Identifying a 21 Jewel Illinois pocket watch

[fullpint37]

He everyone.
I,m just starting to get interested in watches and pocket watches. I have the "Complete Price Guide To Watches 'and am trying to understand what watch I have. It is an Illinois 21 jewel 10 k pocket watch. The movement looks identical to a watch I see on ebay and that is a Bunn Special. Mine says 'A. Luicolu'. Can you guys please help me understand my watch. Also, I see M# .... in the book. How do you know what model you have? I have more pocket watches but don,t see a model # on any of them. Am I missing something? I,m attaching a picture of my movement.
Thanks in advance for evryones help Click Here (null)null

[DennyI]

Fullpint,

Its actually A. Lincoln.

[IMHO]

For Illinois watches the model number can most times be determined from the serial number of the watch.

Attached is a result of a lookup of the serial number using Russ Snyder's Illinois database.

[Dutto11]

Hi IMHO,
where do I find this data base search?
Gary

[IMHO]

I received mine as part of the "goodies" provided to members of Chapter 149. You can find out more at:

Click Here (http://www.nawcc-ch149.com/)

[Kent]

fullpint37:

Information about Illinois watches may be found in "American Pocket Watches Vol. 2, Illinois Watch Co., Encyclopedia and Price Guide," William Meggers, Jr. & Roy Ehrhardt, Heart of America Press (http://www.hoapress.com), Kansas City, MO, 1985 (no longer in print), and in Russell W Snyder's Illinois Data Base CD, which may be obtained by an email to Jon Hanson at jonontime@aol.com Then, there are Oldwatch.com's Illinois Production Date Chart (http://www.oldwatch.com/Illinoisdate.html) and the PocketWatchSite's Illinois Date Table (http://www.pocketwatchsite.com/illinoisserials.html) which are an online means for determining the approximate production date of Illinois pocket watches. In general, we think of serial number vs. date lists - created by using the average number of watches produced over a period of years - to only be accurate within a year or two at best, and recognize that there are numerous exceptions wherein which the dates may be off as much as 3 years or more. This is not just for Illinois, but for other watch manufacturers as well.

Your watch was made in about 1918. You can see pictures, catalog descriptions, and where the Bunn Special and A. Lincoln grades fit in Illinois' line of 16-size watches on page S3 of the 1917 Oskamp-Nolting Catalog at:
www.elginwatches.com/scans/sales_catalogs/1917_Oskamp-Nolting/m_index.html

To view, go to the Elgin Watch Collectors Site Home Page at elginwatches.org, then copy and paste the address in your browser's address bar and click on 'Go'.

Model identification of Illinois watches starts on page 292 of the 2007 edition of the "Complete Price Guide To Watches" but I notice that price section of the Illinois listing in the book doesn't distinguish between the model 5 and the model 9 (the two models in which the 16-size A. Lincoln grade was made). This is probably because the production quantities are close at 24,470 for the model 5 and 26,985 for the model nine. Thus, they are valued at the same amount.

The Philadelphia Crown grade case is a gold-filled case, not solid gold.

You have a nice watch,