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Illinois Watch Hunter's case Has hidden person, is engraver telling a story?

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    Posted 11 years ago

    Bcs62
    (3 items)

    On Dial
    Illinois
    Springfield Pocket Watch Co.
    Serial number 35582
    "Miller"
    Size 18
    15J
    Made 1875
    1000 watch Run
    Dual wind, 18 Kt. Solid Gold stamped on case.
    Had HMS on case an did not know anything about
    Watch collecting and had Jewerly Shop remove initials.
    Very heavy watch, keeps perfect time.
    Found one book that stated that serial number was
    In first 3 years of companies opening. Others that say it was ran and built
    Along with other owners names, so really would like
    To know what year it was made.
    My second attempt at posting. Thanks for looking

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    Comments

    1. toolate2 toolate2, 11 years ago
      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Illinois_Watch_Company
    2. pw-collector pw-collector, 11 years ago
      Link to a serial number look-up database
      http://pocketwatchdatabase.com/search/result/illinois/35512
      Dave
    3. Bcs62 Bcs62, 11 years ago
      Thank you all for kind rating!
      Toolate2 thank you for info.
      PW-Collector thank you for serial number link!
      Love that page. Sent it to clock store that does hundreds of old clocks,
      Going to have to double check 15J. I most have forgotten, but was sure appraisal
      Said 17j. Thank you for getting me close to manf date!
    4. Bcs62 Bcs62, 11 years ago
      Thank you all! Had to mark this 3 year mystery solved!
    5. Bcs62 Bcs62, 11 years ago
      Thanks again for getting me approx date made
      And history.

      However, until I took the pictures with good camera, I did not
      Notice all the detail on Hunter Case. Actual reflections from oriental house and ripples in water. On the left side of case look close and engraver
      Put a person on side of oval circle. Almost like it is telling a story,
      Anyone know what it is suppose to represent?
    6. Bcs62 Bcs62, 11 years ago
      Well a good Friend, that has a Master Gardener degree look at watch at had these comments.
      I'm guessing the scene has lots of symbolism and it looks as if it's
      Asian. The bird is an owl which usually means wisdom. The butterfly
      might refer to transformation. I'm guessing here.

      The lowers flowers look like a daffodil on the left and perhaps a dahlia
      on the right. It almost looks like a faucet in the middle of the bottom
      or an engraving of the watch fob? There is the fan or perhaps it is a sun
      at the bottom of the scene.

      The shapes of the roofs look Asian. The engraver made the windows look
      like they had light. The house appears to be sitting on an island. The
      way the house is configured is rather odd and not sure what it means
      because it's two story.

      The pine tree on the left might mean longevity.

      The figure on the left I don't think is a man with a pony tail. It
      appears to have a lizard tail although at first glance I thought it was an
      iris - a flower used often in Asian symbolism. I thought maybe the
      Lightening was a scratch but it does look deliberate so not really sure
      what all that is about except odd.

      Yes, it certainly has a story and if it's old, the story probably meant
      the watch was bought by someone or given to someone where the story would
      have personal meaning. It is quite beautiful and like you said it's like
      a painting. Someone was a really good engraver. The gold looks high
      quality because of the color (if the picture does it justice) Let me know
      if you get the story. When I looked at other side I realized it was done by a die press. Other side is identical, excepted oval that I had jeweler hastily remove. Wish I had left initials in it. Going to mark it as solved, maybe someone knows more, but really just wanted date. Thank you D. BCS

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