Illinois 18S 11J key wind grade 2 pocket watch #169856, handsome gilt full plate movement with a brushed finish and floral engraved balance bridge, unmarked single sunk (SS) porcelain enamel dial with Roman numerals and a black-marked subsidiary seconds register has some faint hairlines, blue steel spade and whip style hands, heavy Sterling silver hinge back & bezel (HB&B) smooth polish case with a large fancy blank monogram shield, coin edge frame, offset recessed hinges, large heavy bow and an extra thick glass crystal, case is showing moderate overall wear consistent with age, with a number of small dents, scratches and stippling along with some smoothing to the engraving, additionally the extra thick crystal does have some spots of fogging and scratches which may be able to be polished out by your local jeweler as there is quite a bit of material to work with, we can replace the crystal with a new plastic one at no charge
on request, measures approx. 57mm in diameter x 85mm in length x 20mm thick (crystal included). A very impressive, high quality watch from the 1880s which is running strong, a great conversation piece or addition to the early American watch collection, in very good overall condition!
- Year Made: 1880-1881
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Company:
Illinois
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Movement Size:
0318S
- Jewels: 1711J
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Setting/Movement Type:
key wind
- Model/Grade: 2
- Serial #: 169856
- Movement Finish: gilt
- Dial Material: porcelain enamel
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Dial Details:
unmarked dial
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Hand Style:
spade & whip
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Case Style:
HB&B
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Case Material:
Silver - Sterling/Solid
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Case Details:
extra-thick glass crystal, offset hinges, recessed hinges
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Case Width/Diameter:
57mm (2.24 inches)
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Case Length, bow included:
85mm (3.35 inches)
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Case Thickness:
20mm (0.79 inches)
- Crystal Material: glass
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Condition:
Very Good
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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 October 7th, 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.
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.
