Seth Thomas Private Label & Named Grade Pocket Watches
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E. Van Sickle is a private label in Seth Thomas 18-size Model 3.
Emmett Van Sickle lived at 43 Sussex Street in Port Jervis New York with his wife, Madaline, and their children. From the 1870’s into the 1920’s he operated a jewelry store at 62 Pike Street, was also an optometrist, and served as the Railroad Watch Inspector at the Port Jervis Railyard. The postcard photographs below show Pike Street and the Port Jervis Railyard in the first decade of the 1900’s.
E. Van Sickle - Port Jervis, N.Y. (Not in STFS Collection)
Von Gunten Bros. - Keystone Special
This 1905 Seth Thomas open-face 18-size Model 5 pocket watch was manufactured with a two-tone finished full plate, 17 jewels, and it is adjusted. The movement is stem wound and lever set, with a Breguet hair spring, and micrometric regulator. Its serial number is 227076, and its grade is Seth Thomas numbered grade 182. The movement is signed “Von Gunten Bros. - Keystone Special”.
The movement presents with an 18-size Seth Thomas Arabic Montgomery dial with a dots minute track, red five-minute marginals and black one-minute marginals; fitted with Seth Thomas #1282 blued spade & whip Railroad hands 18-size. This dial and hand combination was chosen to replace a Seth Thomas #1217 dial that was stylistically inconsistent with documented Von Gunten examples. There were no hands on the movement at the time of purchase.
Charles and Louis Von Gunten, Swiss born jewelers doing business in Ontario, were the Van Gunten Bros. They started out in St. Mary’s Perth South, Ontario Canada and then opened a store, Von Gunten Bros. Jewelry, on King Street in Chatham Ontario. A local historical source places the Von Gunten Bros. Jewelry store at 31 King St. W., within the Scane Block on the north side of King Street between William Street and Market Square. Further primary documentation is being sought to confirm this address.
Louis Von Gunten eventually left the business which was then carried on by Charles and his son, Alexander. “Alex” Von Gunten, born July 25, 1862, was a successful jeweler in Chatham Ontario Canada from the 1880’s until the 1940’s. He was also appointed by the Ontario government as the Issuer of Marriage Licenses. He died in 1952 at 89 years of age after 8 years in retirement.
Von Gunten Bros. commissioned private label pocket watches manufactured by Seth Thomas (Von Gunten Bros. Keystone Special in Model 5); Rockford (Von Gunten Bros. Railroad Keystone), Hamilton (Von Gunten Bros. Railroad Keystone Chatham), and Columbia (Von Gunten Bros Keystone) Watch Company.
“Keystone” was very likely the Von Gunten Bros. store brand and the “Keystone Special” name may have been used to designate this particular 17-jewel version of their Keystone pocket watch.
The movement is not presently cased.
Retail Setting – King Street, Chatham, Ontario
Below you can see period views of King Street, Chatham, Ontario — the commercial district in which Von Gunten Bros. Jewelry operated during the late 19th and early 20th century.
The location of Chatham Ontario is shown as a red dot on this map of Canada.
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Waldorf U.S.A. is a private label in Seth Thomas 6-size hunting Model 18 and Seth Thomas 6-size open-face Model 24 manufactured for Sears, Roebuck & Company for sale in their catalog. You can see the advertisements for the Model 18 Waldorf and the Model 24 Waldorf on each of the Sears Catalog pages shown below in the lower right-hand corner of each page.
Waldorf U.S.A.
In the Sears, Roebuck & Company 1910 Fall Catalog No 121V the 6-size 7-Jewel open-face Model 24 Waldorf U.S.A. and the 6-size hunting Model 18 Waldorf U.S.A. pocket watches manufactured by Seth Thomas debuted. They can each be seen in the lower right hand corner of their respective pages.
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Above is a drawing of the 6-size open-face Waldorf U.S.A. movement advertised in the Sears, Roebuck & Company catalog on page 811.
Fall 1910 - Butler Brothers Catalog - Number 821
The Fall 1910 Catalog Number 821, Butler Brothers’ “Book of Profits” contained advertisements for three product lines that Seth Thomas produced pocket watch movements for, Century U.S. A. in 18-size, Republic U.S.A. in 18-size and 6-size; and Waldorf U.S.A. in a 6-size movement with a 12-size dial and case, often referred to as a 12X6 and sold as a compact 12-size watch.
These pages from the N. Shure Company’s catalog are believed to be from sometime between 1910 and 1915. They were selling private label Waldorf U.S.A. pocket watches that Seth Thomas had manufactured to be sold by a number of wholesalers in their catalogs. Waldorf movements were manufactured in Seth Thomas 6-size hunting Model 18 and 6-size open-face Model 24. Some of the 6-size movements were fitted with 12-size dials, and placed in special compact 12-size watch cases that could accommodate a 6-size movement. These hybrid pocket watches were referred to as 12X6 pocket watches and were frequently sold as compact 12-size watches.
The N. Shure Company was also selling 18-size and 6-size Century movements, left over from when Sear, Roebuck & Company ended the contract to sell Century movements in their own catalog. Shown in the advertisement is the 18-size hunting Model 11 and the 6-size hunting Model 18; but the advertisement refers to open-face and thin models; so they could have been selling Model 10, Model 11, Model 12, and Model 13.
Wallace & Simmons PROVIDENCE, R.I. is a private label in Seth Thomas 18-size hunting Model 2.
The 1887 Providence Rhode Island City Directory tells us that there was a William Wallace in practice as a jeweler at 25 Autumn Street in Providence. The first postcard below is from 1886 at Market Square in Providence Rhode Island. The second postcard is from 1903 at Westminster Street in Providence Rhode Island.
Wallace & Simmons PROVIDENCE, R.I.
Fred G. B. Weihe – Ocala, Fla. is a private label in Seth Thomas 18-size Model 2.
Frederick George Bennedict Weihe (pronounce like the letter “Y”), born on April 6, 1859, in Louisville, Kentucky became an apprentice jeweler in 1870 and worked at the trade in Kentucky until relocating to Ocala Florida in 1885. His jewelry store, Weihe Company, was located at 18 East Broadway, South Side Square. Mr. Weihe lived with his wife, Julie, and their two sons at 35b North 3rd Street in Ocala. Frederick G. B. Weihe died on December 27, 1937, at 78 years of age.
The Ocala House Hotel was located at 120 East Silver Springs Boulevard in downtown Ocala Florida. This postcard photograph was taken in 1905.
The advertisement on the top-left appeared in the Ocala Banner on Friday August 14, 1891, on page 1. The advertisement in the top-center appeared in the Ocala Banner on Friday August 20, 1897, on page 5. The advertisement on the top-right appeared in the Ocala Banner on Friday, April 28, 1905, on page 1. The advertisement on the bottom-left appeared in the Ocala Evening Star on Wednesday December 11, 1907, on page 5.
Fred G. B. Weihe – Ocala, Fla. - (Not in STFS Collection)
EA 806 – Fred G. B. Weihe – Ocala, Fla. – 18-size – Model 2 – 17 Jewels - Grade 508 - See photograph on Pocket Watch Database
According to the Oneida New York city directories from 1887, 1888, and 1890 C.J. Wells was a watchmaker and jeweler, operating a store at 1 Hickox Block in Oneida New York. He lived at 4 Madison Square in Oneida. The two postcards below show Main Steet and Madison Street in Oneida New York in 1905.
C. J. Wells ONEIDA, N.Y.
W. L. Wentworth - Bridgeport, Conn. is a private label in Seth Thomas 18-size hunting Model 2, and open-face Model 5.
Watson Lyman Wentworth was born on December 11, 1844, in Hamden Massachusetts. He owned a home furnishings store at 69 & 71 John Street in Bridgeport Connecticut from the 1890’s until his death in 1905. W. L. Wentworth is buried at Mountain Grove Cemetery in Bridgeport. An advertisement from the 1896 Bridgeport Connecticut City Directory is shown below.
The rendering above is of Main Street in Bridgeport Connecticut in 1911 from the intersection of State Street. The intersection of John Street is two blocks ahead in the direction that we are looking. You would turn right onto John Street to arrive at W. L. Wentworth’s store.
The photo above is of Main Street in Bridgeport Connecticut in 1905. The buildings shown on the right are very similar to the building on John Street that housed W. L. Wentworth’s store.
W. L. Wentworth - Bridgeport, Conn.
Robert Whitby Portland, Conn. is a private label in Seth Thomas 18-size hunting Model 3.
Robert James Whitby (b. Sept. 9, 1862 – d. Jun 29, 1897) was a jeweler in Portland Connecticut in the 1880s-90s.
These articles appeared in the Hartford Courant. The first, an advertisement, appeared on Thursday January 24, 1895, on page 2. The second, an article, appeared on Saturday July 3, 1897, on page 11.
Robert Whitby Portland, Conn.
According to the 1895 Iowa State Census and the 1900 US Census Thomas F. Wilson was a jeweler living on Walnut Street with his wife, Mina, and daughter, Marlys. The two postcards below show Main Steet in Grundy Centre in the very early 1900’s.
Thos F. Wilson - Grundy Centre, IA
Lady Winthrop
This 1895 Seth Thomas 6-size hunting Model 14 pocket watch was manufactured with a gilt finished ¾ divided plate, 11 jewels, and it is non-adjusted. The movement is stem wound and lever set, with a flat hair spring, and plain/simple regulator. Its serial number is 107901, and its grade is Seth Thomas numbered grade 122. The private label movement is signed “Lady Winthrop” and has a distinctive underline beneath the signature. It is still unknown if this stylized underline bears any significance to the watch’s origin story.
Among the Seth Thomas private-label movements examined in the STFS Collection, Lady Winthrop is presently the ONLY example found with an ornamental device functioning as an UNDERLINE BENEATH THE PRIVATE LABEL SIGNATURE. Other known flourishes, such as those used with Edgemere and Century U.S.A., serve as separators between components of the signature.
The movement presents with a 6-size private label "Lady Winthrop" Roman dial with a ring minute track and no marginals; fitted with Seth Thomas blued Morning Glory hands, 6-size.
“Lady Winthrop” is a private label within Seth Thomas Model 14.
The Ancient Order of Foresters, Court Winthrop No. 7980, was active in New London, Connecticut, during the 1890s. Its associated women’s organization, the Companions of the Forest, Lady Winthrop Circle No. 157, was instituted in New London Connecticut in 1895. Contemporary newspaper records document the two organizations holding joint events, distributing prizes, and making presentation gifts.
There is presently no documented connection between these organizations and the Seth Thomas “Lady Winthrop” private label pocket watch; but the Lady Winthrop Circle 157 remains a primary candidate for further investigation so, background information is presented below to illustrate where the research project is presently focused.
The movement is cased in a 6-size Fahys Watch Case Company 5-year gold-filled Invincible hunting pocket watch case with serial number 4532445.
This embossed 1895 Grand Fair ticket documents Court Winthrop No. 7,980, A.O.F., and Lady Winthrop Circle No. 157, C.O.F., in New London, Connecticut. The reverse lists fair presents, including a “Gent’s Gold Watch.” No direct connection to the Seth Thomas Lady Winthrop private-label watch has yet been documented, but the ticket confirms that the organization used watch-related prizes or gifts in its fundraising activities.
The top-left article appeared in The Day - New London Connecticut - Monday May 13, 1895, on page 7. The top-right article appeared in The Day - New London Connecticut - Friday August 9, 1895, on page 5.
The center advertisement appeared in The Day - New London Connecticut - Tuesday October 9, 1895, on page 8.
The bottom-left article appeared in The Day - New London Connecticut - Wednesday January 10, 1900, on page 6. The bottom-right article appeared in The Day - New London Connecticut - Monday December 2, 1901, on page 7.
The postcard photographs below show the New London Connecticut business district at the turn of the twentieth century.
George Wolf & Co. is a private label pocket watch in Seth Thomas 18-size hunting Model 2 with 15 jewels, a nickel finish, a micrometric regulator, and it is adjusted. The movement is grade 202. The private label is on the dial only.
George Wolf & Co. was a jewelry store on Fourth Avenue in Louisville Kentucky, opened in 1861 by George Wolf, who was born in 1837 in Kentucky. Mr. Wolf initially worked in partnership with Joseph Durringer. Eventually Mr. Wolf partnered with his family members including his wife, Mary, and son George W. Wolf, born in 1867. The founder George Wolf died on June 6, 1897. The George Wolf & Co. store was then managed by Mrs. Mary F. Wolf. George W. Wolf worked at the store until 1915, when he moved to Montgomery Alabama and was in the jewelry business there. He died in Montgomery in 1926 at the age of 62.
The postcard photographs below show Fourth Street at the turn of the twentieth century when George Wolf & Co. operated their jewelry store on Fourth Street.
The top-left advertisement appeared in The Mountain Echo - Barbourville Kentucky on Friday September 28, 1883, on page 2. The article starting in the top row appeared in The Courier-Journal - Louisville, Kentucky - on Sunday July 10, 1887, on page 7.
The obituary of George W. Wolf appeared in The Breckenridge News - Cloverport, Kentucky - on Wednesday July 07, 1926, on page 4.
George Wolf & Co. - (Not in STFS Collection)
EA 806 – George Wolf & Co. – 18-size – Model 2 – Serial Number 53201– 15 Jewels - Grade 202
H.R. Woodward Norwich, Conn. is a private label in Seth Thomas 6-size hunting Model 14.
Henry Robert Woodward was a jeweler on Main Street in Norwich Connecticut from the 1880’s through the 1920’s. The postcards below show scenes on Main Street in Norwich during the first decade of the 20th Century. As a Clinical/Forensic Social Worker I was based in Norwich Connecticut from 2016-2019 as a member of the Crisis Intervention Team working with the Connecticut State Police and at the same time covered a position on the Mobile Crisis Team riding along with Police Officers of the Norwich Police Department. Much of the downtown area would have still been recognizable from these photographs at that time.
These advertisements are from The Bulletin. The top image appeared on Wednesday April 15, 1914, on page 9. The bottom-left image appeared on Monday February 8, 1909, on page 2. The bottom-center image appeared on Saturday Jan 30, 1909, on page 6. The bottom-right image appeared on Saturday January 9, 1909, on page 8.
H.R. Woodward Norwich, Conn.
Workingman’s Friend is a private label 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 “Workingman’s Friend”. Illustrations from the “1980 Price Indicator” of Siegel Bros. “The King”, “American Best” and “Workingman’s Friend” are also included in this post.
Workingman’s Friend is a private label in Seth Thomas Model 5.
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 Siegel Brothers must have known Dan’l Pratt’s Son, Daniel F. Pratt, because his store was located at 335 Washington Street. In one of the photographs, you can see the address on the marquis of a blueprint maker, 345 Washington Street.
Workingman’s Friend
Wyoming Watch Co. is a private label in Seth Thomas 18-size Model 12 and Model 13.
Wyoming Watch Co.
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Yale Watch Co New Haven U.S.A. is a private label in Seth Thomas 18-size Model 6 and Model 7.
Yale Watch Co New Haven U.S.A.
H. J. Zimmerman - Milan, Mich. is a private label in Seth Thomas Model 3. It is an 1894 Seth Thomas open-face 18-size Model 3 pocket watch, manufactured with a nickel finished 3/4 plate, 15 jewels, and it is not adjusted. The movement is stem wound and lever set, with a flat hair spring and micrometric regulator. Its serial number is 73259, and its grade is Seth Thomas numbered grade 170. The private label movement is signed “Made For - H. J. Zimmerman - Milan, Mich.”.
The movement presents with an 18-size H. J. Zimmerman private label Roman dial with a ring minute track and no marginals. It is fitted with Seth Thomas #1285 blued Morning Glory hands, 18-size.
“Made For - H. J. Zimmerman - Milan, Mich.” is a private label within Seth Thomas Model 3.
Harrison Jason Zimmerman, born January 13, 1841, in Clyde, New York, became a jeweler in Silver Creek, Ohio according to the 1880 US Census. The 1900 US Census reports that he was a jeweler in Milan, Michigan. H. J. Zimmerman died on January 19, 1906, at the age of 65.
The postcard photographs below show Milan, Michigan at the turn of the twentieth century when H. J. Zimmerman operated his jewelry store on there.
The article on the left appeared in The Ann Arbor Argus on Friday August 5, 1892, on page 2. The Remembrance of H. J. Zimmerman appeared in the St. Joseph Daily Press on Monday January 22, 1906, on page 7.
H. J. Zimmerman - Milan, Mich.
Seth Thomas Private Label & Named Grade Pocket Watches
~ Browse the collection of Seth Thomas private label and named grade pocket watches alphabetically ~
or
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