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.

EA 819 – Garden City – 6-size – Model 15 – Serial Number 131590 – 7 Jewels

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

EA 819 – Garden City – 6-size – Model 15 – Serial Number 144027 – 7 Jewels

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

EA 819 – Garden City – 6-size – Model 15 – Serial Number 155027 – 7 Jewels

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.

EA 811 – Garden City – 18-size – Model 6 – Serial Number 517638 – 7 Jewels

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.

EA 812 – Garden City – 18-size – Model 7 – Serial Number 526015 – 7 Jewels

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.

EA 819 – Garden City – 6-size – Model 15 – Serial Number 138526 – 7 Jewels

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.

EA 806 – Henry Molineux – 18-size – Model 2 – Serial Number 55039 – 17 Jewels

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)

EA 806 – Henry Molineux – 18-size – Model 2 – Serial Number 55034 – 17 Jewels

EA 814A– Knickerbocker Watch Co. – 18-size – Model 13 – Serial Number 1750408 – 7 Jewels

EA 821 – Knickerbocker Watch Co. – 6-size – Model 18 – Serial Number 4000513 – 7 Jewels

EA 822 – Knickerbocker Watch Co. – 6-size – Model 24 – Serial Number 3074505 – 7 Jewels

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

EA 813C – Knickerbocker Watch Co. – 18-size – Model 12 – Serial Number 1168168 – 7 Jewels

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

EA 810 – The King – 18-size – Model 5 – Serial Number 287065 –17 Jewels

The Lake Erie is a private label in Seth Thomas 18-size open-face Model 3.

The Lake Erie

EA 807 – The Lake Erie – 18-size – Model 3 – Serial Number XXXXXX – 17 Jewels

EA 821 – Lake Shore – 6-size – Model 18 – Serial Number 998852 – 15 Jewels

EA 822 – Lake Shore – 6-size – Model 24 – Serial Number 3052795 – 15 Jewels

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

EA 810 – Lake Shore – 18-size – Model 5 – Serial Number 290874 – 17 Jewels

EA 812A – Lakeside – 18-size – Model 9 – Serial Number XXXXXX – 15 Jewels

Lakeside is a private label in Seth Thomas 18-size open-face Model 8 and Seth Thomas 18-size hunting Model 9.

Lakeside

EA 811A – Lakeside – 18-size – Model 8 – Serial Number XXXXXX – 15 Jewels

EA 811A – Lakesite – 18-size – Model 8 – Serial Number 991674 – 15 Jewels

EA 812A – Lakesite – 18-size – Model 9 – Serial Number X – 15 Jewels

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

EA 811A – Lakesite – 18-size – Model 8 – Serial Number 991674 – 15 Jewels

EA 806 – Lever Brothers – 6-size – Model 2 – Serial Number 543473 – 7 Jewels

EA 806 – Lever Brothers – 6-size – Model 2 – Serial Number 543616 – 7 Jewels

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

EA 818 – Lever Brothers – 6-size – Model 14 – Serial Number 140165 – 7 Jewels

Locust is a private label in Seth Thomas 16-size open-face Model 21.

Locust

EA 815 – Locust – 16-size – Model 21 – Serial Number XXXXXXX – 7 Jewels

Seth Thomas Private Label & Named Grade Pocket Watches

*References

 1.     Bailey, Chris H.; Seth Thomas Watches 1885-1915; 1981; Published by American Clock & Watch Museum, Inc.; Printed by The Bond Press, Inc., Hartford CT  06106; ISBN 0-930476-09-3

1.a 1885 R. & L. Freidlander Jobbers In American Watches Illustrated Price List, 65 & 67 Nassau Street, New York NY

1.b 1890 Illustrated Catalogue of Seth Thomas Clocks No. 495

1.c 1892 Illustrated Catalogue of Seth Thomas Clocks No. 531

1.d 1890 & 1895 Illustrated Catalog of Tools Materials, Finding and Supplies, Lapp & Flershem, 98 State Street, Chicago IL

1.e 1895 Illustrated Catalog of Tools Materials, Finding and Supplies, Lapp & Flershem, 98 State Street, Chicago IL

1.f  1896 Illustrated Catalog of Watches, A. C. Becken, 103 State Street, Chicago IL

1.g 1904 Seth Thomas Watch Material Catalog No. 650

1.h 1904 Seth Thomas Watch Material Illustrated Price List No. 671

1.i 1905 Seth Thomas Watch Movements Illustrated Price List September 15, 1905

1.j 1908 Seth Thomas Watch Movements Illustrated Price List September 1, 1908

1.k 1909 Seth Thomas Watch Movements Illustrated Price List October 1, 1909

1.l 1913 Seth Thomas Watch Movements Illustrated Price List Centennial Edition September 1, 1913

1.m 1914 Seth Thomas Clock Company Supplement No. 705 to Catalog No. 700 Illustrated Price List September 1, 1908

1.n Catalog of Seth Thomas Watch Models and Grades, compiled by Daniel J. Gaenger

1.o Seth Thomas’ Watches: Thirty Years of Manufacture, by Chris H. Bailey

1.p United States Patents granted to Herman A. T. Reinecke and Charles T. Higginbotham for watch features utilized by the  Seth Thomas Company

  

2.     Criss, David; Collectors Price Guide to American Pocket Watches 1976 Edition; 1976

  

3.     Criss, David; Collectors Price Guide to American Pocket Watches 4th Edition; 1980

  

4.     Ehrhardt, Roy; Trade Marks, Watch Cases, Pocket Watches, Precious Stones, Diamonds; 1976; Printed by Heart of America Press, Umatilla Florida 32784

  

5.     Ehrhardt, Roy; Foreign and American Pocket Watch Identification and Price Guide; 1976; Printed by Heart of America Press, P.O. Box 9808, Kansas City, MO 64134

 

6.     Ehrhardt, Roy; Pocket Watch 1976 Price Indicator Identification and Price Guide; 1976; Printed by Heart of America Press, P.O. Box 9808, Kansas City, MO 64134

  

7.     Ehrhardt, Roy; Pocket Watch 1977 Price Indicator Identification and Price Guide; 1977; Printed by Heart of America Press, P.O. Box 9808, Kansas City, MO 64134

  

8.     Ehrhardt, Roy; Pocket Watch 1978 Price Indicator Identification and Price Guide; 1978; Printed by Heart of America Press, P.O. Box 9808, Kansas City, MO 64134

  

9.     Ehrhardt, Roy; Pocket Watch 1979 Price Indicator Identification and Price Guide; 1979; Printed by Heart of America Press, P.O. Box 9808, Kansas City, MO 64134

  

10.            Ehrhardt, Roy; Pocket Watch 1980 Price Indicator Identification and Price Guide; 1976; Printed by Heart of America Press, P.O. Box 9808, Kansas City, MO 64134

  

11.            Ehrhardt, Roy and Meggers, William “Bill”; Encyclopedia and Price Guide to American Pocket Watches; 1982; Printed by Heart of America Press, Umatilla Florida 32784; ISBN: 0-913902-33-0

  

12.            Ehrhardt, Roy; American Pocket Watches – Price Guide; 1972; Printed by Heart of America Press, Umatilla Florida 32784; ISBN: 09-13902-53-5

 

 13.            Ehrhardt, Roy; American Pocket Watches – Identification and Price Guide; 1974; Printed by Heart of America Press, Umatilla Florida 32784; ISBN: 09-13902-53-5

  

14.            Ehrhardt, Roy and Meggers, William “Bill”; American Pocket Watches – Identification and Price Guide Beginning to End 1830-1990; 1990; Printed by Heart of America Press, Umatilla Florida 32784; ISBN: 09-13902-53-5

  

15.            Ehrhardt, Roy and Meggers, William “Bill”; American Pocket Watches – Identification and Price Guide Beginning to End 1830-1999; 1999; Printed by Heart of America Press, Umatilla Florida 32784; ISBN: 0-913902-53-5

 

 

16.            Ehrhardt, Roy and Meggers, William “Bill”; Vintage American Pocket Watches – Identification and Price Guide Beginning to End 1830-2009; 2009; Printed by Heart of America Press, Umatilla Florida 32784; ISBN: 978-0-615-23255-3

  

17.            Ehrhardt, Roy and Meggers, William “Bill”; American Pocket Watches – Serial Number Grade Book, 1993 Prices; 1993; Printed by Heart of America Press, Umatilla Florida 32784; ISBN: 09-13902-79-9

  

18.            Field & Company, Marshall; 1896 Illustrated Catalogue of Jewelry & Fashion; 1896; Adams, Quincy, Franklin, 5th Avenue, Chicago

  

19.            Holsman & Alter; Holsman & Alter Catalog; Unknown Date; 179 Madison Street, Chicago Illinois

  

20.            Lapp & Flershem, The Busiest House in America – 1889 Illustrated Catalogue; 1889; Chicago Illinois, USA

  

21.            Montgomery Ward & Company; Catalogue No. 57; Spring & Summer; 1895; Chicago Illinois, USA

  

22.            National Association of Watch & Clock Collectors

22.a The Railroader’s Corner – A Forum for the Discussion of Railroad Pocket Watches; Standard Watches of the Seth Thomas Clock Company; December 1998; National Association of Watch and Clock Collectors.

  

23.            Oskamp, Nolting & Co.; The Great American Jewelry Catalog; 1905; Cincinnati Ohio

 

24.            Pocket Watch Database

  

25.            Roddin & Company, E. V.; Jewelry, Watches, and Silverware; 1895; The American Historical Catalog Collection

  

26.            Sears, Roebuck & Company; Consumer’s Guide for 1894; 1894; Chicago Illinois, USA

  

27.            Sears, Roebuck & Company; Catalogue No. 110; 1900; Chicago Illinois, USA

  

28.            Sears, Roebuck & Company; Catalogue No. 111; 1902; Chicago Illinois, USA

  

29.            Sears, Roebuck & Company; Catalogue No. 115; 1905; Chicago Illinois, USA

  

30.            Sears, Roebuck & Company; Catalogue No. 121; 1910; Chicago Illinois, USA

  

31.            Sears, Roebuck & Company; Catalogue No. 123; 1911; Chicago Illinois, USA

  

32.            Sears, Roebuck & Company; Catalogue No. 125; 1912; Chicago Illinois, USA

  

33.            Sears, Roebuck & Company; Catalogue No. 127; 1913; Chicago Illinois, USA

  

34.            Sears, Roebuck & Company; Compiled Catalogue; 1905-1910; Chicago Illinois, USA

  

35.            Seth Thomas Clock Company; Seth Thomas Clocks No. 531;1892-1893; 49 Maiden Lane, New York New York.

  

36.            Seth Thomas Clock Company; Seth Thomas Clocks No. 675;1909-1910; 15 Maiden Lane, New York New York.

  

37.            Seth Thomas Clock Company; Seth Thomas Clocks No. 675;1909-1910; 15 Maiden Lane, New York New York.

  

38.            Shugart, Cooksey; Complete Price Guide to American Pocket Watches – First Edition; 1981; Published by Overstreet Pulications, Inc. 780 Hunt Cliff Dr. N.W., Cleveland TN  37311; ISBN: 0-517-543788

  

39.            Shugart, Cooksey; Gilbert, Richard; Engle, Tom; Complete Price Guide to Watches - 2012; Published by Tinderbox Press; ISBN: 978-0-9829487-1-2

  

40.            Shure Company, N.; The Shure Winner Pricelist; 1909; Chicago Illinois

  

41.            Smyth & Company, John, M.; Dictionary of Economy - No. 62; 1909; Chicago Illinois

  

42.            Young & Company; Catalogue of Watches – Illustrated & Priced;1911; Chicago Illinois USA