Special Hampden?

[DW]

Hello,
I have a Hampden 18 size serial number 638158. I have not seen one like it. I took it to a local chapter meeting in the heart of Hampden country and no one there ever saw one like it either.
Is there a way to find out more about the watch?
Have any of you seen one?
It has a very good multi colored dial also.
Thanks in advance.
DW

[DW]

Hello,
I have a Hampden 18 size serial number 638158. I have not seen one like it. I took it to a local chapter meeting in the heart of Hampden country and no one there ever saw one like it either.
Is there a way to find out more about the watch?
Have any of you seen one?
It has a very good multi colored dial also.
Thanks in advance.
DW

[DW]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by DW:
Hello,
I have a Hampden 18 size serial number 638158. I have not seen one like it. I took it to a local chapter meeting in the heart of Hampden country and no one there ever saw one like it either.
Is there a way to find out more about the watch?
Have any of you seen one?
It has a very good multi colored dial also.
Thanks in advance.
DW<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

[Kent]

DW:

I can see by the location of the setting lever and plate layout that its a hunting-case movement. The definative book on Hampden watches, "The Hampden Watch Co.," NAWCC Special Order Supplement #1, J. Hernick and R. Arnold, NAWCC, Columbia, PA, 1997 (Still available - see Heart of America Press (http://www.hoapress.com)), leads to an estimated date of 1889 or 1890. One of its key freatures of the book is a list of observed surviving examples, relating movement serial numbers to movement details.

However, there is nothing conclusive shown in the near neighborhood of serial number 638158. Serial number 638228, the closest movement listed, is shown as a 15-jewel, hunting-case watch, but no other details are listed. Nor is there any Hampden watch with a nearby serial number in the data base that Ed Ueberall and I maintain.

The fact that it is a 17-jewel watch at the time when Hampden was first beginning to make 17-jewel movements (and when few, if any, were being made at other companies) is significant, and makes it seem high grade. It's "Adjusted" marking also implies a quality movement. That, combined with what seems to be a unique finish of the plates (which appears to be much more that gold-on-nickel damaskeening) makes this a very special watch. The attractive, fancy dial is icing on the cake.

I have not seen one of these before either. Perhaps one of our more experienced posters can shed more light on it. Meanwhile, it is certainly a keeper. Thanks for showing it to us.

Kent

That guy down in Georgia :smile:

[Jeff Hess]

could it simply be after decorated???

JPH

[DW]

Hello again,
Most who have seen the watch seem to think along the same lines as Jeff. Being that it was after engraved. The serial number is located in between the plates. The dial side of the movement is not marked.
I attached a larger picture.
Thanks, DW

[DW]

Picture

[beta21]

My humble opinion is that it is strange to have inscriptions like "adjusted", "17 Jewels" and "safety pinion" on an after decorated watch. Wouldn't it be more natural to have more personal inscriptions in such a case? :confused:

Peter

[Kent]

As after-market rework of the plates, it needs to be recognized that whatever damaskeening and markings that previously existed would have had to have been milled off prior to the decorating being done. In normal production, the "Adjusted" marking would have been on the barrel bridge.

A question still needs to be addressed. Was it produced as a 17-Jewel watch (one of the very first Hampdens to be 17-jewel), or whether it was up-jeweled afterwards.

Kent

That guy down in Georgia :smile:

[Greg Frauenhoff]

Wow! A special Hampden indeed. An employee's watch maybe?

Greg Frauenhoff

My Watch Site (http://hometown.aol.com/gfrauen10/gfrauen10.html)