Dueber Watch Case Serial Numbers
was given to him when he was very young and he retired several years ago
so it isn't young. He thought it belonged to a member of his mothers
family. But when I looked up the serial number of the watch, (it's a 17
jewell Elgin with what appears to be a metal face with painted numerals)
it turned out to be made in 1923 which would not fit with the age of the
individual he thought it came from. There is a serial number on the
case as well which is a 20 year Dueber which is badly worn. The serial
number is 118080 and it is a pendent at 12 o'clock type. I don't know a
lot about these things but in examining it, I wondered if the watch may
have been in a different case at some time. It does run, or at least it
was running when I took off the back of the case to look at the
movement. When I tried to wind it the hands turned instead. I tried to
push in the stem, but it felt as though it was on a spring like it would
if it was a hunting case movement. I never succeeded in winding it.
Any way with all these things not seeming to fit, I wondered if it had
been in a different case once.
He would like to have it running and usable, but I think I read once
where wind and set problems were the most expensive and difficult to
fix. Is that true? And is there some place I can find the date of the
case from the serial number?
Thank you very much.
Jim
- At about this time an anti-trust law was passed and the watch case manufacturers formed a boycott against Dueber. In order to remain in business, Dueber bought the Hampden Watch Co. In Springfield in 1888, then moved it to Canton. By 1890, the company was producing 600 watches a day, had 1000 employees, and possessed net assets of $2,600,000.
- In a nutshell this story should interest people trying to find out more about the history of Hampden watches, the Dueber Watch Case Co., The Mozart Watch Co., The New York Watch Co., The Manheimer Watch Co., The Clinton Watch Co. (Hampden Watch Corporation). Additionally, Type-1 watches made during the Soviet era in the two Moscow factories.
Dueber Pocket Watch Case
Dueber Special Anchor
Hampden Pocket Watch Serial Numbers Use this table to look up the serial number of your Hampden Pocket Watch and hence the year of manufacture. When looking for the number on your watch you should be looking at the serial number on the movement, not the case. The Hampden Watch Co. Manufactured watches in Springfield, Massachesetts and Canton, Ohio from approximately 1877 to 1927. See more information about Hampden or find out more information about your watch by conducting a serial number lookup. Dueber founded the Dueber Watch Case Company in Cincinnati, Ohio to manufacture cases for fine watches. In 1886, Dueber, who had been making cases for the Hampden Watch Company, purchased a controlling interest in the company.About this time an anti-trust law was passed and the watch case manufacturers formed a boycott against Dueber's company.