Madison Watch Co.

[HUDD]

I have acquired a pocket watch ( came with a Hamilton I wanted )purporting to be manufactured by the Madison Watch Co. Can anyone please advise any history about this company ? Is this a private labelled pocket watch from one of the main American watch manufacturers ? A Swiss fake ? What ?

[HUDD]

I have acquired a pocket watch ( came with a Hamilton I wanted )purporting to be manufactured by the Madison Watch Co. Can anyone please advise any history about this company ? Is this a private labelled pocket watch from one of the main American watch manufacturers ? A Swiss fake ? What ?

[Bill B]

I would guess it is a swiss fake, does it look like a Waltham 57 model? If you would post a picture we could tell you better.

[Kent]

HUDD:

The book “American Pocket Watches Beginning to End...1830-1980, Identification and Price Guide,” Roy Ehrhardt & William Meggers, Jr., Heart of America Press, Kansas City, MO, 1987 (commonly referred to as “The Gold Book” - A new edition is still in print, see Heart of America Press (http://www.hoapress.com)) lists two watches labeled "Madison Watch Co." on page 340. One is an 18-size, 7-jewel open-face movement made by the Trenton Watch Co. and the other is an unadjusted Swiss, 18-size, 15-jewel, open-face movement made for M.C. Eppenstein & Co., Chicago, IL in about 1900. The possibility exists that other brands of watches were private labeled "Madison Watch Co."

If you can old ref::Post A Picture, we may be able to tell you more.

[Jon Hanson]

Swiss fake!

[Kent]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Swiss fake! </div></BLOCKQUOTE>The 18-size, 7-jewel open-face movement made by the Trenton Watch Co., labeled "Madison Watch Co." is a Swiss Fake?

[Jon Hanson]

Yes, there is a non Trenton that is a Swiss fake!

[Kent]

So ... there was both a Trenton, and a Swiss Fake (as noted in the Gold Book")? Or, was the Swiss Fake made to look like the Trenton?

[Jon Hanson]

Nothing like the T I have seen.

The Swiss fakes all have that typical "Swiss" finish are are more poorly made than the Ts!

[HUDD]

Thanks Guys for your responses. I'm stuck on URL's and struggling to post pictures. I shall therefore endeavour to improve on the movement description thus ....

18s
15 jewels ( friction type )
full plate in nickel
no seperate barrel bridge
balance cock shaped like a ships anchor
damascened but not the quality of a Hamilton
Serial No. 928356
Open faced in original nickel case
Marked on movement "Madison Watch Co." and "Madison Wisc."
SS Enamel dial

Hope this helps isolate what this watch is.
Hudd

[Kent]

Hudd:

If you have a problem posting the picture(s), you can attach it (them) to an e-mail to me (you can get my email address by clicking on my name in the upper left-hand corner of this post and viewing my Public Profile) and I'll post it (them) for you.

Good luck,

[HUDD]

Thanks Kent. Pictures on the way via e-mail.
Hudd

[Kent]

Hudd sent the pictures. One glance at the movement reveals it to be the Swiss Fake version of a Madison Watch Co. watch. Hudd noted: "It has facility for both key wind and stem wind."

Dial (http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y284/walt845/18S_15J_Madison_D_Hudd.jpg)
Movement (http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y284/walt845/18S_15J_Madison_M_Hudd.jpg)

[Jon Hanson]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Posted August 17, 2005 10:39
Swiss fake!

Jon </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

as reported

[HUDD]

Thank you gentlemen. Swiss fake it is then. I shall still see if I can get it running though, more for curisoties sake than anything else.

Hudd

[Jon Hanson]

Try if you can do the work yourself but I would NOT put hard money into it!

[HUDD]

Thanks Jon
I shall treat it as a practice watch, and if I can fix it then all well and good. If not, then hopefully I may feel more able to tackle jobs on my Hamilton, Hampden & Illinois watches.

Hudd

[Jon Hanson]

You are very welcome--I spoke up on this one because there is no need to thrown good money or time into it. Let me know if you need any American parts.:biggrin:

[HUDD]

Jon
Thanks for your advice and offer to help with parts. Much appreciated.
Hudd