Hello Alan,
Thank you for sending in this pocket watch to mearto.com for an appraisal. I shall try to help you with that today.
TITLE:
Gent’s, 14k gold filled, pendant wound and lever set, keyless, savonette, open face pocket watch, S/N 43824, Grade 941 (model 2) made by the Hamilton Watch Company, Lancaster, Pa. USA circa 1899.
DESCRIPTION:
Case: 18-Size, four leaf, 14k gold filled, hunting case pocket watch with fluted suppressed gilt ball pendant and oval bow [laced at the three position (savonette) opposite the case hinge. The covers are engraved with geometric and foliate deigns, one cover having a large tree with clear cameo space in the upper branches for an interlocking monogram and the other cover similar and with the same tree having an engraved Swiss Chalet landscape scene. The interior of the covers reveals the Keystone logo with J. Boss and the 14k gold finish guaranteed to last 20 years. (Whenever you see the J Boss name you will be close to 100% correct if you assume you are looking at a gold filled case, since James Boss invented that form in America in the 1860s.) There is a cuvette over the movement compartment.
Dial: Triple tiered and double sunk white enameled dial with fine black Roman hour chapter ring, closed minute track with red Arabic markers placed every five minutes along the periphery, sunken subsidiary seconds dial @6, very fine and elegant steel Fleur-de-Lys hands and the sunken dial center with the script marking, “Hamilton watch Co.”.
Movement: This is an 18s, damascened nickel full plate movement, the Grade 941, model 2, made by the Hamilton Watch Company, Lancaster, Pennsylvania with Serial Number, 43824, dating to 1899 and made in a run of 200 such movements, each made with 21 ruby jewels, some in gold screw settings. This is a pendant wound and lever set movement with going barrel, bimetallic balance wheel with Breguet hairspring and
Goldthwaite patented regulator, adjusted to five positions, temperature and isochronism and of railroad grade. The movement is properly signed by Hamilton and to name/location and serial number.
CONDITION:
Case – In very good condition.
Dial – Good-Very good but with a significant hairline fracture through the four minute marker extending through the hour chapter ring.
Movement – Original to this case, genuine, clean and fully functional. Excellent.
Overall – Very good.
HISTORY:
Hamilton Grade No. 940, mfg. 1902, Grade No. 940, an open face, 21-jewel, adjusted to 5 positions, lever-set movement was Hamilton's most popular 18-size movement, produced from 1898 to 1928, over 209,000 of the movements were manufactured. During the 30 years of production the movements manufactured evolved, including an upgraded escapement from single-roller to double-roller around 1906, and an upgraded mainspring barrel from a going barrel to a motor barrel around 1908. Grade No. 941 was the corresponding 21-jewel, hunting case version, available from 1898 to 1920 was also popular with over 26,000 movements manufactured.
COMPARABLES:
I have taken the data from the American pocket watch database, entered condition, and I have chosen to use their pricing.
PRICING:
This gold filled example of the Hamilton Grade 941 is in very good condition with the only semi major issue being the fracture on the dial. However, it remains an impressive example form the original Hamilton Watch Company of Lancaster in a handsome case and the dial still looks very good, despite the hairline. I believe the fair market value of this watch in today’s market place would be in the range of $400-$450 with retail pricing almost twice that amount. Thank you for using mearto.com for this appraisal.
My best,
David