Pocket Watch Question

[mocoys]

I have a pocket watch with a Burlington dial and the movement is signed Illinois. I bought the watch thinking it was a Burlington. I know that the Burlingtons were made by the Illinois Watch Company. Is there any way to find out if the watch was sold this way or is it more likly that someone put a Burlington dial on a Illinois watch.

[mocoys]

I have a pocket watch with a Burlington dial and the movement is signed Illinois. I bought the watch thinking it was a Burlington. I know that the Burlingtons were made by the Illinois Watch Company. Is there any way to find out if the watch was sold this way or is it more likly that someone put a Burlington dial on a Illinois watch.

[doug sinclair]

Steve,

Welcome to the NAWCC Mesage Board!

If you will post the serial number from the movement (not the case), we can look that up for you. My suggestion is that the dial is not original to the movement. I have neve neen a Burlington movement marked any other way than Burlington, personally.

[mocoys]

Thank You Doug. The S/N is 3562261. I have two othe Burlingtons and they both have Burlington Watch Co. writen on the movement. One of the other Burlingtons I have has roman numerals on the dial. This is the only Burlington I have seen like this (in my short time of messing with old watches). Does this make it a rare find?

[Kent]

Hi Steve:

I've looked up serial number 3562261 in Russell W Snyder's Illinois Data Base CD (http://nawcc-mb.infopop.cc/eve/ubb.x/a/tpc/f/4316035461/m/2401056421/r/8541060521#8541060521), which shows it to be a 16-size, 17-jewel, grade 304, an unadjusted movement, built around 1919. Through the earlier 'teens, Burlington was only offering 19-jewel, 16-size watches. By February 1917, Burlington dropped the 19-jewel watches and introduced a complete line of Burlington 21-Jewel Watches (http://photos19.flickr.com/23318918_8ea7c4fce3_o.jpg), adjusted to temperature and positions (the number of which was unspecified). Perhaps the most common of the 16-size, 21-jewel Burlington watches was the Illinois-built Model 9 (http://photos17.flickr.com/23318919_8e5bd03009_o.jpg).

So, its very doubtful that your watch is a Burlington. Most likely the Burlington dial was the only one available to the person who replaced the original Illinois dial.

[mocoys]

Thank you Kent. I didn't think that it would have been sold that way. Thanks again.
Steve