Illinois 18S 11J lever set (LS) Geo. Washington P&K grade 2 pocket watch #126442, handsome gilt full plate transition-model movement with an elaborately engraved balance bridge and a brushed finish, marked "Geo. Washington P & K" which may be a grade specification or a jewelers' mark, unmarked single sunk (SS) porcelain enamel dial with large Roman numerals and a black-marked subsidiary seconds register has a few very small faint hairlines, blue steel spade & whip style hands, attractive white base metal (WBM) smooth polish hunting case (HC) with an large fancy blank monogram shield surrounded by engraved leaves and curls on one side, gold hinges and a heavy bow, this case has only housed this movement however it is likely a replacement, case is showing normal moderate wear overall but does have some spots of discoloration, especially around the monogram shield, additionally the front case cover does secure tightly to the frame when closed however the lift spring is worn and does not lift the cover very far when the crown is depressed, measures approx. 55mm diameter x 76mm in length x 18mm thick. A high quality watch for its time as the industry moved away from key wind watches into the more desirable pendant set designs, an attractive Illinois from the 1870s in very good overall condition!
- Year Made: 1879-1880
- Company:
Illinois
-
Movement Size:
0318S
- Jewels: 1711J
- Setting/Movement Type:
lever set
- Model/Grade: Geo. Washington P&K grade 2
- Serial #: 126442
- Movement Finish: gilt
- Movement Details: hunting case movement (HCM), transistion model
- Dial Material: porcelain enamel
- Dial Details:
unmarked
- Hand Style:
spade & whip
- Case Style:
HC
-
Case Material:
Base Metal - Silver/White
- Case Details:
re-cased, gold hinges
-
Case Width/Diameter:
55mm (2.17 inches)
-
Case Length, bow included:
76mm (2.99 inches)
-
Case Thickness:
18mm (0.71 inches)
- Crystal Material: plastic
- Condition:
Very Good
-
Gender:
Gentlemen's
The Illinois Watch Company was founded in Springfield, Illinois and began production of its earliest branded models in 1872, although the company had been producing small runs of watches with various other markings as early as 1869. In 1927, the Hamilton Watch Company purchased Illinois and manufactured watches in the Springfield factory up until 1932. Afterwards, Hamilton continued to produce watches with Illinois Watch Company markings from their main factory in Lancaster, Pennsylvania until 1939.
As an additional resource, we've posted a
Serial Number Production List which includes information for Illinois serial numbers and dates of manufacture.
The NAWCC also has a
comprehensive article about the company; additional information may also be found on
Wikipedia.
You may browse all of our men's pocket watches from this manufacturer at our
Vintage Men's Illinois Pocket Watches category.
This watch is in good running condition, unless otherwise noted in the description. This means that on receipt, pending any item-specific running conditions noted in the description, you can expect the watch to be winding and setting properly and to run smoothly while keeping reasonable time. We consider "reasonable time" to meet these basic guidelines:
- Railroad Grade Watches will be keeping +/- 5 minutes per day
- Pocket and Wrist Watches with 15 or more jewels will be keeping +/- 10 minutes per day
- All key wind watches and watches with 14 or fewer jewels will be keeping +/- 15 minutes per day
The above guideline is the lowest standard in which we would ship out a watch, however in most cases, you will see much better timekeeping. Most of our watches have been in storage for many years, so if you plan on carrying/wearing them everyday, you should consider having them cleaned and oiled soon, and then once a year thereafter to keep them in top running condition. If the watches will be for occasional use or display, they should be cleaned and serviced every 3 to 5 years depending on use.
As of September 9th, 2025, we are not offering a cleaning and service option through PM Time Service. While we do hope to offer this again in the future, we are unfortunately unable to meet customer requests for watch servicing at this time. Please note that, unless otherwise mentioned within the "Full Description" tab, this watch is being sold in good running condition and is ready to wear or carry on arrival.
This watch features a jeweler's mark, or name of the retailer that originally sold the watch, in addition to the name of the watch manufacturer. Jeweler's marks may be engraved or printed on the dial, case or movement, depending on the watch. See the Full Description for details specific to this piece.
The jewelers' mark was a pretty common practice during the early to mid-1900s, and does continue today. A jewelry shop would commission a small run of watches directly from a watch manufacturer, such as Hamilton, Illinois, etc., who would then add markings for that jeweler at the factory to the dial, movement and/or case. This would allow for the jeweler to offer a customized branding of a high quality watch without the prohibitive cost of directly manufacturing the watch components and assembly.
The most common example that most will recognize is with Tiffany & Co., which for a short time did manufacture their own watches but realized it was cost prohibitive for their label and transitioned to commissioning watches from high-end watch manufacturers instead. On many of their vintage watches, you'll see the "Tiffany & Co" markings on the dial, and occasionally also stamped on the movement and case, but additional markings on the movement will show Longines, International Watch Co., etc. to also indicate the manufacturing company.
Unlike modern quartz watches, most vintage watches need daily winding in order to keep the watch functioning for timekeeping. Additionally, there are a number of different ways to set the time other than simply pulling the crown away from the watch body. We are happy to provide an overview of each of the different setting types on our
"How To Use" page, where we also provide information on proper winding techniques for each style and some suggestions for the proper long term care and storage of your watch.
Please note: an appropriate winding and setting key (or keys) is included in the listed price for this item. Unless otherwise noted in the Full Description, the key is not original to the watch.
For your gift giving convenience, please find a consolidated overview of the information on this item, with no reference to the price, on this
printer-optimized page.
