Vintage 1920-1939 Personal Collection Watches

Benrus - (circa 1930s) Dress watch with circular case and fancy knotted lugs. In working condition and keeping time. 10K Rolled Gold Bezel. Stainless steel back. Recently had its dial refinished.
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[Item ID: RJE-VW-0052]

Bulova - (circa 1930s) - Very Unusual Inward Curving Lugs (with a spring bar width of only 8mm) - Black Dial Dress watch with a 10AX Bulova U.S.A. Mechanical Wind movement. 10K Rolled Gold Bezel. Stainless steel back.
[Item ID: RJE-VW-0067]

Case: 24mm across by 35mm lug to lug - Curved Tank Style Case - The inside back cover is marked Bulova, 10K Rolled Gold Plate Bezel, Stainless Back, New York.

Movement: 17 Jewels Mechanical Wind - Bulova Watch Co., U.S.A., 10AX, 17 Jewels.

Dial: Black background with gold markings. 60 minutes track bordering the outside section - signed Bulova. The hour markers are Art Deco style Arabic numerals at all 12 positions. The minute and hour hands are the dauphine style and gold in color.

Description: A 30s Bulova with a scarce lug design. Running fine and keeping good time.

Concord - (circa 1930s) 8 Days "Car" Alarm Watch, Extraordinary Overall Original Condition, High Quality Swiss Made with an all Brass Construction. Running Strong and Keeping excellent time.
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[Item ID: RJE-VW-0109]

Croton - (circa 1920s) Exquisite Art Deco Tank Style with a Ornately Engraved Hinged Nickel Case and a Stunning Dial with 15 Jewels. In Absolutely Near MINT Overall Condition! The Art Deco Era Poster Child?
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[Item ID: RJE-VW-0073]

Elgin - Pure Art Deco Wire Lug Wristwatch with a Fancy Engraved Octagonal Shaped Case and Black Dial with a Sub-Dial at 9 o'clock (circa 1920)
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Hamilton - "Piping Rock - Reissue of the 1928 Model" Rose Gold Tone Plating, Black Dial and Black Enameled Bezel with Inlaid Roman Numerals [One of the most Famous American Watches of all Time!] (circa '90s)
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Hamilton - (circa 1926) - Scarce Ornately Engraved Art Deco-Era Hinged Cushion Case with Wire Lugs. A Hamilton 986A 17 Jewel Mechanical Movement.
[Item ID: RJE-VW-0320]

Case: 27mm across by 33mm lug to lug [wire lugs] - Ornately and Fancily Engraved Cushion Type Case (bezel, sides and rear) - Marked Hamilton Watch Co., Lancaster, PA, Guaranteed 25 Years and the serial number 351490 - Cabochon crown (with a dark blue stone) at the 3 o'clock position.

Movement: 17 Jewels Mechanical Wind - Hamilton 986A - 17 Jewels, marked Hamilton Watch Co., and the serial number: 2157369 (which dates this watch to 1926.)

Band: Brand New, IW brand, 16mm Genuine Alligator Calf Leather, Brown Pattern with side stitching and a Sliver toned Buckle (open end [wire lug] strap.)

Dial: All Original Condition - Circular minutes track bordering the outside section - Bone White Background with black markings, signed Hamilton. The hour markers are Art Deco style Arabic numerals at all 12 positions. The minute and hour hands are gun metal plum colored.

Description: A scarce Roaring Twenties Hamilton wristwatch with a stunningly attractive engraved case - in all around original condition, running fine and keeping good time.

The Following Information Regarding this Watch was Provided by: Rene Rondeau

"This was made as a ladies' watch, which is why it does not appear in the book, even my own. Although both men's and women's watches used the same 986A movement, ladies' watches had wire lugs through which a satin strap was laced, while mens had conventional open lugs which used a spring bar to hold a strap. This particular model was called "Cushion Model - Engraved" and was made in green or white gold, or gold-fill. Yours is gold-fill as indicated by the "25 year" guarantee. The manufacturer would warrant that the gold layer would last a specified number of years before wearing through to the underlying brass core. This type of marking was outlawed in 1924, after which cases had to be clearly marked as gold-filled. Production records have survived for this model, showing that 7,183 were made in white gold-fill like yours.

[If only 7,183 pieces were made of this model in the 1920s it is probably scarce today?]

"The general rule of thumb is considered a 10% survival rate, though I don't know who came up with that.... It does seem plausible based on long experience with many types of watches over the years. So yes, that is certainly scarce."

Manufacturer's History: Illinois wristwatches are by far the most coveted amongst collectors due to their low production numbers, high quality movements and innovative designs (primarily Art Deco era designs.) The Illinois Watch Company was established in 1869 in Springfield, Illinois. The company was sold to Hamilton in 1927 and Illinois watches were still produced in the Springfield plant until 1932. After 1932 Hamilton continued to manufacture Illinois watches in their factory until 1939 (some movements were also made in 1948.)

I purchased this movement with the dial and hands intact. It took me almost three years to find a case that fit the movement and matched the vintage of the watch.

I had the watch movement fitted into the case, the dial refinished, a new crystal installed, a new main spring installed, the movement serviced (cleaned, oiled and time adjusted), and a new old stock crown with a purple colored Cabochon stone installed, and I fitted a new IW brand genuine leather, black colored, open ended 10mm strap with a silver buckle.

The New Old Stock hinged, and wire lug case measures 30mm long x 17mm wide. It is ornately engraved on the front and sides. It is marked on the inside: Marion I.W.C. Company, Serial Number: 8793314. The movement is marked: Illinois U.S.A., 807B, 17 jewels and the serial number: 5608046 (which dates this watch to 1948.) The dial has a pearl white background with black colored fancy Art Deco style Arabic numerals at all 12 positions, it is signed Illinois, and has a centrally positioned oval shaped minutes track. The hour and minute hands are gun metal [plum] colored. It now looks and runs like new.

New Haven - "Dollar Wristwatch" with an Art Deco Inspired Case that features a Screw Thread Engraved Bezel and a 7 Jewel Mechanical Wind Movement (circa '30s)
[Item ID: RJE-VW-0190]

The excellent conditioned rectangular case appears to be 10K Yellow Gold Plated and measures 23mm across (not including the crown) and 38mm from top to bottom. The lugs are engraved in a screw thread pattern. The dial is bone white colored and signed New Haven, 7 Jewels, Compensated and Made in U.S.A.

Pierpont - Art Deco Inspired Extended Stepped Case Tank Style with a 60 Seconds Sub-Dial and a 17 Jewel Swiss Mechanical Movement (circa '30s)
[Item ID: RJE-VW-0173]

Waltham - Unusual Ornately Engraved Dial (Art Deco Design,) Three Part Case with Wire Lugs and the Crown at the 12 o'clock position and in Outstanding Original Condition (circa 1923)
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This web site created, maintained and administered by Randy Jaye of Orlando, Florida USA Send mail to: 1970hemicuda@comcast.net with questions or comments about this web site. Last modified: September 04, 2008

This web site created, maintained and administered by Randy Jaye of Orlando, Florida USA
Send mail to: 1970hemicuda@comcast.net with questions or comments about this web site.
Last modified: September 04, 2008