Seth Thomas Private Label & Named Grade Pocket Watches
Garden City
Another version of the Garden City private label 6-size hunting Model 15 movement is the engraving of a long-stem rose as the signature on the top plate. The dial might be an unsigned fancy tinted dial or an unsigned plain white dial. This Seth Thomas movement is also known as The Queen, when manufactured for A. C. Becken, or The Rose with the Seth Thomas signature beneath the engraving of a long-stem rose and the dial may bear the Seth Thomas signature with the word “Rose” beneath it.
Garden City is a private label in Seth Thomas 6-size hunting Model 15. Garden City was manufactured by Seth Thomas for Lapp & Flershem. The Queen was manufactured by Seth Thomas for A. C. Becken. Rose
Garden City is a private label in Seth Thomas 6-size hunting Model 15. Garden City was manufactured by Seth Thomas for Lapp & Flershem. The Queen was manufactured by Seth Thomas for A. C. Becken. Rose
Garden City is a private label in Seth Thomas 18-size open-face Model 6. Garden City was manufactured by Seth Thomas for Lapp & Flershem. This movement is also known as Liberty when manufactured for A.C. Becken, and as Eagle when the movement bears the Seth Thomas signature or the dial bears the signature Eagle.
Garden City is a private label in Seth Thomas 18-size hunting Model 6. Garden City was manufactured by Seth Thomas for Lapp & Flershem. This movement is also known as Liberty when manufactured for A.C. Becken, and as Eagle when the movement bears the Seth Thomas signature or the dial bears the signature Eagle.
Garden City is a private label in Seth Thomas 6-size hunting Model 15. Garden City was manufactured by Seth Thomas for Lapp & Flershem. One version of the Garden City movements bear the signature “Garden City” and the logo of Lapp & Flershem, an oval with the letters BHA within. “BHA” stands for “Busiest House in America”. The Garden City movement may have an unsigned fancy dial or it may have a “Garden City” signature dial.
Some of the 6-size Garden City movements do not bear the Garden City signature or the engraved long-stem rose. They are signed “Seth Thomas Thomaston, Conn.” on the movement, and they might have a fancy dial with no signature, or they could have a “Garden City” signature dial.
1896 Lapp & Flershem Catalog
On page 424 of the 1896 Lapp & Flershem wholesale catalog there is an advertisement for Garden City private label pocket watches manufactured by Seth Thomas for Lapp & Flershem. The Garden City movements’ available options are described for each of the three Item Numbers (No. 5, No. 6, and No. 7) that Lapp & Flershem are advertising.
Item No. 5 is a 6-size stem-wound hunting movement with 7 jewels. It is shown to have a long-stem rose engraved on the top plate.
Item No. 6 is an 18-size stem-wound open-face movement with 7 jewels. It is shown to have an eagle engraved on the top plate.
Item No. 7 is an 18-size stem-wound hunting movement with 7 jewels. It is shown to have an eagle engraved on the top plate.
The advertisement states that ““Garden City” Movements are Lever Set and fit all Regular Pendant or Lever Set Cases”.
Garden City is a private label in Seth Thomas 18-size Model 6 and Model 7, and 6-size hunting Model 15. Garden City was manufactured by Seth Thomas for Lapp & Flershem. One version of the Garden City movements bears the signature “Garden City” and the logo of Lapp & Flershem, an oval with the letters BHA within. “BHA” stands for “Busiest House in America”. The Garden City movement may have an unsigned fancy dial or it may have a “Garden City” signature dial. Other versions of the 18-size Garden City movements bear the engraving of an eagle. Other of the 6-size Garden City movements bear the engraving of a long-stem rose.
Some of the 6-size Garden City movements do not bear the Garden City signature or the engraved long-stem rose. They are signed “Seth Thomas Thomaston, Conn.” on the movement, and they might have a fancy dial with no signature, or they could have a “Garden City” signature dial.
The C.S. Hayes Norfolk, Neb. is a private label pocket watch in Seth Thomas 18-size hunting Model 2.
C.S. Hayes was born in Orleans County Vermont. In July of 1881 he opened a store in Norfolk Nebraska where he sold jewelry, silver cutlery, watches, and musical instruments. He had previously worked as a jeweler in Iowa (Cedar Rapids and Blairstown) between 1771 and 1881.
C.S. Hayes Norfolk, Neb.
EA 806 – C.S. Hayes – 18-size – Model 2 – Serial Number 25180 –15 Jewels with Higginbotham Hairspring Stud- Grade 197
Healey and Co. Coach Builders NEW YORK is a private label pocket watch in Seth Thomas 18-size Model 3 on the dial only.
Healey and Co. Coach Builders NEW YORK:
William Mansfield Healey was born in Massachusetts in the 1840s to Samuel & Mary Thayer (Mansfield) Healy. In 1861 Healey enlisted in the Army of the North and attained the rank of Colonel before being sidelined in 1863.
Healey attended engineering school in France and following apprenticeships at a number of New York coachbuilders, he became associated with the celebrated New York firm of Loos & Williams, which was founded in 1849 as Williams & Dingel. At New York’s 1850 American Institute Fair the firm was awarded a Gold Medal for their carriage display. About 1860 C. Loos bought out the interest of Dingel, and the firm became known as Loos & Williams. The firm operated from a large factory at 223-225 West 96th St. and this is where Colonel Healey became involved in the business of carriage building.
Loos and Williams parted company in 1881, and Colonel Healey joined Williams in the new firm of Healey, Williams & Co. The firm maintained a repository at 1658 Broadway (between 51st and 52nd Sts) and built a new 6-story factory on West 43rd St.
Healey was one of five metropolitan New York firms who built bodies for the luxurious Simplex & Crane Simplex automobiles of 1907-1919. They also built bodies for Christie, Cadillac, Falcon, Locomobile, Packard, Singer and Stevens-Duryea.
Healey’s 1915 listing in “Who’s Who in New York” noted the following accomplishments:
"Brig.-general. N. G. N. Y. 1897-1899; president of Healey & Co., Director of Hudson Trust Co., Hudson Safe Deposit Co., Chevalier Legion d’Honneur of France; member Sons of Revolution, G. A. R., N. Y. Historical Society, New England Society, New York Chamber of Commerce. Clubs: Army and Navy, Union League."
Healey & Co. Coach Builders NEW YORK
Henry Molineux is a Factory Named Grade in Seth Thomas 18-size hunting Model 2 and Seth Thomas 18-size open-face Model 3.
Henry Molineux (Factory Named Grade)
Top Plate from 1893 18-size Seth Thomas Model 3 Private Label J.E. Jarck Danville, VA.
This top plate is from an 1893 18-size Seth Thomas Model 3 private label “J.E. Jarck” pocket watch manufactured with nickel finish, 15 jewels, a micrometric regulator, and grade 170. It was included with my recent purchase of other Seth Thomas pocket watches.
Turner’s Seventh Annual Directory for the Cities of Danville and North Danville for the years of 1892-1893 report that J.E. Jarck was jeweler at 328 Main Street in Danville, and had a residence at 647 Main Street. I also found records of a J.E. Jarck in 1890 and John E. Jarck in 1888 in the Pittston Pennsylvania City Directory who was a jeweler. It’s possible that Mr. Jarck started out living in Pittston Pennsylvania; then moved south over 800 miles to Danville Virginia for a few years, selling his business to a new jeweler.
An advertisement in the Roanoke Baptist Union, Volume 7, Number 6, 1 June 1894, Page 4 for E.P. Sangston, D.R. explains that E.P. Sangston is the “Successor to J.E. Jarck”.
The 1900 U.S. Census recorded information from a John E. O. Jarck living in Northampton Pennsylvania who was a jeweler. This could very well all be the same J.E. Jarck who contracted Seth Thomas to produce the private label pocket watch.
A map showing the positions of Pittston Pennsylvania, Danville Virginia, and Northampton Pennsylvania illustrates the possible journey of J.E. Jarck in the United States after emigrating from Germany in 1884. After Danville Virginia it looks like Mr. Jarck moved back north to Pennsylvania; but settled in Northampton instead of returning to Pittston.
J.E. Jark DANVILLE, VA.
The King is a private label pocket watch in Seth Thomas 18-size open-face Model 5, manufactured for Siegel Brothers Jewelers in Boston Massachusetts U.S.A.
In his “1980 Price Indicator” Roy Ehrhardt illustrated that the Siegel Bros. commissioned Seth Thomas to produce three different private label pocket watch lines with their name marked on the movements. The photos in this posting are of my recently acquired example of “The King”. Illustrations from the “1980 Price Indicator” of Siegel Bros. “The King”, “American Best” and “Workingman’s Friend” are also included in this post.
The 1908 Boston Massachusetts City Directory identifies Eli and George Siegel as the “Siegel Bros.” jewelers at 387 Washington Street in Boston. Their business is also identified as Washington Jewelry Co. in other period documents.
The King
Knickerbocker Watch Co. is a private label in Seth Thomas 18-size open-face Model 12 and Seth Thomas 18-size hunting Model 13, Seth Thomas 6-size hunting Model 18 and Seth Thomas 6-size open-face Model 24.
Knickerbocker Watch Co. New York
E.G. Bowyer ALGONA, IOWA, KOSSUTH is a private label in Seth Thomas Model 2.
According to the 1913 History of Kossuth County Iowa; E. G. Bowyer was a jeweler in the city of Algona, Kossuth County, Iowa from 1878 through the time of publication in 1913. Reports also indicate that he was some sort of official to whom deaths were reported in order to validate life insurance claims.
KOSSUTH E.G. Bowyer ALGONA, IOWA.
The private label pocket watch, Lake Shore, was manufactured for sale in the Montgomery Ward Co. mail order catalog.
Lake Shore is a private label in Seth Thomas 18-size open-face Model 5 with 17 jewels at grade 182, 6-size hunting Model 18 with 15 jewels at grade 205, and 12X6-size open-face Model 24 with 15 jewels at grade 322. The signature on the dial of the Model 5 Lake Shore is spelled out as one word, “Lakeshore”. The signatures on the dials of the Model 18 Lake Shore and the Model 24 Lake Shore, as well as the signatures engraved on the movements of all three models are all presented as two words, “Lake Shore”. The Montgomery Ward Co. catalog also advertised using the two-word name “Lake Shore” for this private label. The 12X6-size version was advertised (see image below) as a Compact 12-size Lake Shore.
Lake Shore should not be confused with the private labels “Lakeside”, also manufactured by Seth Thomas in Model 8 and Model 9 for sale in the Montgomery Ward Co. mail order catalog; or the private label “Lakesite” manufactured by Seth Thomas in Model 8 and Model 9 for sale in the J. M. Smyth Co. mail order catalog.
Lake Shore
Lakesite is a private label in Seth Thomas 18-size open-face Model 8 and Seth Thomas 18-size hunting Model 9 manufactured for sale by J.M. Smyth Company in their mail order catalog.
Lakesite
Seth Thomas Private Label Lever Brothers Pocket Watches - 7 Jewels
Lever Brothers is the name of an international British company that was founded in the same year that Seth Thomas started marketing pocket watches, 1885. The factory located near the border between England and Wales manufactured soap. People alive today may still be familiar with some of the brand names, Lifebuoy and Lux, that they produced. In 1929 Lever Brothers merged with a Dutch margarine company, Margarine Unie, to form the corporation Unilever.
While Lever Brothers was in operation, the company took great interest in the welfare of its employees in England and provided a self-contained community, Port Sunlight, near the factory for them. Port Sunlight provided quality housing, the Lady Lever Art Gallery, schools, a hospital, concert hall, hotel, church, and local community clubs that promoted art, literature, science, and music.
The Lever Brothers private label pocket watches manufactured by Seth Thomas were purchased by Lever Brothers as prizes for winners in the nearby Eisteddfod festival competitions in poetry and music, an historic cultural tradition across all of Wales dating back to the year 1176. The Welsh name for the ancient cultural festival “Eisteddfod” combines “eistedd”, the root of the Welsh word “sit” and “fod” root of the Welsh word “be”, to convey the idea of sitting and listening.
The half-hunter cases that contained the Lever Brothers movements bore the engraving “14k Stiffened”. There were no manufacturer signatures or trademarks to identify the manufacturer.
Lever Brothers Limited New York
Henry Molineux is a Factory Named Grade in Seth Thomas 18-size hunting Model 2 and Seth Thomas 18-size open-face Model 3.
Liberty U.S.A.
John Luckenbach was born in Algoma, Wisconsin on August 1, 1868. He established his career as a jeweler in Green Bay Wisconsin from the 1870’s through 1890’s. In 1898 he relocated to Los Angeles California where he also ran an extremely successful jewelry business until his death on January 9, 1926. His obituary is included below.
From a Los Angeles newspaper:
A Masonic funeral will be given John Luckenbach at the Little Church of the Flowers in Forest Lawn Cemetery this afternoon at 1 o'clock. He died Sunday, of heart failure.
Preceding this service there will be private rites at noon at the residence, 2325 North Vermont Avenue, conducted by the Rev. J. Phillips Easley of St. Stephens Church, Hollywood.
The services at the chapel in the cemetery will be in charge of East Gate Lodge. Golden West Commandery will furnish an escort.
For a quarter of a century John Luckenbach had been well-known as an upright, energetic business man and public-spirited citizen. Leaders in all phases of commercial and civic life admired him for his genial, helpful character and thousands of persons mourn the passing of the man who unostentatiously gave them aid and kindly encouragement in times of distress.
Two decades ago, practically everybody in Los Angeles knew Mr. Luckenbach, and most of them called him John. In his business as a jeweler and by sound investments he had become a rich man and had remained the poor man's friend.
Father Lost at Sea
In the early years of his boyhood the qualities of character were developed that won for him throughout his manhood the respect of the public and the love of those who knew him more intimately.
Born in Algoma, Wis., in 1868, John was but five years old when his mother was left a widow with nine children. They were living in Green Bay, Wis., and the father had returned to the old country to collect a small inheritance. On the way back his ship was lost in the English Channel and he perished.
From that tender age of five, John Luckenbach had before him throughout his boyhood the necessity of hard work and rigid economy, that the united efforts of the family might keep them together. His mother taught the children honesty and thrift and industry. The oldest brother was at first the mainstay; when John reached the age of 17 and the united earnings were larger, the oldest brother was ready for college, and John got a job and helped him through his college course.
Having served an apprenticeship in the jeweler's business, Mr. Luckenbach married Miss Lena Berner in 1890, and in 1898 they came to Los Angeles. Mrs. Luckenbach survives him. He was devoted to her and his home, and together they contributed constantly to making other homes happy, by relief of the needy, by friendly counsel, by promoting the advancement of struggling young men.
Always interested in public matters and in politics, Mr. Luckenbach never held public office. He took a leading part in efforts to solve the traffic problems and did much to promote the development of Vermont avenue. He was a director of the Bank of America.
Active Lodge Member
Mr. Luckenbach was a thirty-second degree Mason, a charter member of East Gate Lodge and a member of Golden West Commandery, the Scottish Rite and the Shrine. He was a member of the Elks, and of the Jonathan Club.
Seth Thomas Private Label & Named Grade Pocket Watches
*References
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