18-size 17-jewel Grade 182 Model 5 Seth Thomas

The most desirable of all Model 5 grades after the Maiden Lane is the Grade 182, which first appeared around SN 200301, almost at the start of the 20-year-run of the Model 5 somewhere in 1893, because the number of available patterns, especially early on, was truly remarkable.  There are well over sixty known damask patterns, which could and did change at random in the middle of the run. In the second SN block the patterns became repetitive, shrinking to just a few standards, including this one, just the second pattern to come with the conical screw package. This 17-jewel Grade 182 (there is no Grade 182 "Special", as the PWDB claims) is in exceptional shape with gold jewel settings and an intact regulator assembly on very clean plates. It fronts the lightest of three factory Arabic pressed dials behind correct blued light spade hands, and it's housed in a shiny nickel swing case that was converted to display to show off this beautiful movement with a swedged bow, a tight crown, and NOS beveled glass crystals.