Are Seth Thomas Pocket Watches a Good Candidate?

[Kent]

Phather Phil:

Seth Thomas is one possible company for you to consider. There is a book on their watches, but I don't know how available it is: "Seth Thomas Watches, Chris H. Bailey, American Clock & Watch Museum, Inc., Bristol, CT, 1981 (a copy may be available on loan by mail to members from the NAWCC Library (http://www.nawcc.org/Library/library.htm)).

Seth Thomas made a huge number of inexpensive watches (although I'm not sure about 3.4 million), some middle quality movements and a few high grade ones, a link to an example of one of the lesser high grade movements is below. If you are looking to build a collection of only a handful of watches, Seth Thomas may be a good choice.

Kent

That guy down in Georgia :smile:

P.S. Also see: "Railroaders' Corner - Standard Watches of the Seth Thomas Clock Company," Ed Ueberall and Kent Singer, NAWCC Bulletin No. 317, December 1998, pp. 772-778. (Available to members on loan by mail from the NAWCC Library).

[This message was edited by Kent on November 22, 2003 at 13:05.]

[David Penney]

Having had my earlier reply deleted, I would like to state that this is not a For Sale ad, I just thought that readers may be interested in what I think is an early example by Seth Thomas, one that was retailed in England, with an English case.

Numbered 322 in a case hallmarked 1886, the movement is engraved with the date of its English Patent taken out in 1885.

http://www.antiquewatchstore.co.uk/acatalog/4606_1L.jpg

http://www.antiquewatchstore.co.uk/acatalog/4606_2L.jpg

David Penney
www.antiquewatchstore.com (http://www.antiquewatchstore.com)

[BrianC]

David,
I have one like yours, serial #331. Mine is a recase though.
Brian C.

pwpartsetc@pwatch.com

[Dave Berghold]

My mentor thought very highly of Seth Thomas watches and in particular any with 15 jewels or more. I've had a number of them and I think of the as in the caliber of Hampden. Their fine watches were very well made and their lower quality watches were not very good. Most of the 7 jeweled ones I've seen were not much better than NY Standard. I think Seth Thomas is a great cantidate to collect as there are not that many (in comparison to other companies) and they are not a "hot watch". Happy collecting!

[Greg Davis]

The first two-tone movement I ever obtained was a Seth Thomas. I recently picked up another from eBay (this one in a coin hunting case). I don't really have much interest in collecting them, but I can understand why someone would. Indeed, it could be argued that they are on par with at least one of the companies I do collect... so I'm certainly not going to cast aspersions.

- Greg

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