The Columbus Watch Co. grew out of an earlier endeavor by Gruen and Savage. The two established the Columbus Watch Co. in 1882. It continued until 1895 when it was reorganized as the New Columbus Watch Co. This firm lasted until 1903 when it was purchased by some of the Studebaker brothers (those not engaged in the wagon and automobile business). The company was then moved to South Bend, Indiana to become the South Bend watch Co.

The Columbus Watch Co was started in 1874 or earlier. D Gruen was the sole proprietor and had made a trip to Switzerland to direct how the watches were to be manufactured. His FIRST watches were 18 Size with the Gruen Patent Safety Pinion. Almost all the watches are engraved with CWCo or Col Watch Co. The Dials all have similar markings. In 1878, D. Gruen convinced his Banker friend Savage to join with him as full partner. However, there are no known watches marked Gruen and Savage. Sometime around 1883 D. Gruen and Savage convinced others to incorporate Columbus Watch Co to make American made Watches. D. Gruen was still supportive of his Swiss friends and ordered more Swiss watches made in 1885. This led to his walking out of the Columbus Watch Co in a "tiff," taking his Patents with him. Leaving copies for the Columbus Watch Company. The early Swiss movements are all serialized to ~20000 and only a handful have been identified in the 80 to 90 Thousand range.

The Columbus Watch Co. produced a full line of movements, from modest 7-jewel watches to medium grade, fully jeweled (15-jewel) gilt and nickel damaskeened movements having patent regulators and adjusted to temperature. At the top of the line were high-grade movements that would be accepted into railroad time service. These high-grade watches were 16-size and 18-size nickel damaskeened, 15-jewel and 16-jewel movements, fitted with a patent regulator and adjusted to temperature and positions. Eventually, these would be built with 17, 21, 23 and 25 jewels.

The best known of the Columbus watch grades is their Railway King. This grade started appearing around serial number 179601, about 1892. At the start, these were 16-jewel watches. However, the upper center jewel has lead collectors into thinking that they were 17-jewel movements. A 17-jewel Railway King was eventually produced (around serial number 371901 - 1899), marked "17 Jewels." Thus, unless the movement is actually marked to have 17-jewels, it is extremely likely that it is a 16-jewel movement.

The 21, 23 & 25 -jewel Railway King movements can be dated to late 1899 or early 1900. A 1899 Columbus Watch Co. ad, reproduced on page 177 of American Pocket Watches Vol. 1, Encyclopedia and Price Guide, Roy Ehrhardt, Heart of America Press, Kansas City, MO, 1982 (available to members on loan by mail from the NAWCC Lending Library), notes the availability of the 17-jewel Railway King and states, 'Our 21 and 23 Jewel "RAILWAY KING" will be ready in about ninety days.' This same note appeared in a September 1899 ad that is reprinted on page 32 of Greg Frauenhoff's History and Products of the Columbus Watch Company. Then, this May 1900 Ad for 17, 21, 23 & 25 Jewel Railway King Movements appeared. A description of the 21, 23 and 25 jewel Columbus King grade is shown in an October 1900 Brown & Winterberg catalog page reprinted on page 35 of History and Products of the Columbus Watch Company. Shortly thereafter, it was decided that the rights to the Use of the Word "Railway" on A Watch belonged to Dueber-Hampden and Columbus had to drop the name.

Much more detailed information on theses watches, their markings and dials, can be seen in the following publications (available to members on loan by mail from the NAWCC Lending Library):

"Railroaders' Corner - High Grade Columbus Watches Part 1: The Columbus Watch Co.," Greg Frauenhoff, John Dimar, Ed Ueberall and Kent Singer, NAWCC Bulletin No. 342, February 2003, pp. 81-89.
"Railroaders' Corner - High Grade Columbus Watches Part 2: The New Columbus Watch Co.," Greg Frauenhoff, John Dimar, Ed Ueberall and Kent Singer, NAWCC Bulletin No. 343, April 2003, pp. 229-234.
"Railroaders' Corner - High Grade Columbus Watches Part 3: Columbus 500,000 Series," Greg Frauenhoff, John Dimar, Ed Ueberall and Kent Singer, NAWCC Bulletin No. 344, June 2003, pp. 360-367.

History and Products of the Columbus Watch Company, Greg Frauenhoff, Sedalia, CO, 2003.