Illinois Watch Co., Model #7. Size 16, 11 jewel, open face, pendant set and wind. Ca. 1915.

This is the watch that should have started my collection! This watch was given to my father at his bar mitzvah by his grandfather. My father always told me that he had planned on giving it to me when I had my bar mitzvah. Unfortunately, my parents converted to Christianity when I was about 4 years old, so I never had a bar mitzvah! Well, my dad told me that he would instead leave it to me in his will. I finally decided to stop waiting for him to die, though, and went out and bought my own pocket watch [see Watch #1]. Well, about a year later my dad remarried and asked me to be his best man. And you'll never guess what he decided to give me as a gift....

The watch, unfortunately, has seen better days. Somewhere along the line it must have been dropped, because the balance staff needed to be repaired when I got it. I had the balance staff replaced, but the repair person managed to damage the dial in the process. He did an adequate enamel repair job, but it's just not the same....

Front
Back
Movement
Dial

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