Pocket Watch ID

[stranger]

First off...thats a ton for all the help with the Ammo Identification...I learned a lot and found it completely interesting...thanks to all that contributed.

A couple of days ago,I found a pocket watch case detecting at the old homesite where i found the 10 ga brass shotgun shell. It may have been discarded as i found it buried near some bricks and rocks and didn't appear to have any "guts" in it. It is silver in appearance, not sure what it is truely made of. Inside the case on the reads "Champion" then below that is a image of a guy which appears to be holding an umbrella or something like that... below that reads 2611543 which i assume is the serial number. I haven't had any luck searching the net, so decided to turn to the experts on here. I have a couple of other items to post, i appreciate all the help

 

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[pgill]

Hi Stranger,

Sorry cannot help you... but great find. Pity the insides are not with it. Hope you get an i.d on it soon.

God bless
Peter

 

[SHERMANVILLE ILLINOIS]

S,

nice artifact.

have a good un.................

 

[dg39]

Those old "hunting cased' pocket watches sometimes had high silver content, so check that. It may have scrap value and sometimes can be cleaned up and reused by a pocket watch collector. That type of case with a operating spring catch are a favorite case of collectors.

 

[PBK]

This eBay listing might be of interest:

http://cgi.ebay.com/CHAMPION-VINTAGE-ROSE-GOLD-HUNTER-WATCH-CASE-EMPTY-NR_W0QQitemZ8947402783

Although the eBay watch case is described as "rose gold," the seller adds that, "It is not marked gold karat, but there is no wear showing through, it has a rose gold color."

Cooksey Shugart's Complete Price Guide to Watches illustrates the same mark with others used on gold-filled cases. It is not on the silver case marks pages. If it is not, in fact, silver, then perhaps it is white gold-filled.

Until around 1920, it was a common practice to buy a watch movement made by your manufacturer of choice, and then purchase a case for it made by another manufacturer— for example, an Elgin movement and a Dueber case.

So, "Champion" is very likely the brand or model of just the case, not the entire watch.

 

[Michelle]

First off...thats a ton for all the help with the Ammo Identification...I learned a lot and found it completely interesting...thanks to all that contributed.

A couple of days ago,I found a pocket watch case detecting at the old homesite where i found the 10 ga brass shotgun shell. It may have been discarded as i found it buried near some bricks and rocks and didn't appear to have any "guts" in it. It is silver in appearance, not sure what it is truely made of. Inside the case on the reads "Champion" then below that is a image of a guy which appears to be holding an umbrella or something like that... below that reads 2611543 which i assume is the serial number. I haven't had any luck searching the net, so decided to turn to the experts on here. I have a couple of other items to post, i appreciate all the help

 

[dg39]

. It is silver in appearance, not sure what it is truely made of.

May have been over looked. check my last post. if I can find my watch books, I'll try to give more information on Champion watch case co.

 

[blurr]

So glad to hear you agree with me about its being a generic case. Too bad there aren't any personalized marks or carat marks. It seems to me however that there should be markings of some kind, somewhere on this case, wouldn't you agree?


Doc,

Don't really think it is a "generic" case. If you buy a Remington rifle and use winchester ammo, it doesn't mean the Remington is a generic gun does it? Not trying to get you riled up, just had a comment. By the way, i'm not an expert about watches, or anything else for that matter but if you have a manufacturers name I guess I just wouldn't call it generic.

 

[blurr]

Agreed.

 

[stranger]

Thanks for the ebay link...the inside looks just like the picture on ebay...."Champion" with the design below followed by the serial number. One side has somewhat of a floral design..the other side has the same design with what appears to be a building resembling a shrine or something in the center.

I haven't cleaned it much because i'm not sure how i should without damaging it. It has more senimental value than anything because it was found at the old homesite of a one of the first to settle the area in the late 1820's - 1830's, bearing the same last name as myself (and I'm not Mr. Smith....hahaha). Interesting note: the history books state that he was a minister.

Any suggestions on cleaning it or is that best left to a professional?

 

[diggummup]

Here's an update.I am not an expert in antique pocket watches,but I do own a few.I also am a member of the NAWCC forum.I asked about your case because I remembered someone on that site asking about a Champion pocket watch.So I asked about your case giving them the info. that you gave here.I asked if there was a way to date that particular case to a period before the 1920's when most cases were matched with the works after the factory.Here's what they had to say:
The case trademark you described sounds like Dueber's Gladiator.The Dueber Champion grade case is gold filled (is yours?).This grade of case was certainly available before the 1920's.Check the back rim of the case carefully to see if there are any marks that might have been made by a case screw other than the screws that are in it now.
This doesn't help too much but at least it tells you that it's older than the 1920's.Here's a photo of the hallmark.Does it look like this? -http://static.flickr.com/22/29682401_1b7dd454da_o.jpg

 

[PBK]

Dig, looks like you scored a direct hit!

Stranger confirms that it's the same mark as shown in this eBay link that I posted:

http://cgi.ebay.com/CHAMPION-VINTAGE-ROSE-GOLD-HUNTER-WATCH-CASE-EMPTY-NR_W0QQitemZ8947402783

This thread will probably run on to rival the notorious "Brass Acorn," but after your info I'd say...

(Watch)case closed!

 

[stranger]

Thanks for the bit of research, Dig...sounds like you nailed itl. The image and numbers appear exactly as the one posted on ebay. The figure is the same as the one you posted, Dig, but above the figure is the word "Champion" and below the figure is the serial number. Is there anyway to track the age via the serial number? Lastly, upon further inspection, it does appear to be gold filled, but I am not positive of that. How do you tell for sure?