Columbus 18S 16J LS adj. HCM Railway King pocket watch #224263, YGF HB&B case with floral engraving

Columbus 18S 16J LS adj. HCM Railway King pocket watch #224263, YGF HB&B case with floral engraving

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Columbus 18S 16J lever set (LS) adj. hunting case movement (HCM) Railway King pocket watch #224263, beautiful 2-tone nickel full plate movement with screw-down gold jewel settings, micrometric regulator with a gold finish endcap ring and an elaborate concentric circle engraved damascene which is accented with multiple gold-flashed concentric circle accents, mint porcelain enamel dial with an imitation double-sunk (DS) line in the center, roman numerals, red 5 minute markers and a depressed seconds register, blue steel fleur de lis style hands, re-cased into a handsome yellow gold filled (YGF) hinge back & bezel (HB&B) case with elaborate floral engraving on the bezels, center of the back cover is smooth polish with a large engraving of a rose (or similar) flower, coin edge frame and large heavy bow, case does not have a dust cover, case is showing normal even wear overall with even smoothing to the engraving but no brass, there is a small dent on the frame and adjacent back cover at 7 o'clock, measures approx. 55mm in diameter x 80mm in length x 20mm thick (crystal included). An impressive, attractive high quality vintage watch from the 1890s in excellent condition!
  • Year Made: 1892-1893
  • Company: Columbus
  • Movement Size: 0318S
  • Jewels: 1216J
  • Setting/Movement Type: lever set
  • Adjustments: 1-3 positions
  • Model/Grade: Railway King
  • Serial #: 224263
  • Movement Finish: 2-tone
  • Movement Details: 2-tone, screw-down gold jewel settings (GJS), micrometric regulator
  • Dial Material: porcelain enamel
  • Dial Details: imitation DS line
  • Hand Style: fleur de lis
  • Case Style: HB&B
  • Case Material: Gold Filled - Yellow
  • Case Width/Diameter: 55mm (2.17 inches)
  • Case Length, bow included: 80mm (3.15 inches)
  • Case Thickness: 20mm (0.79 inches)
  • Crystal Material: plastic
  • Condition: Excellent
  • Gender: Gentlemen's
The Columbus Watch Company, out of Columbus, Ohio, was in business from 1874 until 1902. Columbus produced a wide range of watch grades with a large number of high grade watches for railroad service. One of the original founders of the company, Dietrich Gruen, was a leading innovator during the early years of the company, patenting many new and updated modifications to the movements that eventually allowed for smaller, and thinner, watches across the industry.
The company manufactured almost 400,000 watches before it was sold and renamed the South Bend Watch Company. Additionally, in 1894, Gruen founded a new company, the Gruen Watch Company which went on to make some of the earliest "thin-model" pocket watches and helped to usher in the age of the wrist watch.

As an additional resource, we've posted a Serial Number Production List which includes information for Columbus serial numbers and dates of manufacture.
The NAWCC also has a comprehensive article about the company.
We have included this watch in our Mechanic's Special section because it is currently in our office queue for maintenance. Often, a cleaning and service is all the watch will need to get it back to the level of running condition we strive for in our active sales catalog. However, on occasion a more serious problem may have presented itself with the watch. If you are interested in more information on the status of this watch, the anticipated maintenance needed on it, or to purchase this watch AS-IS, please contact us.

If you decide to purchase this watch in its current non-running condition, we do NOT offer our standard 30-day return on any Mechanic's Special items.
On these items, all sales are AS IS and FINAL.
This watch comes complete with an appropriate, intact plastic 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 exchange option to your shopping cart but later change your mind on the crystal selection type, you'll need to remove the watch from the cart in order to make a new crystal selection. Once that is done, you can return to this page and add that new combination to the cart. We apologize for the limitations to our system that prevent you making that change from the shopping cart directly.

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 additional information on gold colors and how they are classified, please check out this helpful Wikipedia article.

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.

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  • Understanding Our Descriptions
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We process a very large number of watches and accessories each year for sale via our web site, eBay and local avenues. We attempt to offer descriptions and photos that are as complete and clear as possible on each item, and we always encourage you to write us with questions if something is not addressed in the description!

In each description, we attempt to note the following things:
<maker><size><jewels><setting><adjustments><grade/model><serial number>, <movement information>, <dial information>, <hand information>, <case information>, <misc. information>, <overall condition and comments>

Taking an example of a watch already described, we've bracketed the different sections and ordered them as above:
<Ball-Hamilton> <16S> <21J> <LS> <adj.> <Official RR Standard> <#B651197>, <nickel movement with gold jewel settings and concentric circle damascene pattern, should be noted that the gears on the movement may not be all original however watch is running strong and not affecting running condition>, <porcelain Ball marked dial with Arabic numbers has very faint hairline (not distracting)>, <blue steel hands>, <beautiful YGF SB&B Ball marked case with engraved bezels and blank monogram shield showing normal even wear (no brass)>, <fancy bow>. <High grade Ball watch in very good condition, perfect to carry everyday!>

We also provide a List of Abbreviations that we use in our descriptions, as well as a Pocket Watch Sizing Chart that explains numerically and graphically the various sizes of pocket watches that we offer.
We offer a 30-day return period beginning the day you receive your items for all PM Time Service merchandise. To receive a full refund, the item must be return in "as shipped" condition, with no new personalized engravings or end-user adaptions. Items damaged in transit will be eligible for the full refund pending the application of the insurance claim on the damaged watch or item. Please see our Shipping & Return Policy page for full details.
Holiday & Vacation Dates - Unless otherwise noted on our holiday page, you can expect an order placed to be processed and shipped out within 2-3 business days, often much sooner. If you need an item quickly, please do double check our holiday page to make sure we will be in the office!

Please use the "Estimate Your Shipping" button on the Shopping Basket page to get a specific quote on your current shipping fees. The estimate will be available once you have added at least one (1) item to your shopping cart.

In order to provide a fair and secure shipping experience for our customers, and protect your valuable purchases, we include full insurance for the total value of your order with all items purchased. At this time, we do not allow for a customer to opt-out of insurance on their shipments. Details may be found at our Shipping, Insurance, & Return Policy page.

We are happy to accept credit cards and PayPal, as well as checks and money orders, for payment on all orders.

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