Seth Thomas carries a unique heritage, founded by a Puritan man with an iron work ethic who was born just after the Revolutionary War. His clockmaking company began producing high-grade pocket watches in 1885, the only American clockmaker to attempt it, and the factory ended up making some of the most gorgeous designs of our railroad era, spanning nearly 30 years' worth of production until World War I.
The Seth Thomas Watch Co made three separate attempts to produce an 18-size pendant-set watch - once in practice and twice on paper. The first couple thousand Model 5s had pockets milled into the pillar plate under the dial, clearly intended for a spring-actuated shuttle but never used, and two US Patents were granted for complex designs in 1890 and 1891, neither of which would ever see the light of day. The first regular-production pendant-set Model 5 was the 17-jewel nickel Grade 281 a decade later, starting at SN 229801 in a run of 200 pieces. This example is the earliest known two-tone variant of a run that began at SN 230001, and it's an original combination that was just restored for its next owner. The plate gilding is bright and vivid with no fading on the barrel bridge and all the train jeweling appears intact and original. The correct pressed Arabic dial has a couple of minor edge repairs behind standard blued hands, and the Bates & Bacon 20-year gold-filled clamshell case has tight hinges, a blank dust cover, engine turning on the rear cover, and a new beveled glass crystal. Matching lanyard and display stand included.
Manufacturer - Seth Thomas
Serial Number - 230010
Watch Size - 18
Watch Model - 5
Watch Grade - 281
Jewel Count - 17
Winding/Setting - Stem/Pendant
Production Year - 1904
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The pinnacle of Hamilton's 16-size railroad watches - their 23-jewel 950B with correct dial and hands.