The Illinois Pocketwatch Thread

Canuck · Mar 24, 2021

DaveK
Sure, I’m watching too much YouTube. But if I wasn’t, I wouldn’t have come across this. A circa 1910 Illinois pocket watch movement used as a time-lock for a bank safe 😎

Bank vaults that had Illinois timers on them, used more than one timer. I serviced an Illinois timer for a bank, many years ago. They escorted me to the vault to remove the timer. There were 3 Illinois timers on that vault door.

Waltesefalcon · Jun 6, 2021

Here's my grade 5 model 2 from 1887.

Waltesefalcon · Oct 2, 2021

My Illinois collection now numbers 7 with the addition of my A Lincoln grade model 5 from 1911.

Bottom row from left: 1883 Model 1, grade 101; 1887 Model 2, grade 5; 1904 model 6 grade Bunn Special.
Top row from left: 1911 model 5, grade A Lincoln; 1917 grade 6 model 89; 1920 model 1, Santa Fe Special; 1926 model 9, grade Bunn Special.

DaveK · Oct 2, 2021

Waltesefalcon
My Illinois collection now numbers 7 with the addition of my A Lincoln grade model 5 from 1911.

Bottom row from left: 1883 Model 1, grade 101; 1887 Model 2, grade 5; 1904 model 6 grade Bunn Special.
Top row from left: 1911 model 5, grade A Lincoln; 1917 grade 6 model 89; 1920 model 1, Santa Fe Special; 1926 model 9, grade Bunn Special.

great looking dial on your Santa Fe Special 😎

Waltesefalcon · Oct 2, 2021

DaveK
great looking dial on your Santa Fe Special 😎

Thanks. I think my favorites are the two gothic dialed ones, the older Bunn and the A Lincoln.

Out of TIME! · Oct 3, 2021

Waltesefalcon
I wanted to share my newest acquisition that arrived in the mail today. I bought this beautiful 1904 18s Illinois Bunn Special off of Ebay and I'm delighted. It is running well, has a clean dial with only one small chip by the one, a fantastic looking movement, and as a bonus it came in a 14K J. Boss case.

Since this post has had so many contributors adding their own Illinois pocket watches I figure we can just make this a thread about the great Illinois watches we all seem to admire so much.

Yep! Looks great!
The chip & 1 is common due to the lever set hitting the edge.
Ciao! Mike

Waltesefalcon · Mar 1, 2022

I had my big Bunn and my transitional Model 2 serviced and I can say that I'm very happy with the results. The old Model 2 grade 5 was worn all day today and when I put it on my timegrapher it was gaining between seven and fifteen seconds a day, not too bad for a 135 year old watch.

Waltesefalcon · Jul 3, 2022

I just acquired this 1897, 17j, rail road approved, Model 6, grade 61, "Lakeside." This brings my RR grade Illinois collection up to five, which is half of all my RR grade watches. The case is nice with no signs of brassing anywhere. The movement has light wavy brushing that creates a slight striped appearance. It looks to be a Keystone case, though it only has the one mark. I am not sure if the case is original to the movement because of the filing marks on the case around the dog screws.

Here's the link to the pocketwatch database.
https://pocketwatchdatabase.com/search/result/illinois/1357656

Waltesefalcon · Jul 5, 2022

This one ran for thirty-three hours on its own and lost about five minutes in twenty-four hours. Not too bad for a 125 year old watch with an unknown service history. I'm wearing it today to see how she runs in the pocket and then it'll be time for a service.

DaveK · Jul 5, 2022

Fun hands on that one 👍

TexOmega · Jul 5, 2022

Ive seen them called Moon hands, very nice.👍

Waltesefalcon · Dec 23, 2022

I've added two more Illinois to the collection. An 1887 11j, Model 1, grade 99, and an 1874 15j, Model 1, grade Miller. I was most interested in the Miller and bought it knowing it needed parts. With that in mind I also bought the 99 as a movement to cannibalize.

The 99 arrived first and I was happily surprised that it started ticking the moment I took it out of its tin. It has a very clean dial but mismatched hands. I decided that I needed to preserve it, so it will get a service and a new set of hands, and I will look for a hunting case for it.

The Miller arrived today and it does need some work. It also has a nearly pristine two line dial, which was only used in 1874 and 1875, and was in a nice coin silver case. I made the executive decision to remove it from its case and store it for the time being while I hunt down parts.

I have now cased the 99 in the Miller's open face case until I can find a hunting case I like for it. I have also sourced hands for both watches, one fleur-de-lis and one spade set. I haven't decided which set will go on which watch.

The first two photos are of the 99, the next seven are of the Miller, and the last two are of the 99 cased in the Miller's case.

Waltesefalcon · Feb 2, 2023

Today, I recieved a new Bunn. This one is a Model 5, with 17 jewels, and made in 1900. It is in a Leader coin silver case.case. In addition to being my first Model 5 it is my first with the "Illinois screw" regulator.

This one is an interesting one to me because it is one of the few hunting configurations I have seen classified as railroad grade on both the pocketwatch database and rails west websites. It is also a "Bunn" which was always Illinois' highest grade of railroad watches. Almost all railroad standards I have ever seen specifically exclude hunting configuration though. The only thing I can guess is that for a very brief time this configuration met the standard. It has a really beautiful two tone "wavy" damaskeening that my photos don't do adequate justice to.

TexOmega · Feb 2, 2023

Hunters were grandfathered in when the regulations were standardized/rewritten by Ball around this time.

Open face going forward. Soon, 18s examples were verboten in favor of 16s

And.....there is a difference between " RR Grade" and "RR Approved"

Love the gothic font that Illinois had for their watches

Waltesefalcon · Feb 2, 2023

TexOmega
Hunters were grandfathered in when the regulations were standardized/rewritten by Ball around this time.

Open face going forward. Soon, 18s examples were verboten in favor of 16s

And.....there is a difference between " RR Grade" and "RR Approved"

Love the gothic font that Illinois had for their watches

Yeah, I reckon the Model 5 was likely grandfathered. It interests me that they were still in production in 1900. And yeah, there is a big difference between railroad grade and railroad approved.

The gothic font from this period is my favorite Illinois font. If you look carefully you'll see that this dial is pristine, there isn't so much as a hairline on it.

Illinos 24hrs · Apr 13, 2023

HELLO
I HAVE A POCKET WATCH THAT I HAD NEVER SEEN, IT IS AN ILLINOIS, BUNN SPECIAL 60HRS 16S 21J, SERIAL NUMBER 4730683, BUT WITH THE DAIL AND MECHANISM IS 24HRS. (ONE TURN OF THE SPHERE IS 24 HRS) THEY ARE RARE????

Canuck · Apr 13, 2023

I’m

I Illinos 24hrs
HELLO
I HAVE A POCKET WATCH THAT I HAD NEVER SEEN, IT IS AN ILLINOIS, BUNN SPECIAL 60HRS 16S 21J, SERIAL NUMBER 4730683, BUT WITH THE DAIL AND MECHANISM IS 24HRS. (ONE TURN OF THE SPHERE IS 24 HRS) THEY ARE RARE????

I checked the Meggers and Ehrhardt “bible” on Illinois. Otherwise known as the “blue book”. It lists that serial number run, but it makes no mention of the 24-hour dial. It is listed as “model 14”, and is listed in the book in 3 places, none of which mention a 24-hour feature. The “blue book” indicates it was produced in 1924.

I have included a link to the pocketwatchdatabase site for that watch. The listing makes no mention of a 24-hour feature. The listing suggests there were approximately 117 thousand of these made, but there most certainly would not have been that many made with the 24-hour feature! Rarity? Does anybody really know? The non-standard looking dial looks like an aftermarket creation, and the conversion to 24-hour operation might have been pulled off by a clever watchmaker. We might gain a better perspective if we were able to see the movement behind the dial.

https://pocketwatchdatabase.com/search/result/illinois/4730683

Waltesefalcon · May 19, 2023

I just picked up this early Illinois, Model 1, grade "Hoyt," which according to the Pocketwatch Database was made in 1872 or 73. It is in a nice coin silver case. It is missing the crystal and the movement is filthy, so a little TLC is in store for it once work ends for the school year.

Canuck · May 19, 2023

Great potential. Very early Illinois. Looks like close to the first year of Illinois production. Remarkable condition for a 150 year old watch.

https://pocketwatchdatabase.com/search/result/illinois/7831

noelekal · May 19, 2023

Look at that low serial number on the Illinois Hoyt!

You really have posted some good reference photographs in the thread. There is lots of good Illinois-ness in your collection, including early examples.

Ok Waltesefalcon. I have to admit that the Illinois pocket watches charm me most too.

Hey, we'll be Illinois Brothers together!

Railroad grade

Sangamo Special

Bunn Special

A. Lincoln

The also-rans

Santa Fe Special

Capitol

And a Burlington, made by Illinois