DESCRIPTION:
APW - Empire City Watch Co, New York, Empire Combination Timer, 15J, 18S, silver original HC with attractive engine turning and engraving detail, white enamel SS dial marked with nineteen cities, New York City being below 12 and contains a "12" numeral, all other cities are marked with their local time relative to New York City's 12:00 time and are also marked with their distance in miles from New York City, KWKS (a key is included as pictured), Elson's patent double-index regulator, nickel damascene, s#52622. A very rare and eye-catching watch, the Empire Combination Timer was a product of the Empire City Watch Co. which was incorporated in early 1876 as a reorganization of the United States Watch Co and was the final short-lived attempt to make a success of the Marion watch factory. The Empire Combination Timer with its unique dial display demonstrating the time in various cities is perhaps the most iconic of the Empire City Watch Co. products, and its dial also provides a vivid demonstration of the complexities of travel between American cities in the years prior to the nationwide adoption of standard time in 1883.
CONDITION:
Mvt: Running, fine-plus cosmetic mvt condition overall, some scattered surface spots and fine to micro-fine scratches, mild oxide to regulator assembly and winding arbor escutcheon disk, winding arbor escutcheon with a mismatched replacement screw, escape wheel jewel setting with a mismatched screw having larger sized head, fourth wheel jewel setting with a mismatched screw of differing color, balance cock screw is a replacement with smaller sized head; dial with numerous parallel scratches at perimeter between 10 and 12, beveling wear around entirety of perimeter outside minute chapter, hl below seconds-register at 6; fine hands, minute with oxide to its spade and tip, hour with mild oxide to spade; case shows little wear, an attractive moderate patina, some dings to lower portion of front, some mild dings to rear with few corresponding dings to cuvette, good engine turning and engraving detail; tight bow, push shows light wear; good glass crystal.
ESTIMATE:
$2000
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$4000
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