American Best 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 “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 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.