Illinois Watches,Hamilton Watches,Collectors watches,handmade,premium
Chapter 1 History
History of the Illinois Watch Company from its organization in 1869 until its sale
Factory construction and expansion over its life
Production commencement
Wall Street Panic of 1873
Rise of the Bunn family
Bunn family history
Astronomical Observatory construction
History of the Sangamo Electric Company
Watch company management
Sale of the company to the Hamilton Watch Company
Sale of its bricks and mortar
Chapter 2 The Strap Watch
The transition from the pocket to the wrist
Advent of “modern” warfare
Reluctant male acceptance
How early wristwatches were marketed
Chapter 3 Loyalty and Efficient Service
Watch Factory working conditions
Role of female employees in the factory
Employee interviews
Employee benefits
Company newsletter
Employee amenities and extracurricular activities
Watch Factory Band
Employee turnover
Employee reunion and 30 Year Club
Orders and Shipping Department
Chapter 4 Movements
How all Illinois pocket and wristwatch movements were constructed, by major steps
The balance
Adjustments
Magnetism
The escapement
Jewels
The train
Intellectual property
Screws and Parts
Material Price Lists for all movements
Genuine Material
Repairs
Detailed production records, quantities and dates movements were produced for all 3/0, 6/0.12/0, 18/0 and 21/0 size watch movements.
The wristwatch model each movement was cased in
Jobbers Material Price List
Private label movements
Pictures of Illinois factory employees performing the actual process being described in many instances.
Chapter 5 Dials
Porcelain dial making with pictures of the actual process being performed in the Watch Factory.
The Ottawa Society of the Living Dead
The radium lady dial painters – the tragic saga of the country’s first major industrial health hazard.
Pantograph and master dial plates
Factory catalog dial numbers
Dial shapes
Sundry dial features relating to dial blanks, feet, date stamps, subsidiary seconds, butler centers, gold tone, and more….
Custom dials
Private label dials
Dial numerals
Dial boxes
Prototype dials
Cleaning dials
Chapter 6 Case Makers and Cases
History of each watch case maker used by Illinois
The Keystone Watch Case Company
The Wadsworth Watch Case Company
The FAHYS Watch Case Company
The Solidarity Watch Case Company
- Milhening, Inc.
Pioneer Watch Case Company
Case model numbers for each factory-cased wristwatch for men’s and lady’s models
An Illinois Watch Factory List of all Factory-Cased Illinois watches dated December 1, 1932 for pocket and wristwatches. Officially issued by the Illinois Watch Company’s Materials Department.
A list of 36 names of Illinois wristwatches that have yet to be identified from that list!
Case design information
Case production quantities
Case information related to common case parts, matching serial numbers, common case colors, solid gold cases, 10K gold-filled cases, base metal ones, green cases, two tone cases, white only cases, case durability.
Chapter 7 Wristwatch Identification Guide
A huge compilation of information for each known wristwatch from the Illinois Watch Company.
Each watch has a matrix of data pertaining to its:
- Name or names is was known as
- Time Period it was issued
- Case Color variations offered for sale
- Karat/Material
- Whether the bezel was engraved, plain, molded, etc.
- Sides engraved or plain
- Lug Size
- Spring Bar Male or Female
- Case Maker
- Case Pieces
- Case #
- Dimensions
- Durability
- Movement Size
- Movement Grade/Jewels
- Subs at
- Dial No.
- Numeral Styles ,radium, painted, etched , applied gold numerals, etc.
- Hands Type, radium or steel
- Whether Cased in the Factory
- Collectibility
- Rarity
- Whether it was advertised or not
- Retail Price When New
- Production Date
- Whether it had a Unique Case Design
- Whether it had a Unique Dial Design
There is a color picture of every men’s wristwatch in virtually every configuration as well as a color picture of every lady’s Illinois wristwatch that I could locate for this book.
Every watch has a complete narrative concerning its salient features, along with how it was advertised and copies of the advertisements for many watches.
“Fantastic Finds”
Dozens of “Fantastic Finds” from collectors and dealers describing how various models were found in unusual locations or at exceptionally good prices.
Design Patents
Several design patents for watch cases are included.
Chapter 8 Ephemera, Memorabilia & Miscellany
Dozens of images of items concerning advertising, advertisements, brochures, shipping containers, instruments, posters, correspondence, and related material primarily prepared by and for the Illinois Watch Company to help build, promote, and distribute its watches. Most applicable to both wrist and pocket watches.
Chapter 9 Values
Complete Value Guide – there is a price range for every watch in every known configuration.
Chapter 10 Notes
Footnotes for all the prior chapters.
Appendices
Fourteen different appendices from the History of the Sangamo Electric Company, to movement parts price lists to Factory Dial Numbers and dial numerals utilized on each watch.
Historical Timelines
The first six chapters are tied to Historical Timelines that connect Factory events to contemporaneous world events and new product releases outside the world of watches.
PLEASE NOTE: Most of the information in this book with the exception of the Identification Guide is applicable to pocket watches as well.