Hampden Key Wind & Key Set Pocket Watch c.1873 | 18 Size 4 Oz Coin Silver

Offered here is an impressive early American Hampden pocket watch dating to approximately 1873, featuring a large 18 Size movement housed in a substantial 4-ounce coin silver case and retaining the traditional key-wind and key-set operation of early American pocket watches.

Details

MAKE

Manufacturer: Hampden
Country: USA
Type: Man's Pocket Watch
Movement Serial Number: 125,391
Circa Date: 1873

CASE

Size: 18 Size
Style: Open Face
Material: Coin Silver
Case Weight Designation: 4 Oz
Decoration: Floral
Condition: C3 – Very Good

DIAL

Color: White
Type: Single-Sunk Porcelain
Numerals: Roman Numerals
Hands: Spade Hands
Condition: D3 – Very Good

MOVEMENT

Jewels: 11 Jewels
Winding: Key Wind
Setting: Key Set
Escapement: Lever
Material / Finish: Gilt
Layout: Full Plate
Signed: Yes
Movement Serial Number: 125,391
Condition: M3 – Very Good

The substantial open-face case is crafted in coin silver and features attractive floral decoration. Described as a 4 Oz coin silver case, it gives the watch the considerable size and weight that make large nineteenth-century American pocket watches so appealing in the hand.

The watch features a classic white single-sunk porcelain dial with Roman numerals and traditional spade hands. Its restrained design provides excellent contrast and is particularly appropriate to a watch dating from the early 1870s.

Inside is signed movement No. 125,391, an 11-jewel gilt full-plate movement with lever escapement. Unlike later stem-wind watches, this early Hampden is both key wound and key set, requiring a separate key for winding the mainspring and setting the hands.

The case, dial, and movement are each rated C3 / D3 / M3 – Very Good condition.

With its circa-1873 date, oversized 18 Size construction, substantial 4 Oz coin silver case, key-wind/key-set operation, porcelain dial, and gilt full-plate movement, this is a handsome example from an early period of American watchmaking.

Condition

This early Hampden pocket watch remains in Very Good overall condition.

The substantial coin silver open-face case is rated C3 – Very Good and displays attractive floral decoration.

The white single-sunk porcelain dial with Roman numerals and spade hands is rated D3 – Very Good.

The signed 11-jewel gilt full-plate movement is also rated M3 – Very Good.

The watch will be timed out and refreshed by our watchmaker if needed prior to shipment.

An Early American Hampden Pocket Watch

Dating to approximately 1873, this watch represents an early period in the development of American industrial watchmaking.

Its architecture is noticeably different from the smaller, more standardized pocket watches that became familiar around the turn of the twentieth century.

The large 18 Size format, full-plate gilt movement, key winding, key setting, and substantial coin silver case give the watch a distinctly nineteenth-century character.

For collectors, these characteristics make early American watches particularly interesting because both the external appearance and internal mechanics visibly document the evolution of the pocket watch.

Large 18 Size 4 Oz Coin Silver Case

One of the most immediately noticeable features is the substantial 18 Size coin silver case.

Coin silver was widely used for American watch cases during the nineteenth century and generally refers to a silver alloy of lower fineness than sterling silver.

The case carries a 4 Oz designation, emphasizing its substantial construction. Attractive floral decoration provides visual interest while retaining the strong appearance appropriate to such a large early pocket watch.

I would keep “4 Oz Coin Silver Case” prominent in your title because it differentiates this watch immediately from the many later Hampdens housed in gold-filled or base-metal cases.

Key Wind & Key Set

The key-wind and key-set system is another particularly appealing early feature.

This watch predates the widespread adoption of the convenient crown-winding and pendant-setting arrangements familiar on later American pocket watches.

A separate watch key is used to wind the mainspring, while the hands are also set by key.

For today's collector, this method of operation is an important part of the experience of owning an early pocket watch and provides a direct connection to nineteenth-century watchmaking practice.

11-Jewel Gilt Full-Plate Movement

The watch is powered by an 11-jewel gilt movement with a traditional full-plate layout and lever escapement.

The broad full plate largely conceals the gear train beneath it, creating the substantial and visually distinctive architecture associated with many early pocket-watch movements.

The gilt finish also provides a striking contrast with the coin silver case.

The movement is signed and carries serial No. 125,391.

Single-Sunk Porcelain Dial

The white single-sunk porcelain dial provides the watch with a classic nineteenth-century appearance.

Bold Roman numerals are paired with traditional spade hands, while the recessed portion of the dial adds subtle depth to the otherwise restrained design.

Its D3 – Very Good condition is an important feature on a watch of this age.

Why Collect This Early Hampden?

This watch combines several desirable characteristics in one early American pocket watch:

• Hampden
• Circa 1873
• Serial No. 125,391
• Large 18 Size
• Substantial 4 Oz coin silver case
• Floral case decoration
• Open-face configuration
• White single-sunk porcelain dial
• Roman numerals
• Spade hands
• Key wind
• Key set
• 11-jewel movement
• Lever escapement
• Gilt full-plate movement
• Very Good overall condition