Calling the Illinois experts

[Dbailey]

A watch came into my father's watchmaking shop today and I'd like to learn more about it...I can take a pic of the movement tomorrow if necessary but thought I would describe it and share what little I know about it in the hope that someone will either add to that knowledge or at least confirm it...it's a 16s HC 17J three finger bridge mvt with the serial # 22155921...it is marked on the movement no. 989 Special...I was told it might be a grade #185, model#4...but I see no grade with that # in Shugart's Price Guide...it looks like a Getty...one winding wheel....also, for what it's worth, it's a private signature on the dial that reads L.L. Bickings..
Norristown, Pa....I would also be interested in the production number of this movement...was told it might be around 200...thanks in advance!
Dennis

[Tom McIntyre]

I think you may have mis-copied the serial number. Maybe there is only 1 5 instead of a pair of them. Using the serial number 2215921, Russ Snyder's database shows 28 runs for a total production of 7,060.

Model 4, grade 185 made in 1909.

[Dbailey]

Good observation Tom...thanks!

[Fred Hansen]

Hi Dennis -

As Tom posted the grade 185 17 jewel hunting case is not an especially scarce grade of watch, but most of these were factory marked and the rest of the production was split among a good number of different private-labels or custom markings.

The "989 Special" marking would therefore only have a pretty small fraction of the total grade 185 production, but I don't think any records are known of how many were made with the private-label marking. I have seen about 6 of the "989 Special" in the 1.9 to 2.1 million serial range, and some (if not all?) of them have had an interesting 2-tone swirled damaskeen pattern. These swirled damaskeen 989 Specials are very pretty watches and I consider them much more interesting than the run of the mill factory marked grade 185.

For some reason Illinois actually made a range of "numbered" movements with number markings apart from the actual grade number, and here is a past thread on these in which Bernie Levine reports another 989 Special ...

http://www.nawcc-mb.com/bbv2/bbBoard.cgi?a=viewthread;fid=3;gtid=55904

Fred