Peoria Fredonia

[Jeff Hess]

At one time I did a lot of research on Peroia and Fredonia watches. (I even used to live in an apartment in the house owned by the President of the Peoria Watch company, nut that I am about watches) I have not done any reserach in years and have shared mine with some of the guys who hae "taken the baton". I kno wthings hae progressed a lot lately and wonder if anyone can shed any light on the "old speculation". Only number one Peoria has been found the rest have been 2000-ish and up. "Speculation" has been that only Fredonia had the lower numbers in the single and double digits. Even more speculation has been that the Fredonia number and Peoria numbers ran without identical numbers. I have never been able to prove this. The number one that I found, also was a cermonial number one with another number on the inside plates. Has anyone PROVEN by seeing identical serial numbers on a Fredonia and a Peoria that they did not run in sequence? Has anyone ever SEEN a 7 jewel Peoria? Or a 17 jewel?
Jeff Hess

[Jeff Hess]

At one time I did a lot of research on Peroia and Fredonia watches. (I even used to live in an apartment in the house owned by the President of the Peoria Watch company, nut that I am about watches) I have not done any reserach in years and have shared mine with some of the guys who hae "taken the baton". I kno wthings hae progressed a lot lately and wonder if anyone can shed any light on the "old speculation". Only number one Peoria has been found the rest have been 2000-ish and up. "Speculation" has been that only Fredonia had the lower numbers in the single and double digits. Even more speculation has been that the Fredonia number and Peoria numbers ran without identical numbers. I have never been able to prove this. The number one that I found, also was a cermonial number one with another number on the inside plates. Has anyone PROVEN by seeing identical serial numbers on a Fredonia and a Peoria that they did not run in sequence? Has anyone ever SEEN a 7 jewel Peoria? Or a 17 jewel?
Jeff Hess

[Greg Frauenhoff]

Jeff,

In my database of 1000 Peoria/Fredonia numbers there are no instances of Peoria and Fredonia mvts with the same serial numbers. Also, I have no documented examples of 7 or 17 jewel Peoria mvts.

Greg

[Jeff Hess]

Greg,

So the same "suggestion" lives?

It used to really bother me that folks insisted that Peoria made 7 and 17 and eleven jewels. Untill I found a 9 and an eleven jewel Model!

how about sizes other than 18? I have seen none.

And the highest peoria was 22,xxx and the lowest "true" non magnetic was 16,xxx. Does this still hold true?

Jeff

[Greg Frauenhoff]

Jeff,

The highest # for a Peoria that I have recorded is 23400. #34372 is a private label. Lowest NMWCA is 12463 (this one is 11 jewels). Of course, I haven't personally seen all of these mvts and reporting errors are always a possibility.

Greg

[Bryan Eyring]

What is the highest # that anyone has reported for a Fredonia movement?

[Jeff Hess]

Trick question!



Weird thing about that company... most of the higher ones in the "Peoria style" (really the Fredonia style since they originated there) are in the hihg 4000's.

But there are some that have some kind of weird contiinuation (maybe Greg can help here) of older serial numbers... (six digit) if I recall) using the "Fredonia Watch Company" name but obvious plates by someone else . (Illinois? I cannot remember)

I am interested as well, in this question especially in regards to the Peoria/Fredonia type plates.

Jeff

[Tom McIntyre]

I would not claim to be an authority on these, but I have had a number of them over the years. Here is what I wrote about them on my web site.

The Howard brothers of Fredonia were classic mail order hucksters who sold everything from snake oil to watches. The first watches were a disposal of remnants from the United States Watch Co. of Marion, New Jersey. Later they sold contract watches from Illinois and Hampden.

In an attempt to salvage their reputation, they had a good quality watch designed and built that featured Paillard's patent non-magnetic hairspring and balance. This strategy did not succeed in salvaging their reputation and they then sold the operation to developers in Peoria Illinois.

Following the sale, the Peoria Watch Company continued to supply movements engraved Fredonia, so the serial numbers are thoroughly mixed between the two companies. It is difficult, if not impossible, to tell which of the Peoria/Fredonia watches signed Fredonia were actually produced in Fredonia.

The Peoria Watch Co. produced many private label watches and produced watches in great numbers for the Non-Magnetic Watch Co. of America in Chicago. Eventually all the production was going to the Non-Magnetic Watch Company although production remained in Peoria.

I have owned example from United States Watch Co. remnants, Illinois and Hampden.

[Bryan Eyring]

Originally Posted by Bryan Eyring

What is the highest # that anyone has reported for a Fredonia movement?

I meant watches made in Fredonia, by the Fredonia Watch Company, with Fredonia/Peoria type plate layout.
I was not asking about Independents.

[Tom McIntyre]

Bryan,

How do you propose that we distinguish the ones made in Fredonia from the ones made in Peoria? I don't know of any features that would let you tell them apart.