The Art of American Horology Part ll,...

Roosevelt Hotel, Madison Avenue @ 45th Street, Dec 04, 2002

LOT 694

26-jewel Pennsylvania SpecialIllinois Watch Co., No. 1742923, 6th Model, "Pennsylvania Special" made for the H.M. Jacobsen & Son, Philadelphia, circa 1904.Fine, gold-filled, 26 jewel Private Label Railroad watch.

USD 10,000 - 12,000

Sold: USD 10,638

C. Three-piece, "bassine et filets", screw back and bezel by "Supreme", back with floral and foliate pattern and a locomotive with coal wagon. D. White enamel, double sunk with painted bold Arabic numerals, outer minute ring with 5-minute red Arabic markers, subsidiary seconds. Blued steel "Parallel Spade" hands.M. 18 size, nickel, full plate, elaborately damascened and gold washed, 26 jewels, the top ones in screwed gold settings, adjusted to temperatures and 6 positions, straight line lever escapement, cut-bimetallic compensation balance with gold screws blued steel Bre-guet balance spring, Reed's patented whiplash micrometric regu-lator, lever-set.Signed on dial and movement.Diam. 54 mm.


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Grading System
Grade: AAA

Excellent
Case: 3

Good
Movement: 3*

Good

Overhaul recommended, at buyer's expense
Dial: 3 - 01

Notes

This model is one of the best Illinois watches ever built."The Pennsylvania Special" was a Private Label of Philadelphia jewelers, H.M. Jacobsen & Son. In 1910 they advertised this watch as follows: "As a railroad man's very life and the life of thousands of others depends on the accuracy of his watch - no timepiece can be too good. Our 26 Jeweled Pennsylvania Special Watch is guaranteed to give the best results. Being finely adjusted to every position and any temperature, it will run within a half a minute a month?. It is kept in good order, free of carge, for ten years?"Although, Seth Thomas advertised a 28-jewel movement, no example is known to survive, making the present example the most jeweled Ame-rican watch.