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Discussions on watches and watch companies.

Discussion of Pocket Watch Dials and their collectability.

Discussion of Pocket Watch Cases and their collectability.

Born out of the Adams and Perry and Lancaster line of watches made in Lancaster, Pa., Hamilton achieved notority in the watch world as building one of the best performing watches. Made many watches in various grades and sizes, from 7-23, plus one in 25 jewels (unique); in hunting and open face. designs. Especially famous for massive advertising campaigns and the well known and highly successful 992-B.

Research on the Hampden Watch Company, Springfield, Massachusettws and Canton, Ohio. Solid company with many varied products. Sold to Russia in 1930.

Springfield, Illinois. Historical research on the Illinois Watch Company and its related name changes. First watch was a gilt 18s key wind, signed Stuart. Many grades, sizes and jeweling variations; many private labels and jeweler names in this the third largest American watch producer. Sold in 1927 to the Hamilton Watch Company.

Elgin, Illinois. Idea originated from other watch factory employees, mainly Waltham; formed in 1864 along with the former Mayor of Chicago (B. W. Raymond) and the first watch produced was an 18s gilt KW signed B.W. Raymond. Watch numbers started at 101. The Elgin Watch Company, Elgin, Illinois was the largest watch producer in America.

Jersey City, New Jersey. Basically a maker of cheap watches in various sizes; however, most revered is the Clay-Hanson excapement, i.e., the worm gear which proved to be an attractive gimmick for this company which was sold to the Keystone Watch Case Company in 1903.

Rockford, Illinois. Name changed to Rockford Watch Company, Ltd. in 1896. Made key wind and stem wind watches, from 7-25 jewels. Strong railroad following. Long lasting company for 41 years.

Lancaster, Pennsylvania. First of this popular run of Lancaster watches. About 19 size, high grade 20 jeweled stem wind hunting style movements made in gilt, nickel, and mixed metal. Signed" Lancaster Watch."

Appleton, Wisconsin. Machinery, purchased from the defunct Cheshire Watch Co., was used to make a similar watch. Sold complete watches in approximately 18s and 16s (very rare).

Aurora, Illinois. Movements were made in 18 and 6 size only; 7 -17 jewels. First watch was 18s . Made in key wind and stem wind, gilt or nickel, hunting or open face and slightly resemble Illinois watches. Many have private labels and/or jeweler names. Company machinery was sold to the Hamilton Watch Co. in 1890.

San Francisco, Ca. Succesors to the Cornell Watch Company of San Francisco. Movements made in 18s only; key wind or stem wind; made in 7-19 jewels, gilt or nickel. Machinery moved to Grand Crossing, Ill. Highly popular watch for early American specialists.

Waltham, Massachusetts. Made cheap (mostly) ladies movements; became the Suffolk Watch Company and later became part of the United States Watch Company of Waltham.

Columbus, Ohio. In 1874, D. Gruen started the Columbus Watch Company and imported Swiss Ebauches and Dials. In 1879, D. Gruen encouraged Mr. Savage to join him in his import business and renamed the Company to Gruen and Savage still maintaining the Columbus Watch Company on their Movements and Dials. The Columbus Watch Company was incorporated in 1884 from the Gruen and Savage import business to start making American Made movements. First watches were 18s gilt key winds. Made 6, 16 and 18s watches in key wind, stem wind and transitional; gilt, nickel, and damaskeened in 7-25 jewels. New Columbus Watch Company, 1894-1903, name was changed. Sold to the South Bend Watch Company 1903.

Cheshire, Connecticut. These watches were stamped and machined in order to make a jeweled watch at a low cost. First movements were open face, gilt and 3/4 plate with an attached stem. Later standard 18s movements were made in both hunting and open face. Equipment was bought by O. E. Bell in 1901 and shipped to Appleton, Wisconsin to form the Remington Watch Co.

Chicago, Illinois. Bought out the Newark Watch Company and finished up later Newark movements. Made gilt 18s movements in key and stem wind with 7-19 jewels with various grade names. Two ladies sizes examples noted in Crossman--none reported or seen.

Successors to the Cornell Watch Company of Chicago. Made key wind and stem wind watches in 18s only, some of which are very high grade.

Lancaster, Pa. This company was formed by William Wallace Dudley to create a watch with masonic symbols with material bought from Waltham, Hamilton and Switzerland. Unsuccessful on several fronts and ultimately moved to New York by the X-L Watch Company. Reportedly 3500 in all produced some well after 1960.

Fredonia, New York . This company evolved from the Howard Brothers mail order business, the Independent Watch Co. Fredonia movements were made for a few years from U.S.Marion and Newark machinery. Poor sales and techinal difficulties caused this company to be sold to Peoria.

In 1885, D. Gruen left the Columbus Watch Company taking with him his Patents. Moved to Cincinnati, Ohio, and as various names including Gruen Watch Company, 1922-1955.

Fredonia, New York. Acquired American made movements and sold them as Independent, Lake Shore and Empire Watch Company products. 18s only; exist in keywind, stem wind or a combination; generally 7-15 jewels.

Known as the E . Howard Watch Company and commonly referred to as Keystone Howards of an uptodate style were now made in the old United States Watch Co., Waltham factory building prchased as well as just the watchmaking portion of the "old" Howard company.

New York, New York. Made cheap, jeweled watches with sweep second hands, chronongraphs without flybacks with unusual setting and stop buttons which pull out. New York Chronograph Watch Company followed the Manhattans with a name change.

Manistee, Michigan. This company made cheap and poor quality watches in 16 & 18 size. Most 18s movements have the Manistee Watch Company name cut out on the back plate. Some 16s are well jeweled.

Newark, New Jersey. First watch was the Arthur Wadsworth Keyless patented stem wind. All are 18s and mostly key wind with various grade names; an abundance of private labels exist. Tough to locate all original. Company sold to the Cornell Watch Company of Chicago, Ill.

Reorganized from the Waterbury Watch Company. The approximate 18s Duplex "open case" is the most recognizable and collectible product!

Springfield, Massachusetts. First model was 18s gilt 3/4 plate stem wind. Made movements in 16s and 18s, of 3/4 plate and full plate styles . All long cocked key winds are gilt. Interesting grade names. All originally cased 3/4 plate watches in either sizes are scarce. Interesting product line and variations.

Made by Peoria, Ill. and an extension of the Fredonia and Peoria line of watches. 18s watches, hunting and open face, gilt or nickel with Paillard's patented non magnetic balances and hairsprings.

Peoria, Illinois. Made movements similar to the Fredonia Watch Company.

Thomaston, Connecticut. First watches were placed on the market in 1885--model one, gilt, open face and stem wind. Watches made in 6, 12, 16 and 18s. Some 18s were made in gilt & key wind. Jeweling exists from 7 to 25 jewels, the most famous being the Maiden Lane grades made from 17-25 jewels.

South Bend, Indiana. A few entrepreneurs purchased the Columbus Watch Company, all of its machinery and stock. Moved it to South Bend, Indiana, to produce Railroad grade watches and to continue its production. Left some employees at Columbus to finish prior orders.

Boston, Massachuestts. Dennison fabricated with Swiss and English parts--called "America's Half Breed Watch." 18s key wind watches first made in full plate, then 3/4 plate (rare). All 18s, gilt, 7-15 jewles. Serial number 1 exists, but all others seen above serial number 1000. After 2 years renamed the Melrose Watch Co., Boston, Mass. All Melroses number above 30,000.

Trenton, New Jersey. Relocated from Connecticut and renamed from the New Haven Watch Company. Interesting 18s watches including a rare key wind and chronograph (also made in 16s). Purchased by the Ingersol Brothers in 1908.

Historical research of the United States Watch Company, Marion Watch Company, Royal Gold Watch Company and the Empire City Watch Company. Made the first stem wind watch, damaskeened and frosted finishes, fancy dials with color, company monograms, and special order dials; and, company case signatures.

Company started in Waltham by Charles Vander Woerd (of American Watch Company fame). First "dome" model 16s open face had a square roller and a special setting arrangement; also made interesting acid etched movements in 6, 16 and 18s. Best known for "The President" grade 18s movement.

Shrewsbury, Massachusetts. L. Goddard and Company was the most visible early American watch maker, 1809-1825 in Grafton, Mass. He was a cousin of the great Aaron Willard and apprentised to him from 1778-1783. Goddard's first watches reportedly were made in 1812; prior to this date (1784-1807) he repaired clocks in Shrewsbury, Mass. Later his sons continued the business and imported watches from England and sold them with the Goddard name. True Goddard American made watches have low (500ish) serial numbers, some with beautiful eagle cocks!

Henry Pitkin, East Hartford
H. and J. F. Pitkin, East Hartford
Pitkin & Co., New York

The first watch made was signed Henry Pitkin; 50 were made and just one example has survived; it was discovered by Jon Hanson in the early 1970s. It is the rarest and most significant early American watch--the first interchangeable watch made on American made machinery

John H. Mulford was an independent maker in Albany, New York prior to the time Fasoldt thrived there. He invented his unusual deadbeat escapement and patented (patent number 2465) it on February 21, 1842. Less than a handfull of these extremely rare 3/4 plate KW movements exist--just one ever appearing at public auction in the Atwood sale.

Jacob D Custer watches and clocks were made in Norristown, Pennsylvania, circa 1840-1845. Watch (fuzee type) patented, February 1843. Reportedly only 12 were made.

One of the lengendary great rarities of early American watch collecting. Just 2 examples located, and rumors of a third lost long ago. Serial number 2, a movement, is in the Smithsonian.

Joseph Jeunet of Meadville, Pa. patented (patent number 21,425) his seconds beating watch in 1858. Originally was born in France on Novemebr 1, 1814 and learned watchmaking from family members. This odd watch was designed because of the sudden jars one received while riding horses and trains. Jeunet built a model of his design and, on a trip to France, arranged for a maker at Morez to manufacture these watches. Reports are that few were made due to defects keeping them from running properly. These were sold through the local jewelry store in Meadville. I have personally owned 3, two being slightly different types. The late, great machinest and watch collector, Wilbur H. Dexter, of Inglewood, Ca. made one of his own versions of this watch from scratch, but sadly it was stolen as the last remaining watch of his collection from his son. The Dexter watch actually ran quite well at the time he made it circa 1980.

Nashua Watch Company, Nashua, New Hampshire, began in 1859 with many watch and machine experts of the time, inc. N.P. Stratton, C.S. Mosley, B.D. Bingham, J.H. Gerry, Chas Van der Woerd, etc. joining forces to begin making the finest watches in America. Magnificent 20S 19J and 15J movements were begun but not all 1000 were either made or finished and the company was swallowed up and sold for $23,000 to the American Watch Co. Remaining unfinished movements were later engraved American Watch Co. in Waltham and which became the company's premier grade of movement and the finest watches made in America, now as part of the famous Nashua department at Waltham.

Charles Fasoldt watches, Rome and Albany, N.Y.

Fasoldt was a German immigrant, originally born in Dresden, Saxony and migrated to the United States at approximately 30 years of age. Apparantently Charles had machine and watch making skills prior to migrating to the U.S. with his family, settling in Rome, N.Y. and setting up shop in the early 1850s, possibly as early as 1851 where he remained for 10 years. At this time he advertised watch, clock, chronometer making, jewelry repair, and mfg of small medical and other instruments.

Boston and Malden, Massachusetts. One of the most inventive watchmakers in the history of US watchmaking, George Reed sustained a great reputation in and around the greater Boston area (Roxbury, Boston, Malden) for decades first as an employee with the predessors of the great American Watch Co., then Edward Howard, and ultimately is own small business after 1865. He held about two dozen patents and produced several types of chronometers, 16 and 18s lever movements and KW & SW watches with winding Indicators in both sizes. Early Howard collectors are familiar with his patented main spring barrel safety mechanism signature on most early KWs.

Montpelier, Vermont. J.(Jonas) G. Hall is probably one of the least recognized important American horologists who spent over a half century at the bench watchmaking and inventing important horological implements.

Born in Calais, Vermont he entered into his apprenticeship in Montpelier with Samuel Abbott; three years later he moved to Boston were he became familiar with marine timepieces and remained there until 1848 at which time he returned to Montpelier, Vt. In 1851 he opened his own shop and continued as a watchmaker. From the period, 1848-1858 Hall built and modified watches, a marine chronometer, and various patented tools for the watch trade. Some American Watch Co. products carry his private label.

Karr was a Washington, D,C. watchmaker and jeweler who held various American patents (1864 & 1865), including 2 different on chronometer escapements and at a later date three on chronographs (all dated 1882). His movements, 18s, KW, gilt, half plate movements appear as English ebausches with his patented chronometer (later improved) escapement inserted. Several of these have been examined and at least two have winding indicators. One particular example has a dial that reads "American chronometer!" Regular, standard US movements have been seen with his name on them (jewelers' contracts).

Ann Arbor, Michigan. Mozart Watch Company

Mozart watches present one of the rarest and most unusual ever made. Invented by Don J. Mozart, born in 1820 in Italy, he migrated to the United states at 3 years of age where his parents settled in at Boston, Mass. His father was a watchmaker and young Don was mysteriously kidnapped to sea at a very early age but eventually found his way back to the US.

Very little is known about this maker, his products made in Wabash, Indiana, but born in New York. This company reported existed circa 1865-n.d. and its gilt KW movements resemble cheap, poorly made Howard series III 18s movements, although the cut-outs are different as well as the escapement (patented in 1866). Another distinction from Howards are the uncut balance wheels. Roy Ehrhard reported many years ago that possibly 25 were made; just two examples are known, both in the WGC. The only public sale record is the Atwood, Tme Museum example, serial number 19.

From a farming community and partially handicaped in one arm due to some unfortunate accident, young Lyman for an unknown reason drifted into horology and optometrics, his life's work in April of 1853 in Cherry Valley, N.Y.

Very little is known about his watches which at first glance appear to be Swiss; however, various parts were obtained from Waltham but the rest were reportedly hand made by Lyman. These watches are key wind, jewelled, and three quarter plate. A single example was reported by Major Chamberlain about 75 years ago but that example has long ago disappeared. This would date his Movements around c1870.

Very little is known of the Flint family except that E. H. Flint watches were patented (September 18, 1877) and made in Cincinnati, Ohio thereafter. Highly unusual designed key wind with a unique feature--the balance wheel is between the plates! Chamberlain referred to this watch as the upsidedown watch, patented (no. 195,268) as the "American Air Tight, Dust Proof Watch." Original dials should be plain, as I have viewed replacement dials signed "Lancaster Watch Co." on these as well as silver plating over gilt on the movements. Almost always seen recased are these standard 18s KWs! Serial numbers are stamped on various plates and parts inside the watch, not visable on the back of the watch.

Dolphis D. Palmer, originally a New York state jeweler, migrated to Waltham, then decided to work out of his house making watches and a few chronometers. He eventually formed a watch school, the Waltham Horological School, but continued to make his 16s SW watch in bithe gilt and nickel from Waltham material incorporating his patented stem mechanism. Many of these watches have odd signatures, some of which were obviously his students.

John H. Allison, an Englishman, according to Crossman was a self taught watchmaker. First notes of Crossman claim he made an English type watch (ebausch?). Later his few chronometers appear similar to those of the Hoyt/Smith/Freeport plate design without the lever escapement in Detroit. These watches are possibly of Swiss ebausch import. Nicely finished nickel and damaskeened, these are a very difficult watch to locate. Allison later went on to the employment of a watch repair company in Illinois.

Detroit, Michigan. Originally a creation by C. H. Hoyt for M. S. Smith jewelers in Detroit. This operation was sold to Eber Ward for a new operation to be in Freeport, Il. However, a fire destroyed the watch building but a small number were finished signed Freeport Watch Co., including watches number 1 and 2.

Auburndale, Massachusetts. An attempt to produce a cheap watch with fewer parts was born out of a patent model by Jason R. Hopkins who held two patents on a watch that apparently he did not wish to produce. Eventually William B. Fowble(Boston born) bought a share of the patents partially held by William D. Colt along with Hopkins. The first attempt was a detent rotary, later modified into the rare and highly interesting Auburndale Rotary lever in 1877 offered for $10.00 to the trade. Other products, a KW and a SW model (named Lincoln and Bentley after Fowble's sons) were produced in small quantities along with the profitable Auburndale timer with single and split seconds offered at $15.00 and $25.00 respectively by this Auburndale, Ma. company. The watches did not create enough profit so the next product chosen was a line of metalic thermometers. Assignment if the equipment was made in 1883, although Fowble remained listed in directories as a thermometer manufacturer.

End of the line of the Newark-Cornell- California line of watches. Earlier movements modified and finished up at Grand Crossing, Illinois.

Lancaster, Pennsylvania. In 1879 Ezra F. Bowman, a successful retail jeweler, ordered some watchmaking machinery to start making watches above his jewelry store. Less than one year later he engaged the services of the former Lancaster Watch Co. superintendent to make a model watch. With only five workmen, Bowman made some additional small tooling to make his watches. By 1882 he and his crew finished just short of 50 movements which were all high grade three quarter plate, free sprung, nickel, 16 size, hunting case models that were all beautifully damascened and finished. All parts except for the dials and balances were made in his shop in Lancaster on King Street. These quality movements proved expensive to make and Bowman, deciding to continue in his expanding wholesale jewelry business, sold out to J. P. Stevens of Atlanta. Georgia. Numbers 1 through 49 have been recorded by J. Hanson of known examples. These are very rare watches and seldom seen or sold in public venues. Probably the best and earliest example known is serial number 3. Serial number 1 is quite incomplete and was donated to a museum.

Atlanta, Georgia. In 1882 the Bowman machinery and watchmaking tooling was sold to J. P. Stevens of Atlanta, Georgia, who previously had been buying near completed movements from (basically) Hampden, plus Swiss movements, to place his patented spiral shaped regulators. In 1884 Stevens organized his company and captured several watch folks with previous experience, including William Todd, C. L. Hoyt, C. H. Bagley and T. W. Thompson. At first about ten movements per day were produced and things went well until the chief backer J. C. Freeman, died; followed by many lawsuits, the Stevens brother sold out to the Freeman heirs who formed the D. N. Freeman & Company which failed in 1887.

Chicago, Illinois. Self Winding Watch Company

In 1881 Herman Von der Heydt, a German native and trained watchmaker, migrated to this county, settling in Chicago, Illinois.

Beginning in 1883 he perfected his self winding watch which he patented February 1, 1884, and began making these home grown watches by himself as time permitted (he was a jeweler and watchmaker by trade). It is rumored that some of the material he used came from Elgin but for the most part he made and perfected the parts on his own, limited equipment, at his leisure. These are 15J movements with a large crescent shaped piece of metal that works by gravity (up and down motion) which is connected to a ratchet on the winding wheel. Total production was just 35 examples of which 30 were gilt and the balance nickel and sold for $75.00 and 90.00 respectively. These watches are remarkable and actually work if properly serviced. In top condition they are strikingly beautiful as well as fascinating to watch while winding up. Seldom seen or offered--in recent history only two have been offered publicly, the last being at the Atwood sale in NYC at Sotheby's.

Otay (south of San Diego), California. Organized by three partners from a real estate firm, Guion, Hartley, and Hamilton along with R. D. Perry a landowner in the Otay area who put up the necessary dollars for the factory building, Frank Kimball was asked to fund the money for the machinery which was shipped from the American Watch Tool Co., Waltham, Ma. as the money had run out. He also got sucked into supplying the operating capital until he either ran out money or refused to spend any more until the company went bankrupt in November 1890. Approximately 1200 watches were produced by The Otay Watch Co. and made in gilt, nickel, or two toned damaskeened. All were 18s hunting case lever set models, 11 or 15 Jeweled and many carried sexy names such as "Overland Mail, Golden Gate, Native Son, California," etc. Highly prized in the West as a rare artifact produced just south of San Diego.

Alviso, California. With the advent of the Otay Watch Co. failure and the Sherrif's closure of that factory on November 13, 1890, George Penniman, who handled Otay watches in San Francisco, got an option on the Otay machinery and interested local parties and Kimball and Wheeler (both from Otay) to form this new company. A building was erected in Alviso, Ca., south of San Francisco. Penniman, ill for a short time, returned to the new plant where the machinery had been delivered by boat from San Diego only to find out that Frank Kimball had foreclosed on the plant. Major Chamberlain states, "there is nothing to indicate that any watches were made at Alviso." And, "none of the movements bear the name of the new company." WRONG! Jon Hanson discovered the very first example in the early 1970s and the late, great A. E. Mathews, American watch authority and collector, later discovered another, superior example (an originally cased one) which now resides in the World's Greatest Collection.

Reportedly made in Chicago, Illinois, these 16s OF movements were made in aluminum. I know little of their history and have personally viewed just one example in 50 years of searching (the Roy Ehrhardt example, stolen in Chicago, fenced, but eventually recovered--a good reason to inventory and photograph all of your watches).

This short lived company was the genius of Fred MacIntyre and Charles DeLong. Set up in Kankakee, Illinois in 1909 less than 10 watches reportedly were made during an 8 month period. Charles DeLong was one of the greatest American watchmakers ever and went on to invent and perfect his famous Delong escapement with upright pallets seen in Illiniois and Hamilton watches.

Boston and elsewhere. Brother of the famous Albert H. Potter.

One of the greatest watchmakers of all time. Made a select few exiotic pocket watches--most famous of which is a key wind tourbillion on a diagonal plane (Howard parts), discovered by Russell Nelson in the 1970s, and sold most recently in the sale of the Atwood collection. Most notable for his kidney shaped nickel movement, many of which had detent escapements made in Switzerland.

Parent Company: Illinois Watch Company

Parent Company: Illinois Watch Company

Parent Company: Columbus Watch Company

Parent Company: Illinois Watch Company

Parent Company: American Waltham Watch Company

Parent Company: Aurora Watch Company

Parent Company: Rockford Watch Company

Parent Company: American Waltham Watch Company

Parent Company: Seth Thomas Clock Company

Parent Company: Rockford Watch Company

Parent Company: Illinois Watch Company

Parent Company: Illinois Watch Company

Parent Company: Ingraham Watch Company

Parent Company: Illinois Watch Company

Parent Company: Seth Thomas Clock Company

Parent Company: Hamilton Watch Company

Parent Company: New York Standard Watch Company

Parent Company: United States Watch Company, Marion, NJ

Parent Company: Newark Watch Company

Parent Company: United States Watch Company, Marion, NJ

Ansonia, Connecticut. Watches followed many years of clockmaking circa 1900. Company and factory was sold to Russia.

New York, New York. Robert H. Ingersol & Bros. Watch Company sold cheap dollar watches. Bought out the Trenton and New England Watch Companies..

Originally the Bannatyne Watch Company after Archibald Bannatyne in 1905. After 1968 Ingraham watches were imported. Major dollar watch producer.

Made in Newark, New Jersey. Very minor dollar watch producer. Little is known about this company.

New York, New York. Sold cheap Swiss imported movements and duplex watches from the New England Watch Company (?).

Made in New Haven, Connecticut , the first watches were back wind. Major dollar watch manufacturer-movements have pin pallet escapements. Became the Trenton Watch Company in 1887 and eventually the Ingersold-Trenton Watch Company in 1908 .

New York, New York. Made cheap watches with a clever crank wind design. Moveable stem/pendant which cranks to the right along the side of the case frame to wind the watch!

Waterbury, Connecticut. Name changed from Benedict & Burnham. Famous for their long wind watch which was eventually discontinued but continued on with their duplex escapement in conventual sizes. Reorganized as the New England Watch Company in 1898.

Historical research of the American Waltham Watch Companies.

Historical research on the Marsh Brothers prototype watches and Howard, Davis & Dennison 8 day watches.

Historical research on the American Horologe Co.

Historical research on the Warren Mfg. Co.

Historical research on the Boston Watch Co.

Historical research on the Tracy Baker & Co.

Waltham, Massachusetts. Historical research on the Appleton Tracy & Co.

Waltham, Massachusetts.

Historical research on the American Waltham Watch Co.

Historical research on the Waltham Watch Co.

Historical research on the Waltham Watch & Clock Co.

Historical research on the Waltham Watch Co.

Columbus, Ohio. In 1874, D. Gruen, as a sole proprietor, started the Columbus Watch Company and imported Swiss Ebauches and Dials.

Columbus, Ohio. In 1879, D. Gruen encouraged Mr. Savage to join him in his import business and renamed the Company to "Gruen and Savage" while still maintaining the Columbus Watch Company on their Movements and Dials.

Columbus, Ohio. The Columbus Watch Company was incorporated in 1884 from the Gruen and Savage import business to start making American Made movements. First watches were 18s gilt key winds. Made 6, 16 and 18s watches in key wind, stem wind and transitional; gilt, nickel, two Tone, and damaskeened.

Columbus, Ohio. Always short of cash and with financial problems the Columbus Watch Company changed its name and restructured.

South Bend, Indiana. A few Entrepreneurs purchased the Columbus Watch Company, all of its Machinery, and Stock. Moved it to South Bend, Indiana, to produce Railroad grade watches and to continue its production. Left some employees at Columbus to finish prior orders.

Discussions about the Howard Watch Companies and their products.

Boston, Massachusetts. Discussions about the Howard & Rice company and evolution into the E. Howard & Company, Boston.

Discussions of E. Howard & Co.

Discussions of the Howard Clock and Watch Company.

Discussions about the renamed Howard Watch and Clock Co.

Discussions on the E Howard & Company.

Known as the E . Howard Watch Company and commonly referred to as Keystone Howards of an uptodate style were now made in the old United States Watch Co., Waltham factory building prchased as well as just the watchmaking portion of the "old" Howard company.

Historical research on the Lancaster Watch Companies.

Lancaster, Pennsylvania. First of this popular run of Lancaster watches. About 19 size, high grade 20 jeweled stem wind hunting style movements made in gilt, nickel, and mixed metal. Signed "Lancaster Watch".

Historical research on the Lancaster Watch Company.

Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Another of the Lancaster Watch Company series of name changes.

Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Historical research on the Lancaster Watch Company.

Lancaster, Pennasylvania. Last of the "Lancaster" name changes. Machinery and equipment was sold to Hamilton.

Discussion groups about European Watches and People that made them.
Chair Frank Menez.

Discussion group for Early European Watch Makers and Watches.

The study and identification of fake American Watches produced by foreign companies.

European Pocket Watches that would have met the criteria for RailRoad Grade.

Discussions of the Agassiz watch company and their products.

Discussions of the Gruen Watch Company and their products.

Discussions about the Bulova watch company and products.

Discussions pertaining to the Philadelphia watch companies and their products. Registered users.

Charles Frodsham & Co. Ltd Chronometer, watch & clock Makers from 1894 to the present time. Now located at 32 Bury St St. James London. There were several members of the Frodsham family engaged in the watch & clock industry. The most famous being Charles Frodsham b.1810-d. 1871. Additional information on the Frodsham Family can be found in the following publications.

"The Frodshams" by Vaudrey Mercer.
"100 years of Precision Timekeepers from John Arnold to Arnold & Frodsham" by Hans Staeger.

E. Dent & Company London Watch, Chronometer,and Clockmakers since 1814.

The firm was established by Edward John Dent . Dent's chronometers were used by some of the most influential and colorful explores. He made astronomical clocks, one of which was for the British Admiralty. Dent received a Royal Warrant as the official watch and clockmaker to Her Majesty Queen Victoria. His most famous contribution was that he was given the contract to build The Great Clock for the Houses of Parliament, familiarly known as "Big Ben".

Additional information on the Dent Family can be found in the following publication. "Edward John Dent and his Successors" by Vaudrey Mercer

The father & son made many watches, chronometers and clocks during their lifetime.

See- "John Arnold & Son" by Vaudrey Mercer

James William Benson 62-64 Ludgate Hill London. Made medium to high grade watches. They were makers to the Admiralty & By Warrant to H.M. the Queen.

Watches 1850-1980 by M. Cutmore
Pocket Watches 19th & 20 th Century by Alan Shenton
Watches by Shugart-Engle -Gilbert

Started by Adolphe Nicole & Jules Capt, 80b Dean St. London. Moved to 14 Soho Square- 1837-1934. They invented chronograph watches, & chronograph split second watches. They made movements for E. J. Dent, Charles Frodsham and others.

Thomas mercer Snr. b. 1822 d. 1900 Founder of Thomas Mercer, 1858 Chronometer and Clockmakers of St Albans made over 6,000 2 day & 8 day marine chronometers. Thomas Mercer jnr. b. 1876 d. 1935 took over the business with his brother in 1900. They made 2 day & 8 day marine chronometers as well as watches. The company also made electric wind and chronometer clocks until 1984, when the business was bought by Sinclair Harding of Cheltenham, Glos, where the trade was carried on.

For further information see- "Chronometer Makers of the World" by Tony Mercer

One of Englands greatest clock and watchmakers. He made some of the first watches with balance-springs. In 1701 he was in partnership with Edward Banger and in 1711, in partnership with George Graham. There are several one year clocks (two in Buckinghamn Palace). His watches and clocks are seen in most of the worlds museums.

See- "Thomas Tompion his life and Work" by R.W. Symonds & Thomas
"Tompion at the Dial and Three Crowns" by Jeremy Evans.

The machinery came from the San Jose Watch Co., which in turn received it from the Otay Watch Co., Otay, Calif. thanks to the lure of this new machinery to Frank Kimball, much to his sorrow and great loss. Interestingly these watches closely resemble Otay Watches, gilt or nickel, American or Japanese writing with one great exception--a few are known in open face. Long considered part of the Otay, San Jose family due to the machinery origin and the US employees that produced these watch movements in Japan.