H. J. Locke Pocket Watch

[davenels]

looking for info on 18s H. J. Locke pocket watch. I recently purchased from estate. Can't find anything about this company or value. This movement looks almost identical to the Auroa pw model Ruby Jewels except mine is 17j and the Auroa is 15j. Both have same 2-tone checkerboard guilded pattern and the big ruby jewels and 5th pinion I think. The dials even look almost identical. Did Auroa make this as a private lable?? Any info would be greately appreciated. Thanks.

[davenels]

looking for info on 18s H. J. Locke pocket watch. I recently purchased from estate. Can't find anything about this company or value. This movement looks almost identical to the Auroa pw model Ruby Jewels except mine is 17j and the Auroa is 15j. Both have same 2-tone checkerboard guilded pattern and the big ruby jewels and 5th pinion I think. The dials even look almost identical. Did Auroa make this as a private lable?? Any info would be greately appreciated. Thanks.

[Fred Hansen]

Can you post a photo of your movement to help the identification? If a photo is not possible a serial number might help.

The "Ruby Jewel" marked 5th pinion Aurora is a 17 jewel watch, even though the movement is signed "15 Ruby Jewel".

Fred

[davenels]

http://www.mediatekgrafx.com/watch.html

might also be Illinois private lable..looks like Bunn special Ruby Jewels..must be Aurora and Illinois were related?

[davenels]

not sure how to post the picture..

the url is http://www.mediatekgrafx.com/watch.html

[Fred Hansen]

An 18 size Illinois grade 65 or 65-S made in about 1894. If it is pendent-set it would be a model 4, if lever-set it is a model 6.

This 2-tone checkered pattern is very typical to the grade 65/65-S, and a great many of these watches were private-label marked with many different names.

Fred

[Fred Hansen]

The Illinois 5th pinion model has a different layout than your watch ... there is an extra visible pinion on the plate and the pinions are arranged in a different orientation.

These were the 18 size model 3 Illinois watches, and here is a photo of a 5th pinion model 3 in the same grade and with the same damaskeen as your watch ...

http://images1.snapfish.com/347%3C8%3C6%3B%3B%7Ffp338%3Enu%3D3239%3E494%3E%3A4 %3A%3EWSNRCG%3D323346463294%3Bnu0mrj

... that shows these differences in layout.

Fred

[davenels]

thanks!..that helps a bunch..
the book shows grade 65 as model 2?...
I found the model 6 in the book which is exactly
as you said..now I know it is Illinois...thank you!!!

[Fred Hansen]

Which book only shows the grade 65 as a model 2? Illinois is a complicated company with a huge number of different grades and variants, and some price guide books really only represent a small sampling of this production.

The best references for Illinois Watches are a 1985 book by Bill Meggers & Roy Ehrhardt, and a CD database available through NAWCC Chapter 149 that was produced by Russ Snyder and has been updated regularly with new research that has developed since the Meggers/Ehrhardt book was published.

Both of these sources show the grade 65 as one of the few 18 size Illinois grades that was available in all 18 size models (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6) ... though I am not sure if any model 1 have yet been observed but they are listed in the Illinois factory serial list.

The grade 65 are a very nice group of watches, though not at same level of finish as the higher grade Bunn and Bunn Special series. The Meggers/Ehrhardt book notes that grade 65 movements made before 1900 "are railroad grade".

Fred

[davenels]

I was using the complete price guide to watches 2006 no. 26..only thing I could find that actually mentioned grade 65 was on last page of 18s page 276..and only mentions 15j model 2. If you look under Bunn, it does mention model 5 and 6 17j..the book does not provide alot of info..confusing..