South Bend 16S 15J lever set (LS) adj. hunting case movement (HCM) grade 280 pocket watch #513840, handsome nickel split plate movement with screw-down jewel settings, a narrow bar-style damascene pattern and a fancy plate layout, movement is marked "Adjusted" which is uncommon for this South Bend grade, we have confirmed that the balance bridge does have a matching serial number to the top plate and there is an additional photo documenting this, double sunk (DS) porcelain enamel dial with fancy Arabic-style numbers, red 5 minute markers and a black marked subsidiary seconds register is marked "M. Creshkoff Yonkers, N.Y.", dial does have some faint hairlines and some small flakes at the edge of the dial at 11 o'clock, blue steel spade-style hands.
Re-cased into an attractive fully engraved yellow gold filled (YGF) screw back & bezel (SB&B) case with an elaborate design of vertical panels filled with different engine turned patterns, large leaf and art-deco swirls and a bird in flight all around an angular blank monogram shield in the center, thin lines of coin edge engraving on the bezels, long pendant with a heavy bow and a thick glass crystal, case is showing normal even wear overall with very little smoothing to the engraving but some brass starting to show on the pendant & frame along with a few small dents on the frame and short scratches on the crystal, we can replace the crystal with a new plastic one at no charge
on request, measures approx. 51mm diameter x 71mm in length x 13mm thick (crystal included). An attractive vintage jeweler's mark watch from the early 1900s, also a great collection piece for the South Bend enthusiast with the atypical adjusted movement for this grade, in excellent overall condition!
- Year Made: 1908-1909
- Company:
South Bend
-
Movement Size:
0516S
- Jewels: 1315J
- Setting/Movement Type:
lever set
- Adjustments: 1-3 positions
- Model/Grade: 280
- Serial #: 513840
- Movement Finish: nickel
- Movement Details: hunting case movement (HCM), fancy plate layout, screw-down jewel settings
- Dial Material: porcelain enamel
- Dial Details:
jeweler's mark, "M. Creshkoff Yonkers, N.Y."
- Hand Style:
spade
- Case Style:
SB&B
-
Case Material:
Gold Filled - Yellow
- Case Details:
re-cased, extra-thick glass crystal
-
Case Width/Diameter:
51mm (2.01 inches)
-
Case Length, bow included:
71mm (2.80 inches)
-
Case Thickness:
13mm (0.51 inches)
- Crystal Material: glass
- Condition:
Excellent
-
Gender:
Gentlemen's
The South Bend Watch Company was in business from 1902 until 1929. Originally the
Columbus Watch Co.out of Columbus, Ohio, the company was purchased by members of the
Studebaker family in 1902 and was moved to South Bend, Indiana. The watches produced under the South Bend name started their serial numbers after the end of the Columbus numbers, 380,500, and the company produced approximately 900,000 watches before it succumbed to the downturn of the Depression and closed in 1929.
As an additional resource, we've posted a
Serial Number Production List which includes information for South Bend serial numbers and dates of manufacture.
The NAWCC also has a
comprehensive article about the company; additional information may also be found on
Wikipedia.
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 17th, 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.
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.
