BOT-007 · BOT INVENTORY 008
Illinois 21-jewel Grade 606 Model 6 pocket watch
Available
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THE STORY
The Factory and the Stars
Scenes imagined. Actual watch photographs are in Watch details.
Historical context
Before time became something a screen supplied, making a dependable watch meant bringing a whole workshop’s skill into a space that could fit in a pocket. Illinois belonged to that industrial world. Its Springfield factory began making watches in the early 1870s, and in 1912 the company built an observatory to measure time for itself. The path from a distant star to a tiny moving hand was surprisingly direct.
This watch
This watch is catalogued as an Illinois Grade 606, Model 6, with 21 jewels. The photographed movement bears number 4401485 and markings for 21 jewels and adjustment in three positions. Those identifiers give us a starting point for understanding its movement. Jewels have a practical role inside a watch, helping reduce friction where parts move against one another. The grade and jewel count invite a closer look at the engineering; they do not, by themselves, tell us who carried it or where it worked.
An imagined moment
Picture a desk as evening light leaves the window. A coat hangs over a chair; tomorrow’s work is waiting. Someone pauses to check the hour before closing the room for the night. This is an imagined moment from the wider world of the pocket watch, not a recovered episode from this watch’s life.
Its surviving details can now take the story further. The current actual photographs show its closed engraved case and movement. A dial photograph is not available.
The actual watch
Available · $325
Buy Now →Illinois Grade 606 Model 6, 21-jewel pocket watch, movement serial 4401485. Offered by Balance of Time. The current actual photographs show the case and movement; a dial photograph is not available. Servicing has not yet been completed and will be completed upon sale. Please allow 7–10 days to complete a full service when servicing is not advertised as completed. This allowance is for servicing, not shipping. The asking price reflects the intended serviced, running condition; it does not mean service has already been performed. A movement grade is the maker’s classification for its finish and technical features. It is not a condition rating, case-metal grade, model, serial number or universal score; a higher number is not automatically better. On this Grade 606, the 16-size movement has 21 jewel bearings, nickel-finished plates and factory adjustment in three positions and for temperature. Pendant setting means you use the crown to set the hands. These specifications describe its original design; current service and condition are described above.
Servicing pending; current running condition and timekeeping are not verified here. Allow 7–10 days for full service upon sale. See photographs for cosmetic appearance and ask about specific condition concerns before purchase. Existing wear is not represented as repaired. The watch is presented honestly in the accompanying photographs.
BRAND Illinois
MODEL 21-jewel Grade 606 Model 6 pocket watch
REFERENCE Unknown
