10/28/2022 0 Comments Iwc watch serial number case number#Iwc watch serial number case number fullIt might be that Seeland had switched to the same type of dial as he had mounted on the full plate calibre Seeland watches. This may explain the presence of only one watch sold.Īs it represents the only described watch from the second run, it is unknown whether Seeland maintained the original Jones dial with the International Watch Co logo. The early sales records are far from complete. There is no clear explanation for this but it can be assumed that more than one movement was made in this range. Then remains the single ‘C’ calibre with the aberrant serial number 37264. These watches are known among collectors as Seeland calibres. The gap between 26.000 (end of first Jones series) and 76.967 (start of the second Jones ‘C’ series) comprises roughly 50.000, numbers which Seeland had reserved for his full plate watches, introduced by him. In the second run, only pattern ‘C’ movements were manufactured. These high numbers indicate that obviously they have been produced as a second run, executed by Seeland, using the machines installed by Jones. #Iwc watch serial number case number seriesHowever, in the sales records appears a single ‘C’ movement with serial number 37264 and two small series with movement numbers ranging from 76.967-77007 and from 79.500-79950, respectively. Finding a Jones implies that the movement number should fit in the serial number range between 500 and 26.000. For a long time it was assumed that all Jones movements had been produced in one continuous series between 1872-1878. The three quarter Jones pattern ‘C’ movements were all key wind, key set. This lesser quality and the limited number of ‘C’ movements produced, make it nearly impossible to find an intact movement with its original case. Often a flat balance wheel without compensation screws was present. While an ‘E’ movement had 20 jewels, an ‘H’ movement equipped with 16, the ‘C’ movement had only 11 jewels. Quality was determined by the number of jewels, the material of balance and balance spring, the use of screwed in jewels, the use of wolf teeth in the wheel train, to mention the most important. In the series, the movements marked ‘E’ or ‘H’ were of the highest quality, while ‘C’ represented the lowest quality level. However, Jones used it as a kind of construction and quality mark. Howard applied a letter to indicate the diameter of a pocket watch movement. It is assumed that Jones has been inspired using a letter by his previous employer E. However, there are calibre Jones movements on which the letter is lacking. after the letter engraved on the movement. Calibre Jones movements are usually called pattern B, C etc. The three quarter movements of calibre Jones watches usually carry several engravements, among them a gracefully applied letter: B, C, D, E, H, R or S. The majority of these original cases have been removed over time to recuperate the precious metal. About 50 % of all Jones movements were originally exported to the USA, where they were cased in gold or coin silver, engine turned cases, made by different American case makers. Most of them are defect or incomplete movements without a case. A minority of these is key wind, key set: about 80 watches. It is estimated that no more than 2 % of the watches still exist, that is around 500 watches (ref. Jones, working in the middle of this transition period, produced all three types simultaneously: key wind, key set as well as stem wind, lever set and stem wind, stem set.Ī total of approximately 25.500 Jones watches have been made. It was more convenient to wind the movement over a crown and to set the hands by using a lever or as well by the crown, making a key redundant. Then a gradual shift took place in winding and setting a watch. Until 1870 most pocket watches were wound and set by a key. During the last quarter of the 19th century, a major change had taken place in the construction of pocket watches in the USA and Europe. Jones and his successor Frederick Ferdinand Seeland had already left Switzerland and the production of Jones watches had stopped. Although IWC keeps one of the best watch archives known, the early production has not been documented perfectly and IWC states that the reliability of the archives is only acceptable after 1885.Īt that time F.A. They are known as calibre ‘Jones’ pocket watches. When Florentine Ariosto Jones started up his watch manufacture at Schaffhausen in 1868, it lasted four years before the first watches could leave the factory.
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