NON MAGNETIC WATCH CO. W/ PEORIA MOVEMENT

[Scott Tipton]

I am purchasing a Non Magnetic Watch Co. watch with a Peoria movement. It is a hunter case and the serial number is 31959. Can someone help me with the grade of the movement? Is it "C", "G", "H", "E" or "J"?
Thank you very much!
Scott

[Scott Tipton]

I am purchasing a Non Magnetic Watch Co. watch with a Peoria movement. It is a hunter case and the serial number is 31959. Can someone help me with the grade of the movement? Is it "C", "G", "H", "E" or "J"?
Thank you very much!
Scott

[Tom McIntyre]

As nearly as I can tell by looking at the observations list published by Greg Frauenhof, the only grade information appears in ads. There are no factory records available.

The run with your watch has one other reported in it in Greg's list.

I think you look at the damaskeening pattern, the regulator and the jewel settings to determine the grade. But I am not sure how those even match up to the grade letters you listed.

According to Ehrhardt & Meggers, the letter grades are associated with Illinois production for NMWCA while the Peoria grades are numberic.

I have a couple of what appear to be high grade Peoria NMWCA but I can only guess at the grade numbers. I am guessing they are grade 43 because that is the highest grade listed in Ehrhardt & Meggers "Beginning to End."

http://www.awco.org/OtherHigh/PeoriaFredonia/NMWCAof/Compare/Compare_small.jpg (http://www.awco.org/OtherHigh/PeoriaFredonia/NMWCAof/Compare/Compare.jpg)

Click on the image for a bigger picture.

[Kent]

In an 1889 ad (Jewelers’ Circular and Horological Review, March 1889, page 89), the Non-Magnetic Watch Co. of America describes three 15-jewel, 18-size movements that were made by Peoria. The grade can be identified by whether the plates are nickel or gilt and whether the jewels are ruby in gold settings or in composition settings.

"18 SIZE, FULL PLATE, S. W. MOVEMENTS, in H’T’G and O. F."

"No. 43, Nickel
"15 Ruby Jewels in Gold Settings; Adjusted; Patent Regulator; Double Sunk Dial; Breguet Hair Spring."

"No. 45, Nickel
"15 Jewels in Settings; Adjusted; Patent Regulator; Double Sunk Dial; Breguet Hair Spring."

"No. 47, Gilt
"15 Jewels in Settings; Adjusted; Patent Regulator; Double Sunk Dial; Breguet Hair Spring."

"These movements are of American Manufacture, and contain Paillard’s Patent Non-Magnetic Compensation-Balance and Hair-Spring, and full Non-Magnetic Escapements, and will be followed by other grades as soon as practicable."

A later A. C. Becken ad (Jewelers’ Circular-Weekly and Horological Review, July 15, 1896, page 25), shows different grade names for the Peoria-made movements.

"18 Size, Paillard Non-Magnetic, Open Face only.
"No. AA Extra. Nickel; 15 fine ruby jewels in gold settings; adjusted to temperature, isochronism and five positions; Breguet hair spring; patent micrometer regulator; double sunk dial; handsomely damaskeened and finely finished throughout.
"Regular price $25.00 Cut Price $15.00"

"18 Size, Paillard Non-Magnetic, Open Face only.
"No. A. Nickel; 15 ruby jewels in gold settings; adjusted to temperature, isochronism and three positions; Breguet hair spring; patent micrometer regulator; gold screws; double sunk dial.
"Regular price $18.00 Cut Price $10.00"

"18 Size, Paillard Non-Magnetic, Open Face only.
"No. B. Nickel; 15 jewels in gold settings; adjusted to temperature, isochronism and three positions; Breguet hair spring; patent micrometer regulator; double sunk dial.
"Regular price $14.00 Cut Price $8.00"

"18 Size, Paillard Non-Magnetic, Open Face only.
"No. C. Gilded; 15 jewels in gold settings; adjusted to temperature, isochronism and three positions; Breguet hair spring; patent micrometer regulator; double sunk dial.
"Regular price $12.00 Cut Price $6.00"

As Tom said, there are different damaskeening patterns with the No. AA Extra grade being a bar pattern of nine or ten parallel bars. The No. A grade has concentric circles of "jagged" pattern outside of a "looping" pattern. The No. B grade has three distinctly different patterns, one on the barrel bridge and one on either side of the balance cock on the full plate.

Kent