Illinois Bunn Special 60-Hour 21J Railroad Pocket Watch c.1929 | 16 Size

Experience classic American railroad precision with this 21-Jewel 60-Hour Bunn Special Illinois Railroad Pocket Watch from 1929. A true piece of American watchmaking history, combining durability, precision, and timeless style.

Details
MAKE

Manufacturer: Illinois Watch Company
Model: Bunn Special 60-Hour
Country: USA
Type: Man's Railroad Pocket Watch
Movement Serial Number: 5,172,837
Circa Date: 1929

CASE

Size: 16 Size
Style: Open Face
Material: Yellow Gold Filled
Decoration: Machined
Condition: C3 – Very Good

DIAL

Color: White
Type: Double-Sunk Porcelain
Numerals: Arabic Numerals
Hands: Spade Hands
Condition: D3-50 – Very Good
Condition Note: Hairline(s) Barely Visible

MOVEMENT

Model: Bunn Special 60-Hour
Jewels: 21 Jewels
Power Reserve: 60 Hours
Setting: Lever Set
Escapement: Lever
Material: Nickel
Layout: ¾-Plate
Signed: Yes
Movement Serial Number: 5,172,837
Condition: M3-9 – Very Good, Slightly Scratched

Offered here is a classic Illinois Bunn Special 60-Hour railroad pocket watch dating to approximately 1929, combining one of Illinois Watch Company's best-known railroad names with a 21-jewel, 60-hour movement, lever setting, and traditional double-sunk porcelain dial.

The Bunn Special was developed as a high-grade railroad watch, and the extended 60-hour power reserve was an especially desirable feature. Compared with watches requiring more frequent winding, the longer-running mainspring provided additional operating reserve while retaining the rugged, highly legible design expected of an American railroad timepiece.

This example is housed in a 16 Size yellow gold-filled open-face case with machined decoration. The case remains in C3 – Very Good condition.

The classic white double-sunk porcelain dial features bold Arabic numerals and traditional spade hands. Its highly legible layout is immediately recognizable as the functional style associated with American railroad watches. The dial is rated D3-50 – Very Good, with hairline(s) described as barely visible.

Inside is Illinois movement serial No. 5,172,837, a signed 21-jewel nickel ¾-plate movement with lever escapement and lever setting. The movement remains in M3-9 – Very Good condition, with slight scratching noted.

The combination of the Bunn Special name, 60-hour movement, 21 jewels, lever setting, 16 Size configuration, double-sunk porcelain dial, and circa-1929 production date makes this an appealing example of late-period American railroad watchmaking.

The Illinois Bunn Special

The Bunn Special is one of the most recognizable names in American railroad pocket-watch collecting.

Illinois produced these watches with the needs of railroad timekeeping in mind, emphasizing legibility, reliable construction, lever setting, and high-grade movements.

By the late 1920s, the 16 Size pocket watch had become the dominant format for railroad service, offering a more compact alternative to the large 18 Size watches of earlier generations.

This circa-1929 example therefore represents a mature period in the development of the American railroad watch.

The 60-Hour Bunn Special

The 60-Hour designation is one of the most important features of this particular Bunn Special.

A conventional mechanical pocket watch generally requires regular winding, while the Bunn Special's extended-running movement was designed to provide a substantially longer operating reserve.

The additional reserve made the 60-Hour Bunn Special mechanically distinctive and today remains an important identifier for collectors searching specifically for Illinois railroad watches.

Combined with 21 jewels and lever setting, it creates a particularly desirable Bunn Special configuration.

21-Jewel ¾-Plate Movement

Inside is a handsome 21-jewel nickel movement built in a ¾-plate configuration.

Jewels are positioned at important friction points in the movement to reduce wear between moving components. The 21-jewel count is consistent with the high-grade construction expected of an American railroad watch of this period.

The ¾-plate architecture also provides an attractive view of the movement while retaining the robust construction associated with railroad-grade watches.

The movement is signed and numbered 5,172,837.

Lever Setting

This Bunn Special uses a lever-setting mechanism, an important feature of American railroad watches.

To change the time, the user removes or opens the front bezel, pulls out the setting lever, and then turns the crown to position the hands. Once the correct time is set, the lever is returned and the bezel secured.

This arrangement makes it considerably more difficult to change the displayed time accidentally during ordinary handling or winding.

For railroad personnel working according to tightly controlled schedules, protecting against an unintended time-setting change was an important consideration.

Double-Sunk Porcelain Dial

The watch features a classic white double-sunk porcelain dial with bold Arabic numerals and spade hands.

The recessed sections of a double-sunk dial provide additional visual depth while maintaining the exceptional legibility for which American railroad watches are known.

The dial does exhibit barely visible hairline(s), reflected in its D3-50 condition rating, but remains in Very Good overall condition.

Why Collect the Illinois Bunn Special?

This example combines many of the characteristics collectors seek in a classic American railroad watch:

• Illinois Watch Company
• Bunn Special 60-Hour
• Circa 1929
• Movement No. 5,172,837
• 21 jewels
• Extended 60-hour power reserve
• 16 Size
• Open-face configuration
• Lever set
• Lever escapement
• Nickel ¾-plate movement
• White double-sunk porcelain dial
• Bold Arabic numerals
• Spade hands
• Yellow gold-filled case
• Very Good overall condition