Illinois Watch Open-face pocket watch, 21 jewels, grade illinois, circa 1922
Record status
Individual type · research required
Period
circa 1922
Maker / issuer
Illinois WatchThe Illinois Watch open-face 21-jewel pocket watch is a size 12s timepiece produced circa 1922 by the Illinois Watch Company. Designed as an open-face pocket watch, the model represents the manufacturer's "illinois" grade mechanisms engineered during the final decade of the company's independent operation.
Technically, the movement is built with a 21-jewel count and features adjustments to three positions. Sized at 12s and categorized as not railroad grade, it was intended for standard personal wear and was frequently fitted into matching open-face housings, such as the "Ramona" case produced by the Illinois Watch Case Company.
Evidence at a glance
- Linked sources
- 2
- 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.
Historical context
Founded in Springfield, Illinois, in 1870 as the Springfield Watch Company, the enterprise underwent reorganizations before becoming the Illinois Watch Company in 1878 under Jacob Bunn Sr. By the early 1920s, the company was led by Jacob Bunn Jr., who served as president until 1926. While celebrated for producing railroad chronometers like the Bunn Special, the factory also manufactured smaller 12-size pocket watches for everyday use. In the late 1920s, the company was purchased by the Hamilton Watch Company, which subsequently shifted manufacturing emphasis from pocket watches to wristwatches.
Physical characteristics
- Movement size
- 12 size (as described by the source)
Technical characteristics
- Jewel count
- 21 jewels (as described by the source)
Design
- Case type
- Open-face, Railroad grade
Identification
- Grade
- illinois
- Recognition pointers (from background sources)
- Check the movement for markings denoting a 12s size, 21 jewels, and an adjustment to 3 positions. Look for the Illinois Watch Company's specific "illinois" grade identification engraved on the movement plates. Verify the open-face case configuration, such as an Illinois Watch Case Company "Ramona" case.
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
- Escapement type not documented; requires movement examination or a horological reference.
- Serial-number dating, case dimensions and weight remain untranscribed.
- No catalogue reference number is asserted; standard horological catalogues have not been transcribed for this specimen.