1880s Illinois Pocket Watch with Dueber Gold Double Hunter Case

1880s Illinois Pocket Watch with Dueber Gold Double Hunter Case
Photo Credit: utamaro

1880s Illinois Pocket Watch with Dueber Gold Double Hunter Case

Asking Price: $1,000 (price as of 2018; item no longer available)

Pros:

-This magnificent antique Illinois pocket watch from the 1880s features a solid 14 karat gold double hunter case by Dueber.

-Although the seller does not give the dimensions of the watch, we know that size 8 pocket watch movements measure 1.43 inches (36.4 mm) in diameter.  Inclusive of both the movement and case, the watch weighs 76.1 grams.

-The Illinois Watch Company was founded in 1867 in its eponymous state.  Like many watch companies, it branched out into wristwatch production in the 1910s.  In 1927, the firm was purchased by a competitor, the Hamilton Watch Company.  The Great Depression soon prompted Hamilton to close the Illinois factory.  As a result, the last “true” Illinois watch was released in 1938.

-This 1880s Illinois pocket watch is housed in a gloriously period-correct, solid 14 karat gold Dueber watch case.  Dueber (also known as Dueber-Hampden) was known for making watch cases of widely varying materials, including base metal, coin silver, sterling silver, gold filled, 10 karat gold, 14 karat gold and 18 karat gold.

-This antique Illinois pocket watch has a 7-jewel, size 8, grade 151 movement, with an estimated manufacturing date of 1881.

-A double hunter pocket watch case is hinged on both sides to accommodate two protective metal covers: one for the front “dial side” of the watch and the other for the back “movement side”.  These exterior metal covers were often beautifully engraved or otherwise decorated.  Double hunter watch cases were invariably more expensive than open face or full hunter watches because they used more metal and required more work to decorate.

-An old $150 promissory note dated 1895 accompanies the watch, which was most likely collateral for the note.  $150 was a massive sum of money in 1895, and would have been equal to seven and a half U.S. double eagle gold coins, each one containing nearly a full troy ounce of pure gold.  This would roughly be the equivalent of taking a $15,000 loan against your prized solid-gold Rolex today.

-This Illinois pocket watch is superbly engraved on both sides of its 14 karat gold Dueber case with a fanciful scene of flowers, sea monsters and fountains.  Seriously, this is some of the finest engraving work I’ve seen on a Victorian era watch (or anything else for that matter).  In addition, the case is not monogrammed, which is a real bonus for some antique collectors.

-Although it is difficult to estimate with any degree of precision, it is almost a certainty that this Illinois pocket watch contains several hundred dollars worth of gold.  This reduces the investment risk associated with buying the watch, although it would be a pity to scrap such an impressive piece.

-Given this watch’s wonderful engraving, solid gold case and good condition, I believe that the $1,000 ($1,165 with servicing) asking price is easily justified.

 

Other Antique Watches For Sale by Utamaro On Etsy

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Cons:

-Although the seller claims the case for this Illinois pocket watch is solid 14 karat gold, there is the possibility that it is only 10 karat gold.  According to an 1888 advertisement in this forum post, the specific trademark used on this watch refers to solid 10 karat gold cases.  While I don’t normally recommend investing in antiques made from anything less than 14 karat gold, I do make exceptions for extraordinary pieces or unusual situations.  This is one of those exceptional times.  In addition, 19th century technical references are notoriously inaccurate.  So I believe that the exact gold content of the case is still an open question.

-The seller is offering to fully service this Illinois pocket watch for an extra $165, which is a very reasonable price.  However, I am uncomfortable with the idea that the seller would consider shipping the watch to a customer without servicing it first, leaving it in potentially non-working condition.  I would prefer that the seller simply service the watch and then adjust the asking price upwards to compensate.

 

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Why You Shouldn’t Invest in (Most) Vintage Quartz Watches

Why You Shouldn't Invest in (Most) Vintage Quartz Watches
Photo Credit (CC 2.0 license): Joe Haupt

Some watch enthusiasts have been looking at vintage quartz watches from the 1970s and 1980s as a collecting alternative due to the rising prices of vintage mechanical wristwatches.  But does this make sense?  Are vintage quartz watches investable?

In a word, no.  With only a few exceptions, I don’t believe it is wise to purchase vintage quartz watches for investment purposes.

I do want to give you a caveat though.  This is only my (informed) opinion.  And there are many different opinions out there in watch land.  Some collectors simply love vintage quartz watches and must own them.

And honestly, if you’re only buying for the pure joy of owning an original 1980s Casio G-Shock or 1970s Timex Electric Dynabeat, then have at it.  Just don’t expect to make a fortune from your hobby.  The secondary market almost always assigns a lower value to vintage quartz watches compared to similar-quality vintage mechanical watches.

In my opinion, there is one big reason why vintage quartz watches are an investment non-starter when compared to vintage mechanical wristwatches: longevity!

But in order to grasp why this is the case, we have to first understand the basics of quartz watch technology.  Quartz wristwatches work like this:

1) A battery delivers power to a microchip embedded on a circuit board.

2) The microchip relays electricity to a tiny quartz crystal, causing it to vibrate at 32,768 Hz.

3) The microchip then measures these vibrations and converts them into electrical impulses.

4) The electrical impulses drive a tiny motor at a rate of 1 pulse each second.

5) The motor drives a small set of gears, which in turn move the watch hands (and any other functions the watch may have).

As you can see, the heart of a quartz watch movement isn’t really the quartz crystal, but is instead the microchip.  And this is also where the Achilles heel of all quartz watches resides.

You see, solid state circuitry is a consumable component.  Every pulse of electricity that goes through a circuit board degrades that electronic component little by little, regardless of how low the voltage might be.

This process, which is known as electromigration, is effectively imperceptible under normal circumstances.  Although it is silently at work in every electronic device, including mobile phones, TVs, laptops and appliances, in most situations these devices become obsolete or suffer other, unrelated failures long before electromigration kills them.

Unfortunately, wristwatch aficionados are implicitly asking vintage quartz watches to last forever (or at least a couple hundred years).  But because of electromigration, we know that won’t happen.

Instead, your vintage quartz watch will happily tick along with only the occasional battery change for a couple decades or longer.  Then it will suddenly die without any warning.

And once a microchip dies from the effects of electromigration, there is no resuscitating it.  It is toasted, finished, stone-cold dead.

Our modern consumer society has learned to live with this limitation inherent to integrated circuits.  We don’t generally bother trying to repair modern electronics because, by their very nature, they can’t be repaired.  The best you can do is swap out the dead microchip or circuit board for a new, compatible one.

Vintage quartz watches are no exception to this rule.  Most are not serviceable because it was (correctly) assumed that it would simply be cheaper and easier to buy a new one when the inevitable finally happened.

Even if you are determined to restore your prized vintage quartz watch, getting a functioning replacement movement will become increasingly difficult as the decades pass.  Eventually, you may be forced to substitute a modern quartz movement for an unavailable original movement.  But at that point you are into dreaded Frankenwatch territory – a place no vintage watch collector wants to go.

Incidentally, this is an issue that also impacts the collectability of all vintage consumer electronics.  I explore this topic more fully in an article titled “Will the Original iPhone Become a Valuable Future Antique?”

Quartz watches have another big durability issue as well.  It isn’t uncommon for their batteries to leak, particularly if they’ve been sitting around unused for many years.  Once a quartz watch’s battery leaks, it is almost a foregone conclusion that its movement is utterly destroyed.

This is in stark contrast to well-made mechanical wristwatches, which can sit abandoned in a drawer for a decade or longer and come out with few ill effects, other than needing a routine servicing.

Another largely unrecognized concern for quartz watch collectors is that early vintage quartz watches from the 1970s and early 1980s were nearly all over-engineered – a surprisingly common feature in products using new technologies.

For example, early personal computers were often housed in ridiculously thick steel chassis.  This was because a computer could easily cost several thousand dollars in the 1980s, and you wanted to be sure yours didn’t break prematurely.

Now, you might be wondering to yourself how over-engineering could possibly be a bad thing.  The answer is very simple; it leads to unrealistic expectations about product longevity based on customers’ experiences with the early, over-engineered models.

You can verify this phenomenon by perusing watch forums.  There are dozens of different people posting about how their vintage quartz watch is still running like a champ even though it is 35 or 40 years old.  What is left unsaid is that 1) those quartz watches were built to much higher standards than most quartz watches from the mid 1980s or later and 2) in spite of being over-engineered, the circuit boards in those vintage quartz watch movements are still being incrementally “used up” over time.

All quartz watches will inevitably fail one day, we simply don’t know when.  My best estimate is that most quartz watches (even fairly cheap ones) will last 25 to 35 problem-free years.  After that, I would expect a small (but still significant) percentage of the surviving population to fail every year until 50 to 70 years have elapsed, when there is only a remnant population left functioning.

Yes, mechanical wristwatches will wear out eventually too (as will anything with moving parts).  But fine mechanical wristwatches are meant to be serviced.  Any failed or worn parts can be swapped out with replacement pieces by a skilled watch repair technician – an avenue not open to most quartz watch movements.

In short, fine mechanical wristwatches are heirlooms that can be passed from generation to generation.  Vintage quartz wristwatches, on the other hand, were meant to be disposable (albeit long-lived).

 

Vintage Men’s Rolex Oysterquartz Wristwatches for Sale on eBay

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As with every rule of thumb, there are exceptions.  A handful of quartz movements are built to incredibly high standards.  Two examples are the superb Grand Seiko 9F caliber, which has a 50 year service interval (excluding battery changes), and the magnificent Rolex Oysterquartz series, which is one of the most underappreciated Rolex calibers of all time.

However, these two quartz movements are very much exceptions.  They are finished just as well as any luxury mechanical movement and were built to be serviced, unlike most quartz watches.  They are also thermo-compensated in order to account for changes in ambient air temperature, which can (minutely) throw off the timekeeping of lesser quartz watches.

Consequently, these ultra-accurate quartz movement masterpieces are known as high-end quartz.  They even feature regulating levers for precision tuning, something usually only found on quality mechanical watch movements.

If the circuit board in one of these quartz super-watches dies after many decades of reliable use, you would move heaven and earth to replace it!  This is something no one would ever dream of doing with a run-of-the-mill quartz watch, and with good reason.

 

Grand Seiko 9F Quartz Movement Wristwatches for Sale on eBay

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I should also note that there are a few, non-masterpiece quartz movements that might be worth the attention of open-minded horologists.  For instance, the tiny, yet robust quartz movements found in vintage Must de Cartier tank wristwatches are very well finished and quite reliable.  But these make sense because they are the right movement (they were produced in-house via a Cartier/Ebel joint venture), in the right watch (the Must de Cartier tank was an iconic 1980s/1990s fashion watch), at the right price (Must de Cartier tanks rarely sell for more than $2,000).

In most instances though, you’re best investment is buying vintage watches with a mechanical heart.  And I suspect many watch collectors are just fine with that.

 

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Edwardian Platinum Pendant with Chalcedony, Pearls and Diamonds

Edwardian Platinum Pendant with Chalcedony, Pearls and Diamonds
Photo Credit: mycollectioninc

Edwardian Platinum Pendant with Chalcedony, Pearls and Diamonds

Buy It Now Price: $1,948.21 (price as of 2018; item no longer available)

Pros:

-This Edwardian platinum pendant from the era of the Titanic is set with a mesmerizing, lavender-colored chalcedony gemstone that is surrounded by natural pearls and old European cut diamonds.

-Platinum is an incredibly rare precious metal.  It is mined at a rate that is only 1/15th that of gold and 1/130th that of silver.  Platinum is so uncommon that many people have never had the opportunity to handle, much less own, a piece of platinum jewelry.

-Pure platinum is alloyed with iridium, ruthenium or cobalt in order to harden and toughen it for use in jewelry.

-A large, 25 carat lavender chalcedony cabochon sits enthroned in the center of this elegant Edwardian platinum pendant.  Chalcedony is a translucent, microcrystalline variety of quartz that has been treasured since antiquity.  Chalcedony is not a very expensive gemstone, but it can be absolutely stunning when properly used in a piece of jewelry – as this example proves.

-Platinum is a very tough, strong and hard-wearing jewelry metal.  In fact, native platinum is as hard as pure iron.  This means that, all else being equal, platinum jewelry remains in good condition for far longer than softer gold or silver jewelry.  That is certainly the case with this Edwardian platinum pendant, which is over 100 years old, but still looks just as good as the day it was made.

-This Edwardian platinum pendant is almost certainly set with natural pearls!  Because they develop in oysters by pure chance, without the intervention of man, natural pearls have always been incredibly rare.  In fact, before the advent of commercially produced cultured pearls in the late 1910s, only the very wealthiest members of society could afford to indulge in pearl jewelry.  This pendant is one of those baubles of the Edwardian super rich.

-Platinum jewelry alloys are much higher purity than comparable karat gold alloys.  For example, 18 karat gold is only 75% pure while most platinum alloys are either 90% or 95% fine.

-This magnificent pendant contains an (estimated) grand total of 1 full carat of diamonds.  The majority of the weight, probably around 0.8 carats, is in the 8 old European cut diamonds that ring the lavender chalcedony.  These are actually quite sizable for Edwardian period accent diamonds, which is another indicator of the item’s incredibly high quality.

-Platinum is very undervalued at the moment, as evidenced by the platinum-gold ratio trading at substantially under 1.0.  This ratio has spent almost the entirety of the last 120 years well above 1.0, having only dropped decisively below that key threshold within the last few years.  If you have ever had an interest in vintage platinum jewelry, I urge you to take advantage of this unique investment opportunity while platinum prices are still low.

-The quality of this Edwardian platinum pendant is absolutely stellar.  I don’t often recommend jewelry this expensive, but this piece is a true work of art.  Even at a price of nearly $1,950, I think this pendant would make a great investment.

 

Cons:

-The pin on the back of this Edwardian platinum pendant/brooch has a slightly different color than the rest of the metal, indicating that it might have been replaced at some point in the past.  I consider this a fairly minor demerit for a piece that is otherwise flawless.

-The buy-it-now price of $1,950 might be too much to swallow for some buyers, but vintage items this superb are never cheap.  And it is a near certainty that a piece of comparable antique platinum jewelry will cost you far, far more than just $2,000 in another 10 or 20 years.

 

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Invest Like a Czar with Imperial Russian Antiques

Invest Like a Czar with Imperial Russian Antiques

As an antique investor, I’m constantly on the lookout for the next big thing.  Well, I think I’ve found it.  I’ve already written an article about investing like the Russian Gokhran.  But if that doesn’t interest you, maybe you should invest like a Russian Czar instead!

Imperial Russian antiques are tangible reminders of a glorious, but doomed empire that had a population of 170 million subjects and covered almost 1/6 of the world’s landmass.  Fine antiques from the Russian Empire have always been popular among collectors, but the recent 100th anniversary of the collapse of Czarist Russia has sparked renewed interest.

Pre-revolutionary Russia is a fascinating place and time in human history.  The Russian Empire was headed by the glamorous Romanov Dynasty during this period – a family that has entered into popular mythology over the past century.  The personal triumphs and tragedies of the Russian royal family have been recounted countless times in books, movies and television since the overthrow of the monarchy in 1917.

The history of the Romanovs reads like a fiction novel.  The dynasty first came to power in 1613, after the tumultuous Time of Troubles – a period in Russian history punctuated by famine, political infighting and foreign invasion.  However, the establishment of the Romanov bloodline put an end to this chaos, ushering in their 300 year reign as the nation’s autocratic rulers.

The Romanov Dynasty ruled over a Russia that was still largely medieval in its administration and outlook, even into the 19th century. For instance, the Russian Empire only emancipated its serfs (peasants tied to land owned by the aristocracy) in 1861.  Unlike Great Britain and other Western European nations, Russia’s aristocracy lacked the counterbalance of a rich and powerful industrial or mercantile elite.  As a result, the aristocracy’s power was only effectively checked by the authority of the Czar and his administrators.

The end of the Russian Empire is all too familiar to students of history.  Imperial institutions, while originally dynamic and vital, gradually became ossified and ineffective over the centuries.  The Romanov monarchs systematically resisted any attempt to meaningfully curb their power or reform the government.  The Russian State Duma, a rudimentary parliament of sorts, was belatedly established in 1905.  But the Russian old guard could not abide sharing power, rendering it a token institution.

World War I was the final nail in the coffin for the vast, but teetering empire.  Widespread food shortages and a series of military setbacks strained the Russian people to their breaking point.  The Romanovs sat secluded and unaware in their lavish palaces while political and social chaos swirled around them.  Finally, the last Czar, Nicholas II, was forced to abdicate on March 15, 1917.

For anyone interested in investing in Imperial Russian antiques, I have good news.  There is a multitude of aesthetically pleasing objets d’art for the savvy connoisseur to choose from, many of them rendered in gold, silver and precious gemstones.  And while prices are usually somewhat higher than for comparable antiques from Western Europe, given the Russian Empire’s romance and history, they are well worth the cost.

The first Imperial Russian antiques I want to showcase are Czarist era silver and gold coins.  The Russian Empire’s main currency unit was the rouble, with kopeks acting as the equivalent of cents.  Denominations from the tiny 5 kopek coin to the substantial 1 rouble coin were all struck in silver.  Gold coins were struck in 3 rouble, 5 rouble, 7.5 rouble, 10 rouble and 15 rouble denominations.

These attractive coins feature the head of the reigning Czar on the obverse and the iconic double-headed Romanov eagle on the reverse.  Alternatively, some coins have the denomination surrounded by a legend or wreath in place of the Czar’s bust.

If you are interested in collecting these compelling Imperial Russian antiques, I suggest that you stick to the higher denomination silver coins or the gold coins.  The larger silver coins like the half-rouble and rouble are impressive mementos of Czarist Russia and are the most likely (among the silver coins) to appreciate in value.  Any Imperial Russian gold coins are highly desirable and there is always strong demand in the market for these covetable pieces.

Imperial Russia even struck platinum coins for a brief period from the late 1820s to the mid 1840s.  These unusual pieces were the only platinum coins ever intended for general circulation in history.  Unfortunately, they were not popular with the Russian people, who were not familiar with platinum as a precious metal.  As a result, few of these platinum coins were minted and they are very scarce and expensive today.

One caveat when buying high value Imperial Russian coins is to watch out for fakes.  Because they are in perpetual demand, a significant number of counterfeit specimens have been produced over the decades.  In order to avoid this pitfall, I strongly recommend that any Czarist Russian coin you consider purchasing with a value of more than $100 be certified by a third-party grading service, either NGC or PCGS.  This advice applies doubly for gold and platinum pieces, which are the most often counterfeited.

Jewelry is another category of Imperial Russian antiques that is well loved by collectors and investors alike.  Even though it was heavily influenced by contemporary Victorian and Edwardian stylistic trends, Czarist jewelry has a uniquely Russian look.

For example, Imperial Russian jewelry often incorporates native Russian gemstones from the Urals or Siberia.  This includes fabled gems such as green demantoid garnet, reddish-purple Siberian amethyst, glowing Baltic amber and vibrant nephrite jade.

Imperial Russian jewelry also often employs fantastic enamel-work, especially guilloche enamel.  This is the translucent, luminous enamel that the renowned Faberge workshops were famous for.  Cloisonné enamel – opaque enamel where different colors are partitioned by thin metal strips – was also a specialty of 19th and early 20th century Russian jewelers.

Like most Imperial Russian antiques, Czarist jewelry is in very high demand.  This has driven prices up considerably over the last few decades.  At this point, it is difficult to find anything worthwhile for less than about $1,000.  And the sky’s the limit on the high-end of pre-revolution Russian jewelry.

Any overview of Imperial Russian antiques would be incomplete without mentioning Czarist silverware.  It is some of the most beautiful antique silver produced in pre-World War I Europe.  A fine silver flatware or tea set was de rigueur for any respectable pre-revolutionary Russian noble family.

Antique Russian silver is normally found in two different finenesses: 84 zolotniks and 88 zolotniks.  The zolotnik fineness standard originated in medieval Russia and was gradually phased out after the Russian revolution.  96 zolotniks is pure silver, meaning 84 zolotniks is equivalent to .875 fine silver while 88 zolotniks is .917 fine silver.  Occasionally high end antique Russian silver was made from 91 zolotnik silver, which is 94.8% fine – purer than sterling silver.

Imperial Russian silver often relies on a handful of characteristic silversmithing techniques.  The first of these is bright-cut engraving, where a design or scene is shallowly cut into the otherwise plain surface of a silver object.  The second technique commonly encountered is cloisonné enamel, something Imperial Russian silver has in common with Czarist jewelry.  Finally, niello, a blackened alloy of sulfur, silver, copper and lead, was often inlaid into antique Russian silver as a contrasting decorative element.

Czarist era Russian silver is highly desirable and almost always sells for a premium versus other antique Continental European silver.  Very little good material can be found for less than around $200.  Nonetheless, pre-revolution Russian silver represents a superlative way to invest in Imperial Russian antiques.

Czarist Russia represents a lost, almost legendary, way of life in which nobility and royalty lived carefree lives of sumptuous excess while factory workers, peasants and soldiers wrestled with the drudgery of everyday life.  We might not have wanted to live there ourselves, but it sure is amazing to be able to peek inside their world.  Luckily, Imperial Russian antiques give you that rare (and lucrative) opportunity.

 

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