Sears, Roebuck & Co.
Information from Wholesale, Retail, and Manufacturer’s Catalogs
In the Sears, Roebuck & Company 1896 Spring Catalog No 102 (shown above) Seth Thomas pocket watches were not a big story. There were no images of Seth Thomas movements or dials. They were included in the list of choices for watch movements to fill the advertised watch cases as the low-end seven jewel option. It wasn’t until the 1898 Fall Catalog No 107 (shown below) that images of Seth Thomas movements were on display in the Sears, Roebuck & Company catalog. The first images included two seven-jewel Model 10 private labels, Pan-American and Century U.S.A., both lauded for their reliability. The Century movement and glitzy case combination was marketed as a “Trading Watch”; before that definition included the installation of fake jewels covering the pivots on the top plate, and false movement markings claiming 17, 21, or 23 jewels and that the movement was adjusted.
Catalog Listings
Advertising for Seth Thomas private labels Century U.S.A, Countess Janet, Edgemere, Pan-American, Trainmens Special, and Waldorf U.S.A.
Special Century Grade Dial Facts
It was stated in the original 1904 Seth Thomas Dials Chart that “All Century Grade Dials Have Black Marginal Figures”. That was true at the time; but with the introduction of the open-face 6-size Centennial Model 24 Century U.S.A., movements marked Century U.S.A. were produced with a dial sporting no marginal figures.
One could argue that all Model 24 movements are Centennial grade. The 1913 Centennial Edition Price List summarizes the product line as “Seth Thomas “Centennial” open-face watches. 7-Jewel High-Grade Movements. Red Marginal Dials”. The Model 24 Century U.S.A. doesn’t fit the black marginals Century description or the red marginals Centennial description. There is also an open-face Model 24 private label Republic U.S.A. in my collection with black marginals, and a seconds bit, on the dial, also contradicting the Centennial summary description of red marginals.
It is possible that the Model 24 Century U.S.A. movements were manufactured as special commemorative for the Centennial celebration recognizing the contribution that Century grade movements had made to the success of Seth Thomas pocket watch manufacturing. After all; in 1913 they would not have been produced for Sears, Roebuck & Company, as their sale of Century movements was gradually phased out starting in the Fall of 1901 with the introduction of the Edgemere line and Century was gone in the 1902 Fall catalog. Century movements were then seen in the catalogs of A.C. Becken, Brooks Optical, N. Shure Company, John M. Smyth Company, Holsman & Alter, Lapp & Flershem, W.H. Lasselle, and Otto Young & Co.
In the Sears, Roebuck & Company 1901 Fall Catalog No 111M the 6-size 11-Jewel Model 16 Edgemere pocket watch movement manufactured by Seth Thomas debuted. This was the beginning of the Century movements’ being phased out of the Sears, Roebuck & Company catalogs. The 11-Jewel Model 16 Edgemere has a unique appearance among the Seth Thomas Edgemere movements. It is the only one that bears the engraving of Sears, Roebuck & Co. on its top plate and the engraving font is different than the others, and as is frequently the case, quite different from the engraving on the cut displayed in the advertisements. It is a rarely seen version of the Seth Thomas Edgemere private label movements.
In the Sears, Roebuck & Company 1904 Spring Catalog No 113Y the 18-size 7-Jewel open-face Model 12 Edgemere, the 17-Jewel Model 9 Edgemere, the 12-Jewel open-face Model 8 Edgemere pocket watch movements, and the 7-Jewel Model 12 private label trading watch Trainmens Special manufactured by Seth Thomas debuted.
In the Sears, Roebuck & Company 1905 Catalog No 115 and 1907 Spring and Fall Catalogs the Seth Thomas private label pocket watch, Countess Janet, was advertised. The Countess Janet movements were marketed as a “Trading Watch” in the way that we use that term today to describe 7-jewel movements that utilized fake jewels covering the pivots on the top plate, and false movement markings claiming 17, 21, or 23 jewels and that the movement was adjusted.
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.
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. Below you can see photographs of the 6-size hunting version of the Waldorf U.S.A. shown on page 830.
Sears, Roebuck & Co.
Information from Wholesale, Retail, and Manufacturer’s Catalogs
*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
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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
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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