An Illinois Watch Company Ladies Wristwatch Collection

Transcription

1 An Illinois Watch Company Ladies Wristwatch Collection by Farrell Gay (IL) Introduction by Fred Friedberg (CA) The Illinois Watch Company, established in 1870 in Springfield, IL, is best known for its varied and high-grade pocket watches; it is less well known for its wristwatches, although they represent some of the most creative, bold and stunning, art deco-inspired watches ever produced. Its ladies wristwatches are almost entirely overlooked. Illinois First The first documented evidence of a wristwatch offering by Illinois was a 1910 advertisement for a ladies Convertible, that could be worn around the wrist with a detachable expandable metal or a cloth band, pinned as a pendant on a garment, or used as a pocket watch. The advertised watch was signed Ariston USA on the dial because it was a private label product for the Marshall Field Department Store in Chicago, IL. Illinois Watch Co. made hundreds of private label watches, mostly pocket watches. Illinois Watch Time Periods Illinois ladies wristwatches tracked the same time periods as men s Illinois wristwatches: Transitional, Generic, Art Deco, and Moderne. Transitional Period: Pre-World War I to the Early 1920s As with men s wristwatches, Illinois ladies wristwatches were first modified or reconfigured pocket watches. The Illinois ladies watches of this era readily displayed their pocket watch ancestry. By adding clips, hooks, clasps, bands, lugs, and other creative appendages, pocket watches were converted to stylish wristwatches. Wristwatches became more popular and marketable to women far before men deemed them acceptable. Women started wearing wristwatches as early as 1907 in the United States. Men adopted the style following its use during World War I. Generic Period: Early 1920s to Early 1930s Wristwatches were cased and assembled by hundreds of jewelers and jobbers located throughout the United States. The major American watch companies of this era, such as Illinois, Elgin, and Waltham, manufactured the movements and some of the dials and sold them to jewelers and jobbers who marketed them with cases and bands. Various casemakers made very similarly styled cases that were also sold to jewelers and jobbers. During the Generic Period most of the cases used for Illinois ladies wristwatches were manufactured by the Keystone and Wadsworth case companies. Most United States watch manufacturers promoted similarly cased watches, differentiated only by their movements, dials, and promotional materials. It was extremely rare to see an Illinois watch offering in other than a white gold-filled or white gold case. As a result, the yellow and green gold-filled and solid gold cases are now far more desirable and collectible. Art Deco Period: Late 1920s to Early 1930s Some of the most distinctive and unique deco-inspired designs in ladies wristwatches were offered in the United States by the Illinois Watch Company. Designs were cutting edge, bold, and innovative, and represented the art deco phenomena at its height. The creative and multicolored use of bezel enameling greatly enhanced the style and distinctive appeal of the Illinois ladies wristwatches. As with earlier years, most of the cases used by the Illinois Watch Company in the Art Deco Period were provided by the Keystone and Wadsworth firms. Many bold enameled art deco designs were used in other ladies apparel, such as compacts, cigarette cases, cigarette lighters, bracelets, decorative clothing pins, broaches, and other accessories. The ladies Illinois wristwatch art deco designs are a hidden gem among collectors and can still be obtained at very reasonable prices. Elgin, during this period, offered its marvelous Parisienne line of ladies wristwatches designed under the direction of renowned French designer Lucien LeLong. These watches rivaled those offered by Illinois. Of all the time periods, the Illinois Art Deco models remain the most popular and collectible today. NAWCC Watch & Clock Bulletin April

2 Moderne Period: Early 1930s In 1928, prior to the Moderne Period, Hamilton Watch Company bought the Illinois Watch Company. Only a few Moderne models were issued by the Hamilton Watch Company under the Illinois trade name. Movements The Illinois Watch Company made ladies wristwatches using five movement sizes: 0, 3/0, 6/0, 18/0, and 21/0. Of these, the 0, 3/0, and 6/0 size movements were only used for the Transitional and Generic Periods. These sizes were common to all American manufacturers of the time. Jewels The various Illinois ladies wristwatches came in jewel counts of 15, 16, 17, and 21. In total, at least 16 models had 15 jewels, at least four had 16 jewels, at least 49 had 17 jewels, and an unknown number had 21 jewels. Diamonds Bezel diamonds were an added feature on a few Illinois ladies wristwatches. Jewelers and jobbers marketed watches with 4, 6, or 8 diamonds on the watch bezels. Some also used blue cut stones. It is unclear if these models were cased in the Illinois Watch Company factory or by jewelers in their stores, but these styles have not been found in Illinois Watch Company advertisements. Case model numbers 186, 241, and 701 contained bezels with diamonds. Some jewel-encrusted watches were cased by jewelers and jobbers. Bands Most of the ladies Illinois watches were sold with ribbon bands with stitched-in metal clasps, which frequently matched the metal cases. Few of these bands have survived the test of time and they have been replaced with leather straps. Some of these models came with intricately designed expandable metal bands that enhanced the watch designs. It is still possible to find watches with these bands intact. Lugs Without known exception, ladies Illinois wristwatches came with fixed lugs, which ranged in size from 10mm to 14mm, with most 10mm. Production Numbers There are no known production records for ladies Illinois wristwatches. The Illinois Watch: The Life and Times of a Great American Watch Company reports that 131,730 18/0 size movements and 33,700 21/0 movements were manufactured. A total of 165,430 movements were used exclusively for 87 different ladies models over 22 years. The Collection by Farrell Gay My interest in Illinois ladies wristwatches began shortly after attending the Illinois Summit meeting in Wisconsin the summer of 1998, which was hosted by noted Illinois historian/collector/author L. Michael Fultz. 1 While there I was able to see and handle beautiful enamel wristwatches for ladies, made by the Illinois Watch Co.,... and I was hooked. At that point, my collection of men s wristwatches was well on its way to completion, with upgrades frequently supplied by my longtime friend Fred Friedberg. Fred has a way of making collecting pleasurable and less arduous. I was familiar with ebay at that time but had not paid much attention to the Illinois ladies watches, and I was surprised to see that no one else was paying much attention to them either. For several years I seemed to have that market to myself, with only an occasional bidder against me. It is only in the last two or three years that one sees a slow building interest in the ladies models I amassed a large inventory of ladies Illinois watches, most often at modest prices, and have collected or recorded about 500 pieces. I kept track of case numbers as well as serial numbers of the Illinois movements and found a number of patterns, as well as liberties, the company used in its production of ladies wristwatches. This information presented here does not include much of the watch company s history, which was expertly researched and presented by author Friedberg in his book, Illinois Watch Company: The Life and Times of a Great American Watch Company. His book also covers in detail information on the Illinois ladies wristwatch movements: 18/0 and 21/0 size. 2 In the following pages I provide various ladies models by picture, description, model number, case and movement serial number, and the publication source of identification. Photography was done by my good friend Dr. Wesley Betsill, now retired. His willingness to join in this project and his unyielding professional approach is reflected in his work here. He is truly a perfectionist in the most positive sense of the word. Most Illinois ladies wristwatches discussed here span a time period from the pre-depression years, through the Depression, up to the company shutdown in November The production of all Illinois watches then continued periodically over the years from the Hamilton Watch Company factory in Lancaster, PA. The retail prices adjacent to the watch photos have come from different sources, published in different years, and may not be con- The Book on Illinois Watches The Illinois Watch: The Life and Times of a Great American Watch Company by Fred Friedberg is an extensively researched and very readable source for Illinois Watch Company information. See Bruce Shawkey s review of this book in the August 2004 Bulletin. Order it directly from the author at illinoiswatches.com or from the publisher at schifferbooks.com. 162 April 2011 NAWCC Watch & Clock Bulletin

3 sistent. I rely most often on Illinois Watch Company publications as well as ads submitted by Illinois to national magazines. The source of identification along with date of publication, when available, is also included in the description adjacent to the watch photos. There are also occasional notations of Rare, Very Rare, or Extremely Rare, which express my opinion about the difficulty of locating a particular watch. As stated earlier, in the Illinois Watch Company s production of ladies wristwatches Keystone Watch Case Company and Wadsworth Watch Case Company were its primary case suppliers. Starting in the late 1920s and until the factory closed, Illinois produced 16 solid-gold ladies wristwatches with model numbers: six by Wadsworth and ten by Keystone. The Wadsworth group below lists the model number, name, and case serial number, and the figure number in the following photo layout. Gold Cases by Wadsworth Model 154 Daytona 14KWG Wadsworth case Figure 12 no. 134xxxx Model 155 Daytona 14KWG 132xxxx Figure 13 Model 156 Bar Harbor 14KWG 1339xxx, 1348xxx Figure 16 Model 158 Bar Harbor 14KWG 132xxxx Figure 17 Model 240 Vardon 14K two- 135xxxx, 136xxxx, Figure 38 tone gold 137xxxx and 14KWG *Model Argyle/ 14KWG 135xxxx Figure 48 Arlene *A single Argyle case was found with Wadsworth case number , 14KWG w/inlaid black enamel; it is extremely rare. Daytona Variations At best, Illinois Watch Company s Daytona series (cases by Wadsworth) can be confusing to the collector. The series consists of three different model numbers and several different case/bezel designs, all known as Daytonas. Model KWG (listed above) Model KWG (listed above) Model KWGF Figure 9 Model KWGF Figure 10 No number 14KWGF (leaf model) Figure 11 Variations on the Daytona-Style Case In addition to the above Daytonas, which all had sixsided, diamond-shaped crystals, Illinois added to the mix by using the same basic case design on a number of other models, but with modifications such as engraving, inlaid enamel, and square-shaped crystals as well as diamond-shaped. Oddly, many of them have the same model numbers as those listed above. All have gold-filled cases except the model-numberless 14K solid green-gold Berkeley, as noted below: Model 153 GF Long Beach (square crystal) Model 153 GF Redonda w/red and Figure 76 black enamel (diamond crystal) Model 153 GF Berkeley w/green and Figure 77 black enamel (diamond) Model 154 GF Berkeley w/green and Figure 78 black enamel (diamond) Model 154 GF Berkeley w/red and Figure 79 black enamel (diamond) No number Berkeley 14K Solid Green Gold Figure 80 w/red and black enamel (diamond) **Model 155 GF Miami two-tone blue enamel Figure 81 (square) Model 155 GF Edgewater (square) *Model 155 GF Del Monte w/black and white Figure 82 enamel (diamond) Model 155 GF Joan (square) *Wadsworth created another Del Monte that carried the Model number 157 (see Figure 83). This case was 14K white gold fi lled with green and black inlaid enamel and of a different design than the Del Monte model number 155. **Two more cases were model number 157: Both were named Miami and had the same striking deco cases, one with two-tone blue enamel and the other with red and black enamel (see Figures 84 and 85). Wadsworth Gold Cases without Model Numbers Although there is no written material I have seen or found, it seems clear that Illinois movements were cased in Wadsworth s 19.2K solid white gold cases prior to the assignment of watch model numbers; the early recorded movements were from 1923 and They are too regularly seen to neglect the evidence one can see occasional listings on ebay. I have collected and recorded 13 over the past few years. The Illinois movements include 4484xxx (3), 4548xxx (2), 458xxxx, 462xxxx (2), 498xxx, 5033xxx, and 5517xxx (replacement) and two others on ebay whose Illinois movements were unreadable but the case pictures were clear enough to record their serial numbers. All Wadsworth case serial numbers were either 1210xxx or 1211xxx. Most movements were 16 jewels with a sprinkling of 17 jewels. Illinois movements were also cased in Wadsworth s 18K solid white gold cases prior to the assignment of watch model numbers. Movement serial numbers were nearly all in the 49xxxxx range (1926). The lowest case number found with these watches was 1227xxx (16 jewels); all remaining cases were 130xxxx (17 jewels). These watches are not common, but there are enough to know that they were a part of the Illinois stable of ladies wristwatches before model numbers were introduced. Wadsworth solid white gold cases with diamonds and inlaid black enamel are far less frequently seen than the Keystone diamond cases. Illinois movement numbers ranged from 4627xxx (1926) to 4752xxx (1927) in the examples found. Case numbers found for this group were 1268xxx. NAWCC Watch & Clock Bulletin April

4 Gold Models by Keystone Model KWG Keystone case nos. 194xxx Figure 18 Narragansett 117xx Model KWG 120xx, 199xx, Figure 19 Princess 201xx, 24xxx Model KWG Inlaid Enamel 12xxx Figure 20 Coronado 24xxx Model KWG 27xxx, 13xxx Figure 24 Beverly Model KWG Inlaid Enamel 219xx Figure 27 Brighton 22xxx Model KWG Inlaid Enamel 238xx Figure 28 Mary Todd 241xx Model KWG 20xxx, 21xxx Figure 29 No Name Model KWG 28xxx Figure 30 Avalon Model KWG 30xxx, 31xxx, Figure 35 Glencoe & 14KYG 33xxx, 42xxx Model KWG 50xxx Figure 43 Alouette Note that all the above models have only fi ve numerals in the case serial numbers. Keystone Gold Cases without Model Numbers Keystone also produced 18KWG cases (with diamonds mounted in the bezels) for Illinois with no model numbers. The identified cases have numbers of 2148xxx, 2149xxx, and 2180xxx. The identified movement numbers are 4687xxx (1925), 49xxxxx (1926), 5014xxx 503xxxx (1928), and one (this shows a release date of 1932 and could have been a replacement). No correlation was found between the number of bezel diamonds and case numbers. Bezels contain 4, 6, or 8 diamonds. At least three contain blue cut stones along with diamonds. Movements vary, either 16 or 17 jewels, but predominately 17 jewels. One could speculate that Illinois bought these diamond cases in blocks, pulled them out of inventory as needed, and used the current movement run. The Mary Todd Style An Illinois Watch Company brochure/price list of August 1927 states: The Mary Todd is supplied only in solid 18K white gold cases with either hand engraved or inlaid enamel bezels and heavy 18K gold clasp for ribbon. The brochure shows a picture of both models. Early Keystone ladies 18KWG cases with inlaid enamel, and no model numbers, housed the Mary Todd wristwatch with 16-jewel movements. The earliest movements found were 4627xxx with Keystone case number 43180, followed by case number containing movement serial number 4627xxx (1925). Other early Mary Toddcased Illinois 16-jewel movements, were serial numbers 4752xxx (1926) and 4870xxx (1926) in case numbers and 61066, respectively. The next in my groups of Mary Todd cases jumps to case number 2170xxx, movement serial number (1926), and ends with case number 2176xxx and movement number (1930). The model number 203 Mary Todd (three examples) uses case numbers and 24162, both with movement serial number 5583xxx (1932). The last 203 was found with no case back, but movement number 5342xxx (1930). More Keystone White Gold Styles The Princess, Narragansett, and the Coronado share some similar characteristics: All cases are by Keystone and each is 14K white gold; however, the three different models share only two model numbers. Those two model numbers are intermixed with various case numbers. Coronado was introduced in 1929 with model number 169 and with case numbers in the 12xxx group for the most part (see Figure 20). Narragansett was introduced in 1929 with model number 168. Although a smaller group was recorded, the cases leaned toward the 194xxx (see Figure 18). The Princess was introduced in 1932 and also given a model number 168 (see Figure 19). Each model showed case numbers from each of the other two groups. All were interchangeable with one another, making it difficult to know if the cases were intermixed at the factory or replaced over the years. The Edgewater name appeared on three different Illinois case styles: model number 155, case by Wadsworth (see Figure 15), and two others, model number 175 (see Figure 21) and model number 208 (see Figure 31), both by Keystone. All were 17 Jewels, 18/0 size in 14KWGF. Fahys Watch Case Company Fahys Watch Case Company was a supplier to Illinois for men s pocket and wristwatch cases. Although it was believed Fahys did not supply any cases for Illinois ladies wristwatches, I have two examples of 18/0 size models with a standard Illinois Watch Co., notation inside the caseback reading, ILLINOIS WATCH SPECIAL MODEL Fahys 14K GOLD FILLED. These 18/0-size cases imitated the same sculpted style of their big cousins, the VI- KING 3/0 size and the 6/0 size BEAU VIKING. Fahys case numbers are 696xxx and 697xxx. Movement numbers are 529xxxx and 538xxxx. Pioneer Cases A few Pioneer cases can also be found containing Illinois ladies movements. All cases found were of 10KW gold plate. Out of eight recorded, seven carried movement numbers of 56xxxxx, 15 jewels. Star Watch Case Company Late production runs (56xxxxx) are frequently found in cases by Star Watch Case Company, which include Illinois model number 707, Muzette; model number 707, Suzette (see Figure 45 for both of these); and model number 706, Juliette (Figure 44). Various other Star cases with no model numbers contained Illinois movements with serial numbers mostly 56xxxxx, with a few 55xxxxx. Shipping boxes are shown here for the following ladies Illinois watches: Antoinette, Elissa, and Victoria. Howev- 164 April 2011 NAWCC Watch & Clock Bulletin

5 er, I have found no ads or pictures for identification purposes. Most likely, the Antoinette was among the late 700 series (21/0 size). The Victoria could well be in one of the pictures with model numbers shown here for which there was no identifying name. Since the Victoria was 18K solid gold and had an inlaid enamel case, it would be the only ladies model other than the Mary Todd to have been so designed. Production records show the Victoria s movement number, , 18/0 size, to have been about The Rarest Illinois Ladies Wristwatches Known Name Model No. to Exist Daytona Figure 13 No Name Figure 29 No Name Figure 34 No Name Figure 39 Daytona Leaf None 1 Figure 11 Berkeley 14k, solid G enamel None 3 Figure 80 No Name, 18k, sold green gold None 3 Figure 62 Argyle 14KWG, inlaid enamel Figure 48 Miami, 14KYG, inlaid enamel None 1 The Most Collectible Name Model No. Notes Daytona k, WG. Brighton 201 Diffi cult to fi nd. No Name k, WG. No Name 222 Diffi cult to fi nd. No Name 223 Diffi cult to fi nd. Enamel Any in very good or excellent condition. Keystone Any Keystone with diamonds. Wadsworth Any Wadsworth with diamonds. A Basic Collection Name Model No. Notes Bar Harbor 156/158 14k, WG (#158 is more rare). Princess k, WG (diffi cult to fi nd). Coronado k, WG, with inlaid enamel. Newport 174 Easy to fi nd and usually a very good case. Mary Todd k, WG with inlaid enamel. Mary Todd k, WG with inlaid enamel. Avalon k, WG (getting hard to fi nd). Roslyn k, WGF with enamel (getting hard to fi nd). A Basic Collection, continued. Argyle k, WG (easy to fi nd and modest price). Enamel Any with good cases. Gold Any gold models. Notes 1. Fred Friedberg, The Illinois Watch - The Life and Times of A Great American Watch Company (Atglen, PA: Schiffer, 2004): p Friedberg, pp. 54 and 55. About the Authors Farrell Gay is a founding partner and retired Chairman of the Tom Lange Co, a 51-year-old major distributor of produce, with 24 national and 5 international offices. In October 1979 Gay and his two partners purchased the two square blocks that formerly housed the Illinois Watch Company for 63 years and subsequently, the Sangamo Electric Company until The clock tower building remains standing and the clock (replaced) still runs, at the request of Springfield s northenders, many whose ancestors were employees of the watch factory. The Farrell and Ann Gay Museum of Springfield History was established in 2006 in Springfield s oldest home, the Elijah Iles House, built in In addition to 400 watches, the 7-foot-tall electric letters from the top of the watch factory, the terra cotta letters from above the main entrance, and many original documents and pictures collected by Gay are on display in the Museum. See Fred Friedberg works as senior vice president and chief legal officer of Toshiba America Medical Systems, Inc., in Tustin, CA. He also serves as president of two Toshiba R&D companies one located in Chicago,IL, and the other in Edinburgh, Scotland. Fred has written other articles for the NAWCC Bulletin and is the author of three books: The Illinois Watch: The Life and Times of a Great American Watch Company; Surviving Your Deposition: A Complete Guide to Help You Prepare for Your Deposition; Turning 18 and the Law: A Complete Guide to Your Rights and Responsibilities. Fred lives in Irvine, CA, Chicago, IL, and in Edinburgh, Scotland. Identification Abbreviations for Following pages Sales Illinois sales manual High Grade Ribbon Watches Con-Key. Illinois Consumer and Keystone price list Cent-Prog. Century of Progress 1933, retail sales catalog Spring 1932 Complete Showing Illinois Watches Greater Value Watches Spring 1932 Sat. Eve. Post Saturday Evening Post, 11 full page ads Liberty Liberty Magazine, 5 full page ads Colliers Colliers Magazine, 8 full page ads American American Magazine, 13 full page ads Nat-Geo. National Geographic, 5 full page ads NAWCC Watch & Clock Bulletin April

6 An Illinois Ladies Wristwatch Collection Early Examples - Wristwatches Case: Wadsworth Watch Case Co. 18KWGF. 25-year guarantee. Case No.: Movement No.: J. 6/0 - I. Year: Case: Fahys Watch Case Co. Case No.: Bristol 25-year guarantee. Movement No.: J. 6/0 - I. Year: Figure 1. Case: B & B Royal. Case No.: year guarantee. Movement No.: J. 6/0 - I. Year: Comments: Most authorities believe the I following the designated movement size (6/0) or (3/0) indicates for whom the case was made. I for Illinois, E for Elgin, E I for either, H for Hamilton, etc. (See Friedberg, p. 79.) Figure 2. Case: Fahys Watch Case Co. 18KWGF. Patented 11/9/20. Case No.: Movement No.: J. 6/0 - I. Year: Figure 3. Case: Philadelphia Watch Case Co. 14KWGF. Case No.: year guarantee. Movement No.: /0 - I. Dial: Replaced with N.O.S. Year: Figure 4. Case: Star Watch Case Co. 14K solid green gold. Case No.: Movement No.: J. Dial: N.O.S. Year: Figure 5. Illinois 100 Series Figure 6. Case: Star Watch Case Co. 14KWGF. Case No.: Movement No.: J. Year: Figure 7. Model No.: Long Beach 17J. Case: Wadsworth 14 KWGF. Case No.: Movement No.: $50. Ribbon band. Identification: Liberty 10/19/29. Sales Comments: The Model No. 153 was used for Daytona, Long Beach, Redonda, and Berkeley. The case series 82XXXXX, 83XXXXX, 85XXXXX was used for the above named models, but was also used for No. 155 Miami, No. 155 Edgewater, No. 155 Del Monte, and No. 155 Joan. One ad for Long Beach noted, The unusual engraved bezel of the Long Beach gives a slender effect very desirable for those of small wrists Figure 8. Model No.: Daytona 17J. Case: Wadsworth 14KWGF. Case No.: Movement No.: Price unknown. Ribbon band. Identification: None known. Comments: This case is almost identical to No. 155 but is not solid gold. I have found no pictures or ads for this 14KWGF model. From case S/Ns (23 recorded), it is evident No. 153 case backs were used to house Daytona and Long Beach interchangeably, as well as others. Figure April 2011 NAWCC Watch & Clock Bulletin

7 An Illinois Ladies Wristwatch Collection Illinois 100 Series, continued Model No.: Daytona 17J Notch Leaf. Case: Wadsworth 14KWGF. Case No.: Movement No.: Price unknown. Ribbon band. Identification: None known. Comments: This case No. 153 with what I call a notch leaf design in the corners of the bezels has not been identified by picture or ad. Not common but can be found. Figure 10. Model No.: Daytona 17J Leaf. Case: Wadsworth 14KWGF. Case No.: Movement No.: Price unknown. Identification: None known. Comments: I call this leaf model for the four corners leaf designs on the bezel. This is the only example I have seen of this design. Dial has faded, case is crisp, engraving near mint, case back retains brush marks. Excellent example and extremely rare. Figure 11. Model No.: Daytona 17J. Case: Wadsworth 14K solid white gold. Case No.: Movement No.: $65. Ribbon band. Very rare. Identification: Sales Comments: Although this model came with a ribbon band, it was found with the 14KWGF bracelet as shown. Model is fully engraved as opposed to the other Daytonas. Ad description reads A charming model harmoniously decorated with polished surfaces and engraving. Figure 12. by Wadsworth. Model No.: Daytona 17J. Case: Wadsworth 14K solid white gold. Case No.: Movement No.: $65. Ribbon band. Extremely rare. Identification: Liberty 10/19/29. American 8/29. Comments: Very slight, if any difference in this solid gold case and Daytona No. 153 the 14KWGF case Figure 13. Model No.: Joan 17J. Case: Wadsworth 14KWGF. $44. Ribbon band. Identification: Consumer and Keystone. Comments: Stepped deco imprint on both ends of bezel. Sister case was identical but had engraved design on center step. Ad called it Trim and good looking. Figure 14. Model No.: Edgewater 17J. Case: Wadsworth 14KWGF. $50. Ribbon band. Identification: Sales Colliers 9/7/29, 11/2/29. Liberty 10/19/29. Comments: Illinois Watch Co. produced three different case models that all carried the Edgewater name. See model Nos. 175 and 208, both Keystone cases. Figure 15. Model No.: Bar Harbor 17J. Case: Wadsworth 14K solid white gold. Case No.: Movement No.: $65. Ribbon band. Identification: Sales Comments: Of six cases recorded all had S/Ns beginning with 1339xxx but two, both with, 1348xxx. Ad reads A richly engraved model notable for the good taste of its design and the high standard of its accuracy. Easier to find than No Figure 16. Model No.: Bar Harbor 17J. Case: Wadsworth 14K solid white gold. Case No.: Movement No.: $65. Ribbon band. Identification: Sat. Eve. Post 9/28/30. Comments: Of three cases recorded each had S/Ns beginning with 1325xxx. The descriptive ad for No. 158 in the Saturday Evening Post was exactly the same as used for model No. 156 in the sales catalog This model No. 158 is much rarer than No Figure NAWCC Watch & Clock Bulletin April

8 An Illinois Ladies Wristwatch Collection Illinois 100 Series, continued Model No.: Narragansett 17J. Case: Keystone 14K solid white gold $65. Ribbon band. Identification : Liberty 7/27/29. Collier 10/2/29. American 8/29. Sales Comments: A little on the rare side. Have seen an occasional example on ebay. Have found case backs Nos. 168 and 169 intermixed on Princess and Coronado, both of which are 14K solid gold. Figure 18. Model No.: Princess 15J. Case: Keystone 14K solid white gold. $50. Ribbon band. Identification: Spring Con-Key. Comments: (See Coronado and Narragansett). Case Nos. with 194xx were mostly seen on Narragansett while case Nos. 245xx and 19xxx were mostly seen on Princess and case No. 12xxx was mostly seen on Coronado. My findings showed a sprinkled mixture of these cases throughout all three models. Figure 19. Model No.: Berkshire 17J. Case: Keystone 14KWGF. $50. Ribbon band. Identification: Colliers 5/10/30. Comments: Berkshire and the Avalon (No. 205) shared two different dials together: dial No and dial No Figure 22. Model No.: Newport 17J. Case: Keystone 14KWGF. $50. Ribbon band. Identification: Sat. Eve. Post 9/29/28. Liberty 5/31/30, 12/14/29. Colliers 11/7/29, 5/24/30. American 4/29, 12/29, 6/30. Sales Nat-Geo. Comments: Shown here with an unusual replaced dial, but the Illinois catalog showed it with the same dial as both the Biloxi and Beverly. This is a very common and popular model whose case was delicately engraved but not easily subject to wear. Most cases are found in very good condition. It can frequently be found without a case model number. Other than the Mary Todd, it was the most advertised of the Illinois ladies watches. Figure 23. Model No.: Coronado 17J. Case: Keystone 14K solid white gold with inlaid enamel. $65. Ribbon band. Identification: Liberty 10/19/29. Colliers 5/10/30. American 8/29. Sales Comments: Striking gold case with inlaid black enamel. The dial also has inlaid black enamel numbers and is lined outside with Butler center. This model was well advertised by the watch company. I believe it is one of the most collectible but underappreciated models by Illinois collectors. Figure 20. Model No.: Beverly 17J. Case: Keystone 14K solid white gold. $66. Ribbon band. Identification: Sales Comments: Illinois models, the Beverly and Biloxi, both 18/0 size movements, had nearly identical cases except Beverly came in a 14K solid gold case while the Biloxi was housed in 14K white gold-filled case. The dial was the same in both models. Illinois had another model named Beverly, also a Keystone case, but was 10K GF with a case model No Figure 24. Model No.: Edgewater 17J. Case: Keystone 14K two-tone case. Custom case, far right. Case No.: Movement No.: $50. Ribbon band. Identification: Sat. Eve. Post 9/29/28. Liberty 7/27/29. Colliers 8/3/29. American 6/29. Comments: (See Edgewater Nos. 155 and 208). Factory cased Edgewater No. 175 came with a 14K white gold-filled case (left) and can occasionally be found without a model number. The No. 175 is the most common of Illinois s three Edgewater models. The custom yellow gold-filled case is the only one I have seen. The bezel, custom lugs, center of the case and bracelet is YGF, but the case back and crown are WGF. Of ten examples, four cases had S/Ns 23XXX, three had 15XXX, two with no number, and one each of 27XXX, 133XX, 12XXX. Figure April 2011 NAWCC Watch & Clock Bulletin