Re: (erielack) Lackawanna Pocket Watch?

[Hhaines_@_aol.com]

Well, it is a watch, probably even a 17-jewel watch, but the size and face would indicate it was not a regulation railroad watch by any stretch of the immagination. 

Only a few railroads had their Hamilton watches stamped with their railroad names, unless it was a commemorative watch.  I have seen Erie Railroad watches (because of my uncle), but always the name of the watch manufacturer was also on the face.  I have yet to see a Lackawanna Railroad watch, mainly because I was not kin to that side of the family--yet. 

Covers on railroad watches were required to be removed some time in the late 1800s (a big watch change was 1887 and another date was 1893--one was the covers being removed, the other when the size of the watch went smaller.) I will need to go to some books to get the years.

The mechanical (wind-up) railroad pocket watches were produced and used into the mid-to-late 1950s.  By that time, they were all 23-jewel watches. Then they went to wrist watches. I think sometime in the 1930s the railroad watches were required to be 21-jewel.  (The number of jewels reduced the friction and wear locations of the watches, making them more accurate.)

Combined color on the face is another detail seldom used in real railroad watches.

I will get more later, but the one in the photo looks like a recent reproduction of the Russian watches.  You can get a battery powered one looking something similar at a chain store (like Walmart) in Montana for under $20.
H Haines

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