Request identification

[damaclac]

I have a pocket watch in a Fahys 5730209 case with the name 'Quincy Street' on the face and on the Movement. The movement number is 1324811. Can you help me with this? Who is the manufacturer?
Also have 3 Elgin watches, #s 877240, 381 091, and 11505736. Any info on any of these? All appear to be in good condition except the 877240 which has a broken minute hand. Is this repairable? I have the broken pieces...
Thanks.

 

[damaclac]

I have a pocket watch in a Fahys 5730209 case with the name 'Quincy Street' on the face and on the Movement. The movement number is 1324811. Can you help me with this? Who is the manufacturer?
Also have 3 Elgin watches, #s 877240, 381 091, and 11505736. Any info on any of these? All appear to be in good condition except the 877240 which has a broken minute hand. Is this repairable? I have the broken pieces...
Thanks.

 

[mikeh]

damaclac,

Welcome to the NAWCC Message Board!

The name Quincy Street doesn't ring a bell to me. It could be a model from a smaller company I am not too familiar with, a private label or contract watch (watch made by one of the usual manufacturers but marked with the name of a jeweler, a RR inspector or an individual), or possibly a Swiss fake (watch made to imitate an American watch that was popular at the time). Either way, a picture of the movement would be helpful. If you need assistance posting it, just send it to me and I'll post it for you. My email address is availble by clicking the 'mikeh' at the top of my response.

To research your Elgin watches, try using elginwatches.org (you can't link there from this site so just enter elginwatches.org preceded by www. into your browser's address bar). Once there, use the Elgin Databases link, then the Serial Number Lookup link, both on the left side of the screen. This won't help for your Quincy Street, but you'll find lots of Elgin info there.

I looked them up and found that two are keywinds, one 11 jewels and one 15. They are both from the 1870's and 1880's. The last one appears to be a 21j Veritas or BW Raymond, either of which would have been considered RR grade watches. There is much more information available at the site mentioned above.

I've never seen anyone repair a broken hand. If it is still in one piece, it can usually be refitted. If not, a replacement can usually be found fairly easily.

Feel free to continue this thread with any other questions you might have.

 

[Tom Huber]

HI, According to Meggars and Ehrhart's book-"American Pocket Watches", the "Quincy Street" was a private label watch manufactured by the Illinois Watch Co, c 1900. for the Marshall Fields Company. Your serial number that you supplied would put an Illinois Watch at mfg of approx 1896. If you could post a pic of the works of the watch, we could substantiate this.

Tom

 

[Wes]

IF this an Illinois, then it should be a 16 size, model 4, Hunting movement (winds at 3 o'clock position), with 17 Jewels. As Tom says, it would have been made around 1896.

 

[Fred Hansen]

The Illinois Quincy Street was part of a line of "Street" named Getty model (16 size, single visible winding wheel) watches marked by the Illinois Watch Co. around the turn of the century for Marshall Field.

At the top of this line was the 21 jewel grade 181 "Adams Street Special" (also listed as made in the 21J grade 189 in Meggers/Ehrhardt), second down was the 17 jewel "Adams Street", next after this was the 17 jewel "Quincy Street", and below these was the 15 jewel "Franklin Street".

Fred

 

[terry hall]

with the decrease in jewel count and apparent grade .... do these drift towards the 'bad' side of town?

 

[Wes]

Thanks for the lesson on this Fred. I am certainly not very well vered on these Illinois grades.

 

[damaclac]

Thanks everyone!
Some further info: The 1904 Elgin # 11505736 is a Veritas. The Elgin # 381091 (the one with the broken minute hand) is signed H.Z. Culver.
The Quincy Street is a hunter and has a broken crystal but is otherwise undamaged. Are crystals available?
Since I am really not a watch collector I thought I would sell most of these. I have always 'known' the 381091 and probably will get it repaired but of the others would you recommend that I keep the 11505736 'Veritas' as the better of the watches? Or can you classify old watches in that fashion?
I take it that none of these are particularly special other than being relative antiques.

 

[HenryB]

Yes crystals are readily available for 16S Illinois watches.

Not an Elgin collector but the 1904 Veritas adjusted to 5 positions, is almost as good as Elgins got in that time frame.
Would enjoy seeing a pic of it, to look at the damask pattern.

Should you keep it ?
If it was mine, it would sure be a keeper, but I am a collector. :biggrin:

Guess if your not a collector, and it is not a family watch, no reason to keep it.

 

[D Konz]

The Illinois Quincy Street was part of a line of "Street" named Getty model (16 size, single visible winding wheel) watches marked by the Illinois Watch Co. around the turn of the century for Marshall Field.

At the top of this line was the 21 jewel grade 181 "Adams Street Special" (also listed as made in the 21J grade 189 in Meggers/Ehrhardt), second down was the 17 jewel "Adams Street", next after this was the 17 jewel "Quincy Street", and below these was the 15 jewel "Franklin Street".

Fred

I realise that this is an old post...In fact, I've been an NAWCC member for a long time, and this post finally compelled me to plunge onto the Message Board, though I have lurked here for years. Fred, do you (or Meggars) know how many Adams Street model Grade 189 movements were made for sale by Marshall Fields. It sounds like Meggars wasn't sure if they actually made them. I just acquired one in a Western Watch Case Co. 14K hunter case. The case is original to the watch, and seems appropriate, as WWCCo. was based in Chicago. It is #1419235, and looks to be the 35th in the first run of 80 Grade 189 hunters. Any help is appreciated. Thanks, Dan

 

[D Konz]

Well, no response from Fred to this post, or from a pm. Is he still alive and kicking? Dan