I have an 18k cased pocket watch, the case is marked 18k which leads me to believe it to be an American made case but no makers mark, it's approx 147 years old, and is a full hunter case on a longines, very early longines pocket watch. The hallmark is of an Anchor which one would normally associate with Birmingham, except for one fact, if English it would be stamped ct after the gold alloy stamp and not k, also Birmingham gold marks would have the anchor at 90 degrees left to right inside a shield, a silver mark for Birmingham would be at 180 degrees this one is at 45 degrees inside a shield. Any thoughts? I can't find this mark in English or European hallmark history. The watches history from my contact to the Longines museum, from hand written historical documents has this movement invoiced to Conneticut in the US, leading again to a U.S. made case possibly, but I cannot find a history of this stamp from the U.S. either. The watch movement is engraved on the movement E. Francillon. The serial number dates to pre 1870.
sorry about the poor image quality, I don't have a macro lens for the D90, you should however be able to left click and zoom in, or save as and zoom. I have had this sitting in the safe for the last 15 yrs. I managed to find a second movement in the same cal (cal L16D key wind) for spares or for when it was re-finished, that took 10 years of looking. It is a rare piece. I don't think I will ever get around to doing what I intended for this pocketwatch, I took this pocket watch to a Longines dealership here in Perth, they did not want to work on it, they felt a little underdone in expertise. Like my other watch it just sits in the safe and never gets worn(Omega Flightmaster) sad seeing as though that would be the intended purpose. Sending it to the Longines factory would be the ultimate I guess. Anyways if anyone would like more pics I will take some more, last time I checked there was very little information anywhere on this calibre, any questions I will try to answer. I weighed the case this morning, came in at 40.275 grams of 18K. There are no further markings on the case, with exception to repetition on the other side of these same marks.
It's a marvelous piece, thank you for sharing that. The "tilted anchor over a double shield" configuration reminds me of certain emblems used by the United States Revenue Cutter Service, which was a predecessor to the modern US Coast Guard. You mentioned Connecticut; the Cutter service opened a academy near New Bedford, Massachusetts in 1876. It was named the "School of the Instruction of the Revenue Cutter Service". New Bedford, MA is only ~130 miles from New Haven, CT. A theory: the '5385' below the anchor mark may be a service number or candidate number. The watch case may have been a graduation gift from the academy.
Thanks so much Roswell, I had not even heard of the US Revenue Cutter Service, but as a Coast Guard predecessor it does make sense, I guess a good indicator and confirmation of age. I will do some further research on you given info, I would never have thought the case or watch would have had a connection to history like you have mentioned.
We all know 18K is gold content. If a serial number is not an indication of age, are you suggesting you know better than the Curator of the Longines Museum?? and their own historical records?? As stated in my first post history of this watch movement was dated by the curator Beatrice at the Longines Museum, according to their handwritten historical documents in combination with the Calibre and using the serial number of its manufacture. Longines museum are not able to provide a specific date as those records no longer exist for the time period, the year date of 1870 starts with serial numbers 20,000 and up. The date of commencement of Longines company manufacture was 1867. The Longines Museum have given an approximation of manufacture at the year 1868. The American watch case manufacturer "Dueber" has not stamped this case with their makers mark. The watch case does not bear a makers mark at all.
Serial, the title of my post was regarding the case and its markings, not the watch movement, as I DID state the history of the movement I have already obtained from the Longines museum, I did not disclose the specifics on my communications regarding the movement and nor do I need to, as this was not what the thread was titled, it is also information not pertinent to anyone else unless the watch is put up for sale, the small amount of information volunteered was to provide context and general background. Longines pocket watches of this period were not consigned with a case, cases were supplied for the movement by a secondary entity, usually for the prospective owner to have a variety of choice according to budget. I appreciate your information Serial, though if you are pursuing information not already given forth it may be best to send a pm, otherwise a short answer may ensue. The watches history and associated information came at some length of effort, time and research. Regardless of whether or not Roswells information was accurate or not, he was also the first to respond to the thread, I am not in the habit of telling people you are wrong when they have offered ideas, his volunteering of information was very interesting and as a result I learnt from it regardless of its accuracy.
