DESCRIPTION:
APW - Illinois, "I.W. Ainley, March 20" 1873, Springfield, Ill." marked mvt, 15J, 18S, coin silver recase was originally HC style but has been modified to OF form via cutting of its front lid and insertion of a crystal along with removal of its bezel, white enamel DS dial, KWKS (a key is included as pictured), gilt mvt, s#16296. An intriguing early piece, Illinois private labels with date marking are quite unusual. Our searching for the possible identity of I.W. Ainley led us to reviewing Springfield, Illinois city directories of the 1870s which list an "Isaac Ainley" as an employee of the Springfield Watch Co. watch factory in the 1874 edition, however the name is recorded as "Isaac A. Ainley" in the 1873 edition, and this individual is not found in the 1872, 1875, or 1876 editions. So the differing middle initial casts some question on the match of this individual to this watch, but no other Ainley that looked a likely match has appeared in our searches so perhaps there was simply an error of the middle initial in the 1873 city directory.
CONDITION:
Mvt: NR, fully wound, will try to tick weakly and out of beat when dial is down but stops soon after when dial is up, overhaul needed, excellent cosmetic mvt condition overall, good gilt tone, some scattered fine to micro-fine scratches, one balance jewel setting screw head is rusted, hairspring stud screw head is marred; dial with patched chipping within and around its seconds-register, scattered hls; fine hands, oxide to spade and tip of hour; case shows ample wear, scattered dings to rear and band, reduced engraving detail; tight bow, replacement push shows ample wear; glass crystal with edge chip near top, scattered scratches.
ESTIMATE:
$200
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$400
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