Even if you are absolutely certain that you just don't care about pocket watches, you will enjoy this slide show --

http://www.interstatetime.com/Broke/Index.htm

This is what collecting is all about -- sharing great information about interesting things!!

Can't wait to study this slide show in full detail!! But will I ever be able to pull the trigger on my very first American RR pocket watch?

Jeff

+++++++++++++++++++++++

: Jeff and Jack,
: I am not a big fan of the Keystone Howard watches from the early
: part of the 1900s to about 1930 with the exception of the
: extremely high grade movements Waltham made for them. When
: Keystone watch case company bought the venerable E. Howard name,
: they also bought the watch designs and equipment of the not so
: venerable New York Standard Watch Company. If you look, for
: instance, at the 16 size Howard Model 11 RR Chronometer it is
: pretty much an upgraded New York Standard. I am not saying that
: Keystone Howard did not make some good watches, but you know my
: prejudice for the history and evolution of watches....I think
: this is why I fell in love with Heuer....and to me the Keystone
: Howard was sort of a dead end.

: I am still an advocate for the Hamilton B series for the reasons
: stated plus they seem to hold their value. Here is a picture of
: the movement of a very early 950b (#76).

:
:

: While we are talking about American RR watches I will say that my
: passion is for the less popular full plate 18s watches...of
: which there are many beautiful examples too. The fell out of
: fashion in favor of the 16 size bridge and 3/4 plate models for,
: among many reasons, they were more difficult to fix. Here is a
: particularly pretty example of a Waltham Model '92.

:
:

: And...Here (below) is perhaps the holy grail of American RR
: watches. This Late model 16 size Illinois Bunn Special is from
: an experimental run of 50 which were made after Hamilton bought
: the Illinois Watch Company. There are probably more collectors
: of Illinois Bunn Special 60 hour watches than any other American
: RR watch. There are probably somewhere over 20 different
: types/variants known. All of these collectors would like to
: assemble a complete collection but since only about 10-15 or so
: of these are still known to exist....most of them will never be
: able to do it. The last couple I know of which actually changed
: hands went for over 40k.That was several years ago. I sold this
: one to a friend around 10 years ago for a staggering sum (then)
: and he more than tripled his money a couple of years later.

:

: If anyone wants to see a slide show I put together around 15 years
: ago on collecting American pocket watches, specifically Illinois
: watches here is a link. Please excuse the old photos which are
: mostly scans made by putting the watch directly on the bed of a
: flatbed scanner. I built the interstatetime.com site in the
: early 1990s and haven't taken the time to change it much since
: then.

: http://www.interstatetime.com/Broke/Index.htm

: JohnCote