Description:

Lathin 17J wrist watch, vintage mechanical manual-wind movement, textured off-white metal dial with red and white stone markers, black Reo advertising, gold hands, impressive yellow gold filled (YGF) & stainless steel (SS) rectangular case with fancy bezel and extended lugs, red and white stones also set into the bezel (missing one red stone, otherwise all intact), nice original YGF expansion band with matching rectangular dark red stone inserts on each section does have 1 missing link, can replace with a different expansion or leather band at no charge if desired. Heavy and impressive watch in very good condition!


Item Specifics:

  • Age Description: 02Vintage (1940-1980)
  • Company: Lathin
  • Jewels: 1117J
  • Setting/Movement Type: manual-wind
  • Dial Material: metal
  • Dial Color: ivory/off-white
  • Dial Details: Reo advertising
  • Case Style: rectangular
  • Case Material: Gold Filled - Yellow, Stainless Steel
  • Band Material: metal expansion
  • Condition: Very Good
  • Gender: Unisex

Logo Info:

On all but a few of the advertising logos, mainly Packard from the Hamilton company and Studebaker from South Bend, the logos would have been commissioned through a professional dial company after they left the factory to have the logo applied. For instance, a car dealership might have them added as a promotion, a motorcycle club would have ones done for each of their members, etc.


On the watch/logo combinations that may not match up on a timeline (the watch was made prior to the automobile company being formed, for instance), what we understand could have happened is, say for a car club, the members would need to provide their own watch to which the emblems would be added. Someone might have wanted a Harley logo on "Grandpa Bob's" old pocket watch, and would have had the dial pulled from that. Other than the Packard/Hamilton & Studebaker/South Bend arrangements, it was a free-for-all on the pairings and you could find just about any combination of manufacturer with the different logos.


We do also have a pretty good selection of the vintage dials that have emblems on them, but that are not attached to a watch yet. Often in the past, a customer would want a watch without the advertising, so we would just pull the printed dial and replace it with a similar-style plain dial, then set the printed one aside. If you have something specific you are looking for, please drop us a note to see if we have anything in our stock that might work for you.