American Academy, Denver 12S 17J J.N. Harlow #37 project pocket watch, there are no additional maker's marks or serial numbers under the dial, handsome nickel split plate movement with a brushed finish and bold red ruby jewels, single sunk (SS) champagne-toned metal dial with a brushed finish, fancy art-deco style raised gold Arabic numbers, a black imitation double sunk line and a black-marked subsidiary seconds register is marked "American Academy Denver", fancy gold steel whip style hands, handsome yellow gold filled (YGF) smooth polish salesman's display case with friction fit covers, multi-stepped bezels supporting glass crystals, a short heavy pendant with a recessed crown and a fancy French-style bow, case is showing only light wear with a little bit of brass starting to show on the crown & bow along with a small flake on the edge of the back crystal, measures approx. 44mm in diameter x 54mm in length x 11mm thick (crystals included).
This watch also comes with a black leatherette box with a black velvet fitted interior and off-white colored satin finish. Hagans was a prominent figure in Colorado horology history, having opened the American Academy, School of Horology in Denver and later the
Hagens Clock Manor Museum, along with having published numerous works on watchmaking. Eventually, these organizations were rolled into the current AWCI (American Watchmakers-Clockmakers Institute) with one of the museums the organization offers being dedicated to Mr. Hagans. With this information in mind, we believe that this watch was a project watch that may have demonstrated completion of the advanced course at the Academy, in this case by the student J.N. Harlow.
A wonderful piece of watchmaking history from the 1940's Denver area in excellent+ overall condition!
If you find this watch interesting, please also see our item
HP1203 which is a similar project watch with Orville Hagans markings.
- Year Made: 1940s
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Company:
American Academy
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Movement Size:
0712S
- Jewels: 1117J
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Setting/Movement Type:
pendant set
- Serial #: 37
- Movement Finish: nickel
- Movement Details: marked "J.N. Harlow"
- Dial Material: metal
- Dial Color: champagne
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Dial Details:
imitation double sunk (DS) accent line, art-deco style numbers
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Hand Style:
whip
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Case Style:
GB&B display case
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Case Material:
Gold Filled - Yellow
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Case Details:
French bow, recessed crown
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Case Width/Diameter:
44mm (1.73 inches)
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Case Length, bow included:
54mm (2.13 inches)
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Case Thickness:
11mm (0.43 inches)
- Crystal Material: glass
- Box Info: black leatherette
- Misc. Info: Hagens Clock Manor Museum (video footage)
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Condition:
Excellent +
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Gender:
Unisex
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 October 18th, 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 comes complete with an appropriate, intact glass crystal; however, on request PM Time Service can replace the current crystal on this pocket watch for you. We offer a number of new and vintage crystal choices for pocket watches; you can select your desired choice from the dropdown menu below.
Please note that the average turnaround time for all pocket watch crystal replacements will be two days from the placement of the order.
Contact us with any further questions or for an estimate on any shipping delays.
Please note: if you add this watch with a crystal and/or band exchange option to your
shopping cart but later change your mind on the crystal and/or band selection type, you'll need to remove the watch from the cart in order to make a new selection. Once that is done, you can return to this page and add that new crystal and/or band combination to the cart. We apologize for the limitations to our system that prevent you from making that change within the shopping cart.
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.
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