American Sterling Silver Cases. Please show yours.

[luvsthetick]

After winning this case I was really amazed there were only two other bids (could have been the 7 jewel non-running movement in it). While there are a few sterling cases shown in this thread (Post some of your Coin silver pocket watch cases), I started a thread to highlight American Sterling Silver cases which seem to be less abundant than the coin silver cases.

Sterling Silver probably were not as good a seller compared to coin silver cases. The encyclopedia section shows a limited number of case companies produced them and in The Price Guide they are not discussed in the case price section.

I feel fortunate to have snagged this case.

 

[Rick Hufnagel]

Dueber made some nice sterling 18s cases.


This one lacks a manufacturer mark but its sterling. Original 0s U.S. Watch co.

 

[vintageguy]

Far as I can tell, this C.W.C. Co. case is original to Illinois Stuart # 300107:

 

[Jerry Treiman]

Great topic -

Keystone made some very nice sterling and niello cases, circa 1901. Mine are all 12-size.


I don't know how common locomotives are on 12-size cases, but this swing-ring case has a cute little choo choo. Made by Illinois W.C.Co. for Waltham.


This 12-size keywind case was made around 1875 in American Watch Co's (Waltham) case shop.

 

[GeneJockey]

A lowly Elgin Grade 211, in this lovely Keystone sterling case.... I think my other sterling cases are all English.

 

[luvsthetick]

Over the years I have now collected 3 swing ring 16s Illinois sterling cases. All are smooth finish cases. Wish they had put Jerry's choo-choo on mine.

 

[PatH]

New England Watch Company also got in on the sterling cases.

 

[Paul Sullivan]

A model 1857 American Watch Co. P. S. Bartlett , circa 1867, in it's coin silver triple hinged case.

 

[vintageguy]

Sweet!

 

[luvsthetick]

I have a watch that has a case that looks (to me anyway) like it is probably sterling silver. I cannot be sure since it is not marked.
Additionally, I have not found any information on the case maker and thus do not know if they made sterling cases.

Here it is.



I wish the company had marked their silver cases clearly like they marked their gold cases.

 

[DeweyC]

This is the second and LAST early hunting case Hampden 16s I will case. I thought I wanted an early 104 but not now!

I had another that I need to remove the curvette to accommodate the thickness. Open faces are less of an issue because you do not have to disassemble the case'.


Much easier to fit a Hamilton Positive Pendant set.


Crescent Sterling. I have another at Bill's right now wanting a spring (asked him to not polish it) that has several colors of gold inlay.

 

[Rick Hufnagel]

I have not found any information on the case maker

This one is beating me up. Loving it!

Are there ANY other marks on the cases?

So far the only company that matches the initials is a wholesale jeweler. Makes sense... Possibly ordered from a big case company with their name.on them.

Mindil Brother & co. 25 N 3rd St.

Found in the 1870 philadelphia business directory, and in this jewelers circular indicating 1869. They are not in the 75 directory.

I couldn't find anything to match in a directory from the mid 80s.

The Jewelers' Circular

Here is the jewelers circular with a fantastic list of jewelery related businesses in operation from Philadelphia in 1869.

I know it's not much, and there is no direct connection.... But it's a start.

 

[luvsthetick]

Are there ANY other marks on the cases?

All lids have the serial # and only the rear lid has the trademark. Same is true for the gold case.

Thanks for your efforts.

 

[Joseph Short]

This 16 size Southbend is in a Sterling silver case

 

[Joseph Short]

I also have this Rockland model 2 in in a Sterling silver case.

 

[John Pavlik]

A National Watch Co ...

 

[John Pavlik]

Another Sterling case, a larger one holding a Seth Thomas ..Movement has the lessor seen Higginbotham hairspring stud ...

 

[Nick23]

An 1857 Model, P.S. Bartlett Grade. S/N 248847 dating to 1866 in a AW Co Sterling case with gold hinges.

 

[DeweyC]

I have been waiting to get this back from Bill (case spring, no polish). I was able to buy an early 993 for it.

The stag is remarkable. The lines for the hair have a holographic effect. Crescent Sterling.

The movement will have to wait until next year.

 

[luvsthetick]

Dewey,

Wonderful case. The 1st sterling case I have seen with a gold body.

Have you determined the composition of the body?

 

[DeweyC]

Dewey,

Wonderful case. The 1st sterling case I have seen with a gold body.

Have you determined the composition of the body?

Yes, it is cool in person.

No, I have not tested the band. The case only sez Sterling. Gold was $20/oz in those days.

 

[Nick23]

A Waltham 1877 Model, William Ellery Grade that dates to 1882, in a gold plated Sterling silver case.

 

[Jerry Treiman]

Wonderful case. The 1st sterling case I have seen with a gold body.

Here is a 12-size example - sterling back and bezel, gold-filled body. The inlay in the back uses rose, green and yellow gold. This is a Keystone case.

 

[Dr. Jon]

The Thread is American Sterling Silver cases. The caseis American Silver and I thnk its sterling so here it is.
(Some may have seen it in the Foreign and Otehr Pocket Watches thread.



The crown marks looks like the Jacot and Courvoisier mark fo 18K gold but is clearly not that. This is a 20 size watch

 

[Ethan Lipsig]

I do not presently have any U.S.-made silver-cased pocket watches in my collection, but I once had one. It was among the earliest watches I collected. I bought it in 2005 before I was knowledgeable and sold it in 2007 because, by then, I no longer wanted watches with serious issues in my collection. The serious issue with this watch was that it was a 3/4 plate Keystone/Howard recased in an Illinois W.C.Co. case, and the bow on the case was an incorrect replacement. But for those issues, I might have kept the watch because the case was very pretty.

 

[luvsthetick]

Dewey started it, Jerry helped and now Ethan has made it a must.

I have to find one of these cases.

Thanks guys for showing your cases!

 

[Evan_G]

Here's my great-grandfather's Elgin, bought in Sydney. This watch seems to be fairly common in Australia. I did wonder if sterling silver cases might have been more popular in the export market, assuming sterling was a better known standard in the British Empire than coin silver. But I have no data or research to back this up.

 

[Rick Hufnagel]

Here's my great-grandfather's Elgin, bought in Sydney.

Awesome!

 

[luvsthetick]

Here's my great-grandfather's Elgin, bought in Sydney.

Wonderful family heirloom!

Amazingly the firm of Angus & Coote is still in business with multiple stores in the Sydney area.

Do you know which location sold this watch and is it still operating?

 

[Steven Thornberry]

A 17J Hamilton 924 from 1920/21 in a case by the Crescent Watch Case Co. This was my first Hamilton Watch and is still my favorite. The thumb in the fourth picture is actually not mine but that of Lowell Halligan.

 

[Evan_G]

Wonderful family heirloom!

Amazingly the firm of Angus & Coote is still in business with multiple stores in the Sydney area.

Do you know which location sold this watch and is it still operating?

Thanks. It’s not a high grade watch, but very treasured. I don’t know where it was purchased. It might even have been by mail order, since my great-grandfather lived in rural New South Wales and Angus & Coote marketed the watch to farmers (who could not “find out what time of day it is by the leaves of a gum tree”).

 

[DeweyC]

Here is another from ebay for under $100. Crescent Sterling hunter. VERY tight (too tight?)

I housed a second run 993 in it. I had a set of hands that look nice on a RN dial. I treated them to purple.

 

[Clint Geller]

View attachment 603258 View attachment 603260 View attachment 603262 View attachment 603261
A Waltham 1877 Model, William Ellery Grade that dates to 1882, in a gold plated Sterling silver case.

I think the term used to describe gold plated sterling silver is "vermeil."

 

[DTSPatrick]

Picked up this beautiful 12s Sterling Waltham case on the bay with a stowaway 28mil serial Elgin onboard. Any idea to the actual date of production for this case?

 

[179]

From the case style, my guess would be mid teens.

 

[musicguy]

28mil serial Elgin onboard.

Just curious what was the date of the movement?
That's also a clue..


Rob

 

[179]

From memory,I have a 28 mil. B.W. Raymond and I believe 1926-1927 era.

 

[Nick23]

A Waltham in a Philadelphia Watch Case 3 ounce Sterling silver swing ring case.

 

[Bostonjoe]

Here is a Waltham 18 size, SN 663900, in a sterling silver case. One of my favorite cases, very thick and handsome.

 

[LloydB]

View attachment 603258 View attachment 603262
A Waltham 1877 Model, William Ellery Grade that dates to 1882, in a gold plated Sterling silver case.

Arriving soon in my mailbox, will be a Sterling case with a mark
identical to the one above [from Post 22 in this thread].

Could anyone offer an estimate, of the range of years that
AM. WATCH CO cases with this specific mark were produced?

PWDB shows a similar mark, but the STERLING SILVER
portion of the stamping is below the 'arch', and much larger.

Is one of these marks earlier?

Thanks! // Lloyd

 

[Paul Sullivan]

Lloyd,

Check the link here showing case makers on the PW Database.

It indicates cases were made by Amer. Watch Co. Walth. Mass. from 1857-1892.

Paul

 

[LloydB]

Lloyd,

Check the link here showing case makers on the PW Database.

It indicates cases were made by Amer. Watch Co. Walth. Mass. from 1857-1892.

Paul

Cheers, Paul

I'm trying to find out if THIS mark:

Is older than the one shown in the PWDB:

And when (date range) it was used. Sorry I wasn't clear.

 

[Dave Coatsworth]

Here's a lovely sterling case holding Illinois #218897, an 18-size 'Manhattan'.

 

[Dave Coatsworth]

Here's a C. W. C. Co. sterling hunting case just waiting for the perfect Waltham '88 to come along.

 

[watchbob]

Just a very nice lightly used Baystate Imperial silver case with model 83 Waltham

 

[Dave Coatsworth]

Just picked up this awesome A.W.Co. sterling 'dustproof' case. The patent date is April 22, 1879. It's a swingout case. From the case screw marks, it appears to have once held a Waltham model '79, so I'm going to be on the lookout for a nice example of that model.

 

[Rhett Lucke]

Recently picked up this 18s Fahys

 

[Joe Blossic]

Two for your consideration ...

Circa 1914 Seth Thomas M21, G334, 16s, 15j, in an Illinois W. C. Co.


Circa 1906 Hamden M5, General Stark, 16s, 17j, in a Keystone case. Unusual for the 'matte' finish and seemingly never carried.

 

[Bostonjoe]

Another sterling silver case, particularly thick and hefty at 5oz. Houses a Waltham PS Bartlett #663900.

 

[4thdimension]

This is an empty 16s hunting case. It is rather worn but very convincingly marked.-Cort