Hampden 3-OS 7J lever set (LS) Molly Stark ladies' pocket watch #1298641, handsome gilt split plate movement with a brushed finish, mint single sunk (SS) porcelain enamel dial with fancy black Arabic numbers and a black-marked subsidiary seconds register, blue steel spade style hands, distinctive yellow gold filled (YGF) fully engraved hunting case (HC) with crisp engine turning behind hand engraved designs of bluebell flowers nodding over a fancy monogram shield with an L-bracket on the lower-left on both sides of the case, one monogram shield is blank while the reverse has an engraved design of a house on a lake, the bluebells, flora and frame also have delicate vermicelli engraving, French-style bow, case is showing hardly any wear with a few very light scuffs near one of the monogram shields and a few short scratches on the frame & by the lip of the dust cover from case opening attempts but no notable smoothing to the engravings or other damage, measures approx. 33mm in diameter x 46mm in length x 10mm thick. A very impressive vintage Hampden that has likely been infrequently carried from the late 1800s in a case that must be seen to be truly appreciated in near mint condition overall!
- Year Made: 1899-1900
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Company:
Hampden
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Movement Size:
133-0S
- Jewels: 217J
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Setting/Movement Type:
lever set
- Model/Grade: Molly Stark
- Serial #: 1298641
- Movement Finish: gilt
- Movement Details: hunting case movement (HCM)
- Dial Material: porcelain enamel
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Hand Style:
spade
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Case Style:
HC
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Case Material:
Gold Filled - Yellow
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Case Details:
French bow
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Case Width/Diameter:
33mm (1.30 inches)
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Case Length, bow included:
46mm (1.81 inches)
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Case Thickness:
10mm (0.39 inches)
- Crystal Material: plastic
- Country of Origin: United States
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Condition:
Near Mint
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Gender:
Ladies'
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 February 12th, 2026, 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 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 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.
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.