1921 illinois

[bash]

I have a 1921 illinois bunn special lever set glass back and is gold plated. My jewler who cleans my watches told me it was rare but I cant find info anywhere for it. Any help would be great.

[bash]

I have a 1921 illinois bunn special lever set glass back and is gold plated. My jewler who cleans my watches told me it was rare but I cant find info anywhere for it. Any help would be great.

[John Cote]

Welcome to the NAWCC message board.

Rare is a loaded word. It means different things to different people.

To find out everything about your watch we would need the serial number from the movement. From the serial number we can tell what run of watches it came from etc, and make some kind of determination as to any specific differences from your watch to the typical Bunn Special.

Having said that. It is doubtful that there is anything extrodinary about any 16 size, openface, 21j Bunn Special made in 1921. There were tens of thousands of these wonderful watches made between about 1910 and 1925. Most of them are quite similar.

Another thing you should know, is that until about 1925 (there are a few exceptions) 16s Bunn Specials were sold by the factory as movements, with dial and hands only. Standard sized cases were then installed by the reseller. Therefore, the case which houses your Bunn does not make any difference at all to its rarity. If it is not a factory variation, collectors do not usually consider it a rarity.

Anyway, what you have is an nice, high grade railroad watch. It is very doubtful that it is what a collector would consider rare. It is collectable, but you can probably go on eBay and see 20 on any given night. The case may make it worth more or less, but it is not really part of the Bunn Special Package.

I hope this helps.

[Kent]

bash:

To add to John's reply, I also extend a welcome to the NAWCC Pocket Watch Message Board!

Illinois was very well-known for its railroad grade watches, especially the Bunn Special (an example of which can be seen in the 1923 Baird-North Catalog (http://photos22.flickr.com/26416970_a8ee21af9d_o.jpg)) and the Sangamo Special grades. The Bunn Special's name can be traced back to John and Jacob Bunn, two of the founding directors of the company. A 1918 Illinois ad for their Bunn Special and Sangamo Special grade watches, demonstrating the sixth position, can be seen at:
<span class="ev_code_brown">elginwatches.org/scans/non_elgin_ads/1918/m_02_illinois_bunn_special_a6p.html</span>
<span class="ev_code_blue">To view, go to the </span><span class="ev_code_brown">Elgin Watch Collectors Site Home Page</span> <span class="ev_code_blue">at</span> <span class="ev_code_brown">elginwatches.com</span>, <span class="ev_code_blue">then copy and paste the address in your browser's address bar and click on </span>'Go'.
All Six Positions (http://static.flickr.com/5/9939069_a6655c13df_o.jpg) are illustrated in a 1924 ad from a brotherhood journal.

You have a nice watch,

[Fred Hansen]

Bash -

I didn't really understand from your post, what from your watch is gold plated ... is it the glassback case or the mechanism of the watch?

Thanks,
Fred