Hampden 16S 17J lever set (LS) adj. 5p Wm. McKinley pocket watch #1987882, lovely nickel bridge movement with screw-down gold jewel settings (GJS) and a fancy circle & medallion damascene pattern, mint porcelain enamel double sunk (DS) dial with bold Roman numerals, red 5 minute Arabic markers and a black-marked subsidiary seconds register, blue steel spade & whip style hands.
Impressive yellow gold filled (YGF) fully engraved hunting case (HC) with tight engine turning behind elaborate large floral designs around the edge and down the center, lantern shaped monogram shields with a fancy "L" on one side and a diagonal swath with floral around it in the other, beaded engraving on the bezels, coin edge engraving on the frame, recessed hinges, sculpted pendant with a slightly recessed crown and a heavy bow, case is showing normal wear with some brass starting on the beaded engravings, frame & bow, some smoothing to the floral engravings in places and a shallow depression on the back cover, measures approx. 51mm in diameter x 70mm in length x 13mm thick. A very high grade and attractive Hampden from the early 1900s in excellent overall condition!
- Year Made: 1904-1905
-
Company:
Hampden
-
Movement Size:
0516S
- Jewels: 1117J
-
Setting/Movement Type:
lever set
- Adjustments: 5 positions
- Model/Grade: Wm. McKinley
- Serial #: 1987882
- Movement Finish: nickel
- Movement Details: hunting case movement (HCM), bridge layout, gold jewel settings (GJS), screw-down jewel settings
- Dial Material: porcelain enamel
-
Dial Details:
double sunk (DS)
-
Hand Style:
spade & whip
-
Case Style:
HC
-
Case Material:
Gold Filled - Yellow
-
Case Details:
"L" monogram, recessed hinge, recessed crown
-
Case Width/Diameter:
51mm (2.01 inches)
-
Case Length, bow included:
70mm (2.76 inches)
-
Case Thickness:
13mm (0.51 inches)
- Crystal Material: plastic
-
Condition:
Excellent
-
Gender:
Gentlemen's
The Hampden Watch Company was founded in in Springfield, Massachusetts in 1877, as a renamed continuation of the New York Watch Company that stopped production under that name in 1876. While the company produced a number of high quality lines, it was not until the purchase by the watch case maker John. C. Dueber, and moving of the company to Canton, Ohio in 1886, that the company was able to increase production to become one of the more prolific American watch companies of the time. When the company closed in 1927, they had produced almost 4 million watches.
As an additional resource, we've posted a
Serial Number Production List which includes information for Hampden 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 December 8th, 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.
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.
