Great post John.

The provenance of each watch makes them all the more interesting!

Tony

: If the voice of God came to me and told me that I could select only
: 3 of the watches from my collection and the rest would have to
: be crushed and dumped in the ocean I would choose these. You
: have to understand even though I have wrist watches in my
: "permanent" collection I started out as a pocket watch
: guy several decades ago. I am growing to love a couple of my
: Heuers and Omegas and Zeniths but they would all go to the
: crusher to save these 3. They are in order from first priority
: to third with the reasoning following the photos.

: #1

:
:

: This very rare Ball private label for Marcy & Co Jewelers may
: be the only complete original example in existence. I know of
: one other which is missing its dial. I like the watch because it
: is one of the earliest serial numbers known of a Ball watch made
: by the Hamilton Watch Company. It is also rare in that it is a
: Hamilton 938 grade of which only a very few were made for Ball.
: It is thought that Webb C. Ball may have made these
: "named" watches for the principles of his original
: Ball Agencies or Ball RR Watch Inspectors. Marcy was the
: original Ball Agency in my home town of Indianapolis, IN.

: Aside from all of the technical and rarity coolness of this watch,
: the watch was previously owned by two of my mentors in the watch
: business. The late William "Bill" Curtin, Master
: Watchmaker found the watch back in the 1970s. Bill is known for
: his tourbillion watches, of which he built around 15, and his
: double tourbillion clocks of which he built 2. In a weak moment
: Bill sold the watch to my friend Joe Jones who is one of the
: foremost experts in the world on The early production of The
: Elgin National Watch Company. In another weak moment Mr. Jones,
: who is also a Master Watchmaker sold the watch to me. This watch
: will always remind me of my 2 friends.

: #2

:
:

: This little Vacheron Constantine was presented to Mr. Frederic E.
: Ives on June 28, 1911 by the International Photo Engravers'
: Association at their convention in Cincinnati, OH. I have a copy
: of the Journal of the Association from the next month where the
: presentation is detailed. Mr Ives was the inventor and holds the
: patents for several very important processes in image
: reproduction. These include the halftone dot screen and the CMYK
: color separation process. He had a US war ship named after him
: in WW-II and has his portrait on a US Postage stamp. I have made
: my living in the image reproduction business all of my life and
: Mr. Ives is a hero of mine.

: I also acquired this watch from a mentor of mine and a watch
: collecting pal of my father's. 15 years ago I was standing next
: to Dr. Bill Heilman when he picked this little watch up off a
: table at a watch show. Dr. Bill collected dedications. Knowing
: my business he showed it to me after he bought it. I told him if
: he ever decided to sell it, it would have a good home in my
: permanent collection. A couple of years ago Dr. Bill's health
: was failing and he called me to see if I wanted the watch. I
: made the hour drive to his house in about 1/2 hour. When I got
: there he handed me the watch which had an old string tag with my
: name on it. He charged me exactly what he paid for it all those
: years ago. The only reason why this watch is not #1 is because
: my real passion is for American watches.

: #3

:
:

: The above watch is without any doubt a superb example of one the
: two best time only pocket watches ever produced by any major
: watch company anywhere. By best I mean finish, fit, and
: technology. The only other watch that is its equal is the
: American Watch Company grade 21 jewel model 72. There are Pateks
: and Vacherons and maybe a few other which are arguably close,
: but none better. Every piece of this watch is damasceened or
: polished to a mirror finish on both sides. The undersides of the
: plates are finished as well as the tops even though only a
: watchmaker will see them. My friend Joe Jones had to replace a
: little internal setting lever under the dial of this watch. He
: had one from a lesser grade watch but it would not fit between
: the dial and the top plate until he polished it like the rest of
: the parts.

: There are 501 serial numbers reserved in the Elgin factory records
: for this grade 72 "Convertible". They may or may not
: have actually made all of them. This watch will convert from
: open face (wind at 12 o'clock) to hunting case (wind at 3
: o'clock) by switching the odd little contraption you see on the
: movement in the photo. It is housed in its original very heavy
: 18k triple hinged Jurgensen lipped case case with glass
: exhibition back. The grade 72 was so expensive when it was made
: that only a wealthy man could afford one. While the provenance
: is not as good as for the Ives watch I have it on very
: believable authority that the watch was purchased new in around
: 1880 by E. J. Young lumber baron and the founder of the Ohio
: Blue Tip Match Company.

: This watch is "permanent" simply because it is such a
: well preserved example of a great achievement in watchmaking.

: If you would like to see a few more photos of my 3
: "keepers" here is a link to a gallery.

: http://www.johncotephotography.com/Watches/3Keep/index.html

: JohnCote
: Watch Nerd