Fedonia Watch Info Wanted

[John Cote]

Can anybody tell me anything about a Fredonia watch. It is a nickel movement with 15 jewels marked Franz P Sieglitz, Anderson, IN. It has a beautiful double sunk dial with 24hr inner numbers. The dial is marked Fredonia NY. It is nicely damaskeened and appears to be a fairly high quality watch.

I have been told that Fedonia essentially assembled parts they bought from the Independent Watch company. At what number did their serial numbers start? How many watches did they make. Did they make any of the parts for their watches?

[John Cote]

Can anybody tell me anything about a Fredonia watch. It is a nickel movement with 15 jewels marked Franz P Sieglitz, Anderson, IN. It has a beautiful double sunk dial with 24hr inner numbers. The dial is marked Fredonia NY. It is nicely damaskeened and appears to be a fairly high quality watch.

I have been told that Fedonia essentially assembled parts they bought from the Independent Watch company. At what number did their serial numbers start? How many watches did they make. Did they make any of the parts for their watches?

[Tom McIntyre]

According to Crossman, it all started out with selling salve and branched into watches and then eventually into manufacturing.

The Howard brothers of Fredonia NY were selling imported watches. The business gradually shifted to American movements from Illinois and Hampden with special features for the Independent Watch Co.

When the business got too big for reselling, they set up their own manufacturing company, the Fredonia Watch Co. in April 1880. When they had a chance to buy stock and some machinery from the United States Watch Co. of Marion they finished and sometimes modified those movements by distorting the butterfly or omitting it altogether.

Eventually they dropped the Marion production and came out with their own watch. However, it seems the trade still was suspicious of them and the company never made a great success. Eventually it was all sold to Peoria and the Howard brothers went back into the salve business.


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Tom McIntyre
Tommy the JOAT's Web (http://www.mcintyre.com/McIntyre)

[This message has been edited by Tom McIntyre (edited 09-05-2000).]

[Greg Frauenhoff]

John,

As an interesting aside, there is good evidence that some Fredonia's were completed by the Peoria Watch Co. and sold to the Howard Bros.

BTW, what is the serial number of your watch? The 24 hr dial sounds neat. I've seen another such Fredonia beast but they certainly can't be common.

Greg