Illinois 21-jewel Bunn Special Model 9 pocket watch

THE STORY

When a Minute Mattered

Explore this scene

Explore this scene

Scenes imagined. Actual watch photographs are in Watch details.

Historical context

At a station, a minute can feel very different from a minute at home. It can be the distance between an empty platform and a departing train. The Illinois Bunn Special belongs to the history of watches developed for the demanding railway market. The Model 9 formed part of that early-twentieth-century story, when portable mechanical timekeeping had serious work to do.

This watch

This example is catalogued as a 21-jewel Bunn Special, Model 9. Its photographs show red outer five-minute numerals, a comparatively plain back and a movement number read as 3439479. That description connects it to a recognised Illinois grade, while its own movement, dial and case hold the evidence specific to this watch. We have no documented railway service or named owner for it. The broader railway history is the setting in which to understand the design, rather than a biography we can assign to the object.

An imagined moment

Imagine a passenger waiting in a wooden-seated depot. Cold daylight enters through the high windows, and steam drifts past the glass. A watch is consulted, then slipped away as the sounds outside begin to change. The scene is imagined; it gives shape to an era without claiming this watch was present.

The appeal is in that meeting of a large public world and a small, personal instrument. When you are ready, open the actual photographs and see how this particular Bunn Special presents its time.

• RailsWest: Illinois Watch Company

The actual watch

Illinois Bunn Special Model 9, 21-jewel pocket watch, movement serial 3439479. Offered by Balance of Time. 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. Bunn Special is a named Illinois grade. This Model 9 version is a 16-size, 21-jewel movement with nickel-finished plates and lever-operated hand setting. It was factory-adjusted in six positions, for temperature and for changing mainspring power. Bunn Special versions differ; these specifications follow this movement’s serial identification. 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 Bunn Special Model 9 pocket watch

REFERENCE Unknown

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