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    • Home
    • Services
      • Buying
      • Cleaning
      • Appraisals
      • Restoration
      • Verge Fusees
      • Display Only
      • Modern Cases
    • Shop
      • The Store
      • Sold Archives
      • The Accessories
      • Parts and Projects
    • FAQs
    • Learn
      • Basics
      • Dials
      • Jewels
      • Pitfalls
      • Histories
      • Accuracy
      • Advanced
    • About
    • Contact
  • Home
  • Services
    • Buying
    • Cleaning
    • Appraisals
    • Restoration
    • Verge Fusees
    • Display Only
    • Modern Cases
  • Shop
    • The Store
    • Sold Archives
    • The Accessories
    • Parts and Projects
  • FAQs
  • Learn
    • Basics
    • Dials
    • Jewels
    • Pitfalls
    • Histories
    • Accuracy
    • Advanced
  • About
  • Contact

Sold!

21-jewel 18-size Hamilton 941 w/ Motor Barrel

There was no truer symbol of finance and business before the advent of Rolls-Royce and Pierce-Arrow automobiles than a hunting pocket watch. On a quiet night this 120-year-old survivor can tell you of times past, during the days of Guglielmo Marconi's new wireless and William Howard Taft's presidency. Don't miss this piece of mechanical art made back when the phrase "Made in America" still meant something. 

Watch Description

Hamilton's 941 debuted in 1898 as the hunting version of their open-face workhorse, the railroad-approved 940, though the company made far fewer of them over their twenty-five-year run, producing some 26,000 of the 941 compared to roughly 210,000 of the 940. The 18-size 21-jewel 941 came in three variants: grade unmarked, marked 941, and the motor barrel-equipped, which was the least common. The latter had an additional plate to carry the mainspring arbor, which was not mounted directly to the barrel, allowing for a smoother letdown of the mainspring. This exceptional example was just restored with a thorough cleaning and a new alloy mainspring, and all of its twenty-one original jewels in gold settings are still intact over a century later, which is fairly rare. It fronts a correct and flawless snow-white Arabic double-sunk dial behind nicely blued factory spade hands. The warm brass hunter case is in excellent shape with a blank shield, a blank cuvette, a tight bow, and a sharp crown for easy winding. The crystal is glass and the front cover overextends slightly. Matching lanyard and display stand included.

Watch Specs

Manufacturer - Hamilton

Serial Number - 636540

Watch Size - 18

Watch Model - 1st

Watch Grade - 941

Jewel Count - 21

Winding/Setting - Stem/Lever

Production Year - 1908

Company History

Just What Restored Means

Restoring a watch doesn't mean to make it brand new again, which isn't possible. Nobody can remove the mileage, the scratches, and the history.


What it means is complete disassembly and cleaning, and to examine every component for defects under a 30x scope. It means making sure that every gear, every screw, every spring, everything under the dial is the correct part and operating within the tolerances set at the factory all those years ago. It means timing it in all positions as close to zero error as its escapement will allow. It means making sure the dial is the proper one for a given model and that it's cleaned well and repaired if necessary. It means that all the hands are the ones that are supposed to be there and not just any ones found in a jar. It means the case is immersed in a tank and the pendant cleaned separately, that the bow and crown are right for that brand, and a new crystal.


It means a mechanical work of art you can be proud of.

The Accessories

Make sure to tether your watches to prevent drops and store them safely when you're not carrying one.

Lanyards

Prevent drops with an 11-inch Type I paracord lanyard, 1-inch split ring in your choice of nickel silver or bright brass, and a matching ferrule.

Don't Drop It

Storage Chests

 Reminiscent of a World War II ammunition case, this storage piece is perfect for your best six watches in any size. Inventory card included.

Keep Them Safe

Buy Back Policy

There will come a time when you want or need to sell this watch for one of several reasons. If it's going to a fellow collector or someone who will genuinely appreciate it, then that's fine. On the other hand, if you're consigning it to an auction house or selling it to your local jeweler or gold hog it will almost certainly end up on eBay in pieces with the case melted down.


Instead of the watch being parted out for the bottom feeders to pick over, we will gladly buy the watch back from you, less 10% and the cost of a COA, plus anything else needed to return the piece to the condition in which you originally bought it.

Contact Us

The Warranty

You're Covered

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Restoration Highlights

One of Illinois's rarest watches was the 23-jewel Washington Lafayette. Only 190 were ever made.

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