Illinois Watch Co. Time King pocket watch, size 12s, grade 405
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
1925
This open face manual-winding pocket watch was produced by the Illinois Watch Co. in Springfield, Illinois. According to the seller, the movement is a size 12s grade 405 featuring 17 jewels, an adjusted rating, and a double roller escapement.
Branded with the private-label mark 'Time King', the movement is visibly engraved with serial number 4680162, which the source dates to 1925. The movement is fitted inside a Keystone Silveroid case measuring approximately 44.3 mm in diameter, featuring an engraved edge pattern and an ornate bow.
Evidence at a glance
- Linked sources
- 1
- Photograph views
- 1
- Catalogue references
- 0
Counts describe this entry’s documentation, not authenticity, rarity or completeness. Photographs may show one specimen; check each caption and licence.
Technical characteristics
- Type
- Open-face pocket watch
- Movement Grade
- Grade 405
- Place recorded
- United States
- Production Date
- 1925
- Maker / attribution
- Illinois Watch Co.
- Case Maker and Serial
- Keystone Silveroid 399677
- Movement Inscription and Serial
- 4680162
Design
- Visible features
- • Plates engraved with wavy damaskeening pattern and dark-filled text reading 'TIME KING', 'ILLINOIS SPRINGFIELD WATCH CO.', 'ADJUSTED', '17 JEWELS', and '4680162'. • Bimetallic balance wheel with timing screws, blued overcoil hairspring, and micrometric regulator. • Ribbed winding crown paired with an embossed/relief-decorated bow. • Case rim visible with carved diagonal texture, lying beside an open threaded or snap-off case back.
- Case Construction
- The movement is fitted in a base-metal round case identified by the seller as Keystone Silveroid, reported as 44.3 mm in diameter. The listing records the interior case back markings as 'KEYSTONE Watch Case Guaranteed Silveroid Genuine 399677'. Visible details of the case include a ribbed winding crown paired with an embossed/relief-decorated bow, alongside carved diagonal texturing along the case rim, shown beside an open threaded or snap-off case back.
- Movement Identification and Markings
- The watch is an open-face, manual-winding pocket watch manufactured by the Illinois Watch Company in Springfield, Illinois. Movement plates exhibit wavy damaskeening along with dark-filled engraved text reading 'TIME KING', 'ILLINOIS SPRINGFIELD WATCH CO.', 'ADJUSTED', '17 JEWELS', and serial number '4680162'. The seller identifies the caliber as grade 405, size 12s, with 17 jewels, and dates the watch to 1925 based on the serial number. Visual inspection reveals an open balance wheel assembly with timing screws, a blued overcoil hairspring, and a micrometric regulator. The seller's specification text additionally notes a double roller escapement, an adjusted rating, and sub-second execution, identifying 'Time King' as an Illinois private-label marking.
- Dial Description and Private Label Context
- The dial is not pictured in the provided movement photograph, so its physical appearance cannot be confirmed from the primary visual evidence. According to the seller's description, the watch features an original silver engraved center dial, silver butler-finish subsidiary seconds at 6 o'clock, bold Arabic numerals, blue steel Breguet matching hands, and an 'ILLINOIS' signature. The source quotes collector literature stating that 'Time King' was a trade name used by Illinois Watch Co. on private-label watches produced for various retailers (such as Kranich Bros, Booth's, Spritz, and Meyers Jewelers). The specific retailer or wholesaler who ordered this particular piece is not identified in the source.
Identification
- Reference
- Grade 405
- Serial number
- 4680162
- Source note
- Facts transcribed from the linked source listing or collection record. Attribution and specifications are source-reported and have not been independently authenticated.
Catalogue references
No catalogue numbers recorded. Numbers are only published once transcribed from a verified edition of a standard catalogue — they are never inferred.
Research required
- Research required: The dial is not pictured in the provided movement image, though described in source text.
- Research required: Listing states the pocket watch holder is excluded from the sale.