dennison pocket watch case serial numbers

DENNISON POCKET WATCH CASE SERIAL NUMBERS SERIAL NUMBER
DENNISON POCKET WATCH CASE SERIAL NUMBERS SKIN

After the war, wristwatch cases were added to the product line. Styles included open face and hunting cases. They were available in solid gold, gold filled, sterling silver, rolled nickel-silver or brass. Until World War I the company manufactured pocket watch cases exclusively. Star's watchmaker clients included Manistee Watch Company, Hamilton, Longines, Elgin, Gruen, Omega and Pulsar. The movements (mechanisms), dials, hands, crystals (glass watch faces), and some of the crowns (buttons used to wind the watch) were made by other vendors and shipped to Star for final assembly. The Star Watch Case Company designed, manufactured and assembled watch cases for a plethora of watchmakers. Products įritz Baumgartner, Star's key hand engraver In 1943, the building was further enlarged with the addition of new office space bringing the overall size of the plant to three stories and 70,000 square feet (6,500 m 2). The addition was one hundred feet long by thirty feet in width and was three stories high. In 1927, the company added still another enlargement wing for tool, die equipment and machinery. North and south wings were added to the main building in 1920. The primary factory building was built on South Rath Avenue in 1905, and later expanded in 1910. The company's (sometimes referred to as Star Watchcase Company) employment reached its peak during World War II at 550 employees. By 1913 it had about 150 employees, which grew to 400 by 1925. Later in 1905 the company moved to Ludington, Michigan. In 1906 in Ludington, the company's key hand engrave was Fritz Baumgartner, assisted by hand engravers Emil Allemann and Otto Starke. Starke, president Fred Hermann, vice president Warren Antoine Cartier, secretary and Alfred W. Officers of the new Star Watch Case Company were Otto A. The company changed its name sometime between 19 to the Star Watch Case Company and incorporated on February 7, 1905. There were 27 employees in the business before the fire. The company was well insured, and it was able to recover. In 1902 or 1903 a large fire destroyed the Illinois manufacturing facility. Starke had the specialty of being an engraver and steel hub cutter, while Hermann specialized in the mechanics of the tools and machines for making watch cases. Starke and Hermann were foremen at Illinois Watch before starting in business for themselves.

DENNISON POCKET WATCH CASE SERIAL NUMBERS SERIAL NUMBER

I have a record of a very similar split three-quarter plate, ASTRAL 'B' grade movement that was retailed by Sanders in Kensington, serial number #76378, this also supplied in a Dennison Moon case.The immediate predecessor of the Star Watch Case Company was the Illinois Watch Case Company in Elgin, Illinois, that was founded in 1898. The Astral examples, in contrast, used nickel finished plates, in half plate, three-quarter plate and split three-quarter plate design. The 'B' grade in this range had the 15 jewels, as your example. Many of their similar machine-made movements are marked 'Astral' or 'Coventry Astral'. I have a similar, lower grade movement (7 jewels), in a Coventry made silver case, that was retailed in South Africa. Williamson were both retailers and wholesalers, supplying finished machine made movements, in Dennison, silver and gold cases to retailers. The top grade, with a 25 year guarantee, stamped SUN, used 14K skins of 0.072mm. The MOON case, of which this is an example, had both skins of 10K gold 0.072mm. thickness, the inner surface is simply gold plated.

DENNISON POCKET WATCH CASE SERIAL NUMBERS SKIN

The lowest grade of case (STAR) having a 10 year guarantee - called the rolled-gold case, because only the outer gold skin is 9K gold of. The copper content typically varies from 60 to 90 percent (wiki). The main middle layer consisted of cupronickel, an alloy of copper that contains nickel and strengthening elements, such as iron and manganese. Yes, Graham, I should have made that clear.ĭennison made three grades of this type of case.

Dennison pocket watch case serial numbers