965

,-,Rare "Gambler's" and Fine Seth Thomas Pocket Watches

Currency:USD Category:Antiques / Jewelry & Watches Start Price:1,000.00 USD Estimated At:2,000.00 USD and UP
,-,Rare  Gambler's  and Fine Seth Thomas Pocket Watches
Preview
Holabird-Kagin Americana Office
3555 Airway Drive Suite#309
Reno, NV 89511
Thursday August22, 10am-6pm
* Preview also available by appointment

Live Auction
Friday & Saturday
August 23 & 24, 2013
9am PDT starting time, both days

Location
Atlantis Casino & Resort
Grand Ballroom #4
3800 S. Virginia Street
Reno, NV 89502

Lot Pick Up
Holabird-Kagin Americana Office
3555 Airway Drive Suite #309
Reno, NV 89511
Sunday August 25, 10am-1pm

c1890s-1914-This lot includes two wonderful antique pocket watches. 1) This open face size 16 watch case features a snap back and snap bezel. Flat porcelain enamel dial in excellent condition with beige tone center, white border, and clubs suit playing cards 1 through Queen in place of numerals on the inner chapter ring. The outer chapter ring features small black dots. The hands are blued clubs. The case is unmarked, but the three-quarter plate duplex mechanism bears the following engravings: "New England/ Watch Co./ U.S.A." and the serial number 540265. No data is available linking serial numbers to production years, but the watch likely dates to the 1890s. This Gambler`s Style watch is rarely seen, and highly desirable for its character. The New England Watch Company came into being after the Waterbury Watch Company experienced financial difficultly in 1898. The new company offered a great variety of low cost watches in all sizes and styles. In the fall of 1914, at the beginning of World War I the company was purchased by Robert H. Ingersoll and Brothers which later became The Timex Watch Company. 2) A Seth Thomas watch in original cloth cover and presentation box. This open face, stem wind / stem set, railroad style watch features a single sunk dial with an inner chapter ring printed in black Arabic numerals marking the hours, and an outer chapter ring printed in red Arabic numerals in 5-minute intervals. The seconds on this watch are marked in black Arabic numerals in 10-second intervals. The hour hand is a blued tulip, the minute and second hands are also blued. The center of the dial is marked "Seth Thomas". The screw bezel crystal appears to be original and is in fantastic condition, free of cracks or chips of any kind. The inside of the case is marked "Nickel/Illinois/Watch Case/ Co./ Silver" and bears the same 047411 serial number that appears on the case below the bezel. The watch features a three-quarter plate 7 jewel movement and the mechanism is marked "Seth Thomas/ Centennial/ Thomaston, Conn. U.S.A." and bears the serial number "1318634", which dates the watch to late 1901. This watch is in excellent condition and still runs even though it likely needs cleaned and tightened. The original cardboard box is inscribed in black "Seth Thomas/ "Centennial"/ Watch/ $4.00/ High Grade 7 Jewel Move-/ment in Solid Nickel Screw/ Bezel and Screw Back Case" on obverse and reverse. The top of the box is printed "16 size". The front face of the box is loose on one side, but the box is in otherwise fine condition for its significant age. The Seth Thomas Clock Company was organized as a corporation on May 3, 1853 in Plymouth Hollow, Connecticut (later to become Thomaston) to succeed the earlier clock-making operation of the founder. Seth Thomas (1785-1859) had been manufacturing clocks at the site since 1814. After the founder`s death in 1859, his son Aaron became president and began to add new clocks to the company`s line. About 1862, the firm purchased the patent rights of Wait T. Huntington and Harvey Platts of Ithaca, New York and added a perpetual calendar clock to their line. They also added a line of tall-case clocks in the 1880s. HKA#62279