case Co. moved to Brooklyn, NY, where, after a reorganization, it was renamed as the Crescent Watch Case Co. All production was sold through the Waltham Co. agents, Robbins & Appleton.
In 1891, a New Factory was built in Newark, NJ. Silver and nickel cases started being built in the new factory by 1891, but the moving of the rest of the operations and shutting down of the Brooklyn plant didn't occur until on, or about, August 1, 1891.
~ Crescent Grade Cases
Case – Grade - Case Material
1) - Extra - 14K Gold-Filled case claimed to contain "... about TWICE AS MUCH GOLD as any other GOLD filled case heretofore made."
2) - Star & Crescent Moon Trade Mark - Gold-Filled case, guaranteed for 20 years
3) - Planet - Gold-Filled case, guaranteed for 20 years.
4) - Regent -Appears to be a Gold-Filled case.
5) - Star & Crescent Moon Trade Mark -Nickel case
PRICING:
Gold filled Elgin pocket watches, when there is superior engraving on the case. Or a special movement can bring as much as $300-$400 in today’s watch market. However, this particular watch is not in that category and on a good day may bring a fair value in the range of $150-$200, which is where I believe it belongs.
I thank you for the corrections you made. The experience was a bit mind boggling. Also, thanks so much for choosing mearto.com for your appraisal.
My best,
David
_________________________________________________________________________________
Dear Gary,
Thank you for contacting Mearto with your appraisal inquiry.
You have provided Elgin serial number 10388354 for this "Gold" watch.
Your information sheet lists the serial number as 700579. One of them is wrong, and looking at the watch i tend to believe the number you sent to me.
1 - I need a photo of the movement showing me the correct serial number (not the case number)
2 - I need a photo of the inside of the back cover which will tell me the quality of the gold.
I am going to put this appraisal aside until I hear from you. When you correct the mistake and i am given the correct number from the movement and the correct type of gold case this is from the inside of the back cover I will do the appraisal ASAP. For now it is marked Missing information.
My best,
David