I saw this Hamilton Illinois Swiss movement on ebay. It has a TXD code on the movement. I know that a lot of the automatic Hamiltons were Buren movements. Was this a Buren code? Does anyone know a site where the Swiss watch company codes are listed?
It is my understanding that these 3-letter codes identify the importer. The ebauche manufacturer is identified by the symbol almost visible under the balance wheel rim and the calibre number is right next to it.
Hi The three letter code is the 'ebauche' code for US watches. Each manufacturer had a separate code. Eg Omega code is OXG Here is a list of most of the codes. You'll note that the Buren code is WXC AOC Roamer AOL Adolph Schwarcz&Son AOX Alstate W,Co. AXA Wittnauer AXZ Benrus(1) AYP Audemars Piguet BOL Lemania BXC Avia BXJ Midland BXN Benrus(2) BXP Imperial,Pretzfelder&Mills BXW Bulova COC Crawford COW Croton CXC Concord CXD Cypres CXH Clinton CXV Cort CXW Central, Benrus(3) DOB Dreffa W.Co. DOW Deauville EOE Elrex EON Avalon EOP Harvel EOT Lavina EXC Everbrite FXE Provis FXU Louis Aisenstein&Bros. FXW Louis(1) GXC Gruen GXI Gotham(Ollendorff) GXM Girard-Perregaux GXR Grant GXW Gothic HOM Homis HON Tissot(1);A.Hirsch HOR Lanco;Langendorf HOU Oris HXF Harman HXM R.H.Macy&Co. HXN Harvel HXO Harold K.Oleet HXW Helbros HYL Hamilton HYO Hilton W Co. JXE Normandie JXJ Jules Jurgensen JXR Gallet KOT Landau KXJ Wm.J.Kappel KXV Louis(2) KXZ Kelton;Benrus(4),Central LOA Emil Langer LOD Latham LOE Packard LXA Laco,Winton,Elbon LXE Evkob LXJ LeCoultre LXW Longines MOG Mead&Co.;Boulevard MOU Tower;Delbana MXE Monarch MXH Seeland MXI Movado MXT Mathey-Tissot NOA U.Nardin NOS Heritage NOU Louvic NXJ National Jewelers Co. NXO Oris OXG Omega OXL Wyler(1) OYT Shriro(Sandoz) POY Camy;Copley PXA Pierce PXP Patek Philippe PXT Paul Breguette PXW Parker PYS Langel QXO Kelbert ROC Raleigh ROL Ribaux ROP Rodania ROW Rolex RXG R.Gsell&Co. RXM Galmor RXW Rima RXY Liengme RYW Ritex SOA Felca SOE Semca SOW Seeland SOX Cortebert,Orvin SXE Savoy;Banner SXK S.Kocher&Co. SXS Franco UOA Actua UOB Aero UOW Universal UXM Medana UXN Marsh UYW Stanley W.Co. VOS Sheffield VXN Vacheron&Constantin VXT Kingston WOA Tower WOB Wyler(2) WOG Breitling WOR Creston WXC Buren WXE Welsbro WXW Westfield ZFX Zenith W.Co. ZOV Titus
Just one other thing. The ebauch makers stamp is under the balance as a symbol and its next to the calibre number. A Google search of makers stamps should throw up the manufacturer. Cheers desmond
To clarify, is the TXD on the balance bridge not a manufacturer's code? The code is under the balance, and could indicate a different manufacturer than the TXD code on the bridge?
As far as I know, the three letter code is a code used only in the US for imported movments. There is some digression of views as to what that code specifically means. Some think that its a code for the importer of specific manufacturer ebauches, while some think that its a mark that is allocated to each separate manufacturer. I think that its probably the latter. So the TXD is definitely US code for an imported movement by a specific manufacturer/importer. The makers mark under the balance or elsewhere on the movement is the actual manufacturers stamp. E.g. You may have a locally assembled watch with the local name on the rotor but with an ETA stamp somewhere on the movement indicating the true origin of the movement. I think that if you can get a pic of the stamp under the balance or describe it accurately in a post then you'll soon solve the riddle of who made the movement.
This part of a page from the C&E Marshall "Handy Manual" explains the marks used on Swiss movements and clearly shows that the 3-letter code is an importer mark, not a manufacturer I.D. Confusion has resulted because the importer may use the same name as the manufacturer. A watch from a particular maker will have a different import code for different importers (which may change with time). (sorry, the pictures are posted in the wrong order - look at the lower image first)
To clarify the point made in the illustration above, both V&C and LeCoultre used the same "VXN" import code. This had nothing to do with the actual manufacturers as they clearly are not the same. In this case, the "VXN" refers to the Vacheron & Constantin - LeCoultre Division of Longines-Wittnauer Co. Inc., which was the USA distributor for both brands. I'm sure there were other examples of multiple brands using the same import codes back in the 1950's and 60's. Hope this helps, gatorcpa
GAtor! I have been saying this for years! Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. importers mark as you and Jerry say is the answer. Ball watches have their own as well. Here is one that I cannot find anywhere. HOX Jeff
GAtor! I have been saying this for years! Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. importers mark as you and Jerry say is the answer. Ball watches have their own as well. Here is one that I cannot find anywhere. HOX Jeff http://imagehost.vendio.com/bin/viewimage.x/00000000/hessfineart/pp28mm6.JPG?vvid=57606508&allow_mailing_list=1&allow_track_link=1&track=0238058362-c69bc&sp=0
The ETA movement I was referring to is the one illustrated at the top of this thread signed by Illinois Watch Co., -- you can clearly see most of the ETA 1256 stamp. That movement is the subject of this thread, and thus to answer the questioner, it is not by Buren. Hamilton's Buren movements were of the planetry rotor type based on the Buren 1000 caliber. DM
post # 748 of 748 Is this a trick question? If it's a true Patek why wouldn't it have a PXP code? ------------ No, not a trick question... I really want to know! This is a historical question. A research question! I saw this and thought it must me a fake of some kind. Bu tI took it apart and the damaskeeing lines up everywhere. Did patek use other movements for a while? Is this just the "importers mark". (That is what I initially thought). The intereesting thing is that I cannnot find HOX anywhere on google. Seriously. Help! Jeff
fantastic list. thanks. A real mystery on the Patek. Unless that is an error in the list or if the same company that imported IWC also imported Patek for a while. confusing! Thanks. Jeff
Hello Jeff - I recently purchased a Patek from the mid 60's with the same import code HOX (or XOH if you view it the other way up) - just wondering if you were able to dig up any info about the importer? Cheers Robert
Isn't HOX the code for Henri Stern Watch Agency? He was the family member sent here in the 1930s to oversee the importation of Patek (and IWC) up until 1958, when he became president of Patek Philippe. I think the agency stayed around a bit longer as well. Cary
Thanks Cary and Abslom It seems that Dr Ranfft's list should be amended to include Patek as well as IWC as having the import mark HOX for watches imported by Henri Stern Watch Agency of New York. Goggling this new info I found a Sotheby's listing that had this info: "It is interesting to note that the movement is stamped 'HOX', which indicates a watch made for the American market. Such watches were generally imported for the Henri Stern Watch Agency, the American representative for Patek Philippe. During this time period, most watches intended to be retailed by Cartier were imported by the Stern Agency."
