Illinois Bunn Special

[Dutto11]

G'day everybody,
I have just purchased a Bunn Special Illinois and was wondering if anybody can tell me if this is a good watch to keep in my collection.
It is not the 23jewel, 60hour model just the 21jewel version.
I got it for under $200 us and would like to know if this is also reasonable.
I know there is no way to tell without a photo so I will try to include to photo's.
Gary

[Jon Hanson]

values and estimates are not permitted here.

Is your dial metal?

[StanJS]

Gary,

If you want an idea of prices type "illinois bunn special pocket watch" into eBay and see what comes up.

The Bunn Special is a quality RR watch. The question is: "What do you want in your collection?" Everyone has their own quirks when it comes to collecting.

Cheers,
Stan

[Fred Hansen]

Hi Gary -

The 21 jewel 16 size Bunn Special is a nice watch and if you like the movement why not keep it in your collection?

As Jon posted we do not discuss values here, but most Illinois collectors I know prefer a correct style double-sunk enamel dial on this watch over a metal dial.

There are some marking and damaskeen variants of the 21 jewel 16 size Bunn Specials, your watch is the most common of these variants with over 150,000 produced between about 1917 and 1925. The 3.3 million serial number of your watch puts it toward the early end of this span at about 1918.

Fred

[Dutto11]

Sorry for the value question.
I suppose my main question is the Illinois Bunn Special just a good watch or is it compareable to say a 992 B Hamilton or a 992 when it come to quality.
I have been collecting mainly Hamilton like 940's and 992's but I saw a 21 jewej Bunn and thought that it would be a nice watch.
I have also have collected an Illinois 12s 21 jewej and a 16s Burlington 21 jewel mainly because I liked the look of the movement and condition.

As for the dial I am not sure about the make-up of it as I don't have the watch in my position yet but will find out and let you know.
Thanks.
Gary

[Fred Hansen]

I would say the Bunn Special ranks pretty comparably to the 992 or any of the other higher production good quality 21 jewel RR grade American watches.

In the line of later 16 size RR grade Illinois watches the Bunn Special grade would have fallen below the Sangamo Special but above the A. Lincoln.

Fred