- "How To Wear" Guide - Our guide, with examples and photos, on how to wear our various styles of watches and watch accessories.
- Watch Winding, Setting, & Opening Instructions - Instructions (with photos) for setting & winding various types of mechanical watches.
- Abbreviations & Glossary - A list of the abbreviations we use in our descriptions and a glossary of terms.
- Pocket Watch Sizing & Watch Chain Weight Charts - A numerical and graphical chart of the different sizes of watches you will find on our site, plus a table of pocket watch chain weight classes.
- Watch Hand Styles - Examples of commonly found pocket watch hand styles, as well as photos and descriptions.
- Research Information - Further information and links to external watch-related sites.
Please use the following tables to help determine the approximate age of your watch. Remove or open the back cover from your watch and look for a number engraved into the movement; this is the serial number for your watch, and by using it, you can find the closest years it was made on these tables. Please note there is a difference between the number marked on the movement and the one marked on the case. These tables are only accurate for the movement serial numbers.
You might also try looking in the book "The Complete Price Guide to Watches" by Richard M. Gilbert, et al. (ISBN 978-0982948774 for the 2018 edition) for more information about your watch. There is extensive information about different makes of watch, along with nice histories about the companies themselves. The book can be purchased online via Amazon.com. We've also seen it at the local Barnes & Noble bookstore in the "collectibles" section, so you can also check there.
Another resource is the Pocket Watch Database, an ever-growing online listing of movement grades and serial numbers to aid in pocket watch identification.
To jump to a particular section below, you may click on the following manufacturers:
- Aurora
- Ball (made by Hamilton)
- Ball (made by Waltham)
- Columbus
- E. Howard
- Elgin
- Hamilton
- Hampden
- Illinois
- Rockford
- Seth Thomas
- South Bend
- Waltham
|
Aurora Watch Co.:
Aurora, IL 1883-1892 |
|
| serial number | year |
| 10,000 | 1883 |
| 52,000 | 1888 |
| 231,000 | 1892 |
|
Ball Watch Co.:
Cleveland, OH Made by Hamilton Watch Co. |
|
| serial number | year |
| 13,001-119,000 | 1895-1900 |
| 170,001-489,000 | 1901-1905 |
| 497,001-B603,000 | 1906-1913 |
| B603,001-B607,000 | 1914-1920 |
| B607,001-B640,000 | 1926-1930 |
| B640,001-B670,000 | 1934-1942 |
|
Ball Watch Co.:
Cleveland, OH Made by Waltham Watch Co. |
|
| serial number | year |
| B542,501-B202,800 | 1903 |
| B202,801-B225,000 | 1904 |
| B225,001-B240,000 | 1907 |
| B240,001-B255,500 | 1912 |
| B255,001-B265,000 | 1915 |
| B265,001-B271,000 | 1919 |
| B270,001-B271,000 | 1922 |
|
Columbus Watch Co.:
Columbus, OH 1874-1903 |
|
| serial number | year |
| 1 | 1874 |
| 12,000 | 1879 |
| 21,000 | 1882 |
| 25,000 | 1883 |
| 30,000 | 1884 |
| 40,000 | 1885 |
| 53,000 | 1886 |
| 75,000 | 1887 |
| 97,000 | 1888 |
| 119,000 | 1889 |
| 141,000 | 1890 |
| 163,000 | 1891 |
| 185,000 | 1892 |
| 207,000 | 1893 |
| 229,000 | 1894 |
| 251,000 | 1895 |
| 273,000 | 1896 |
| 295,000 | 1897 |
| 317,000 | 1898 |
| 339,000 | 1899 |
| 361,000 | 1900 |
| 383,000 | 1901 |
| 583,631 | 1902 |
| Special Blocks of # | |
| 500,001 | 1894 |
| 501,500 | 1896 |
| 503,000 | 1898 |
| 504,500 | 1900 |
| 506,000 | 1902 |
|
E. Howard & Co.:
Boston, MA 1858-1903 |
|
| serial number | year |
| 1-2,000 | 1858 |
| 2,500 | 1859 |
| 50,000 | 1860 |
| 73,000 | 1870 |
| 200,000 | 1875 |
| 300,000 | 1880 |
| 430,000 | 1885 |
| 600,000 | 1890 |
| 700,000 | 1895 |
| 812,000 | 1900 |
| 854,000 | 1903 |
|
E. Howard Watch Co. (Keystone):
Boston, MA 1902-1930 |
|
| serial number | year |
| 850,000 | 1902 |
| 900,000 | 1903 |
| 980,000 | 1909 |
| 1,100,000 | 1912 |
| 1,285,000 | 1915 |
| 1,340,000 | 1917 |
| 1,400,000 | 1921 |
| 1,500,000 | 1930 |
|
Elgin Watch Co.:
Elgin IL 1867-Mid 1900s |
|
| serial number | year |
| 101 | 1867 |
| 100,000 | 1870 |
| 200,000 | 1874 |
| 400,000 | 1875 |
| 500,000 | 1877 |
| 600,000 | 1879 |
| 700,000 | 1880 |
| 800,000 | 1881 |
| 1,000,000 | 1882 |
| 2,000,000 | 1886 |
| 3,000,000 | 1888 |
| 4,000,000 | 1890 |
| 5,000,000 | 1893 |
| 6,000,000 | 1895 |
| 7,000,000 | 1897 |
| 8,000,000 | 1899 |
| 9,000,000 | 1900 |
| 10,000,000 | 1903 |
| 11,000,000 | 1904 |
| 13,000,000 | 1907 |
| 14,000,000 | 1909 |
| 15,000,000 | 1910 |
| 16,000,000 | 1911 |
| 17,000,000 | 1912 |
| 18,000,000 | 1914 |
| 19,000,000 | 1916 |
| 20,000,000 | 1917 |
| 21,000,000 | 1918 |
| 22,000,000 | 1919 |
| 23,000,000 | 1920 |
| 26,000,000 | 1923 |
| 29,000,000 | 1926 |
| 33,000,000 | 1929 |
| 34,000,000 | 1933 |
| 36,000,000 | 1936 |
| 38,000,000 | 1939 |
| 41,000,000 | 1942 |
| 43,000,000 | 1945 |
| 45,000,000 | 1948 |
| 50,000,000 | 1953 |
|
Hamilton Watch Co.:
Lancaster, PA 1893-Mid 1900s |
|
| serial number | year |
| 1-20 | 1893 |
| 7,000 | 1894 |
| 15,000 | 1895 |
| 160,000 | 1900 |
| 450,000 | 1905 |
| 661,000 | 1910 |
| 1,158,000 | 1915 |
| 1,400,000 | 1920 |
| 2,333,000 | 1925 |
| 2,500,000 | 1930 |
| 2,600,000 | 1935 |
| 3,200,000 | 1938 |
| 4,500,000 | 1940 |
|
Hampden Watch Co.:
Springfield, MA 1877-1888 Canton, OH 1888-1930 |
|
| serial number | year |
| 58,000 | 1877 |
| 65,000 | 1878 |
| 85,000 | 1879 |
| 100,000 | 1880 |
| 125,000 | 1881 |
| 150,000 | 1882 |
| 200,000 | 1883 |
| 250,000 | 1884 |
| 300,000 | 1885 |
| 400,000 | 1886 |
| 500,000 | 1887 |
| 550,000 | 1888 |
| 650,000 | 1889 |
| 750,000 | 1890 |
| 900,000 | 1891 |
| 1,000,000 | 1892 |
| 1,110,000 | 1893 |
| 1,200,000 | 1894 |
| 1,300,000 | 1895 |
| 1,400,000 | 1896 |
| 1,450,000 | 1897 |
| 1,525,000 | 1898 |
| 1,600,000 | 1899 |
| 1,675,000 | 1900 |
| 1,700,000 | 1901 |
| 1,800,000 | 1902 |
| 1,925,000 | 1903 |
| 2,150,000 | 1904 |
| 2,275,000 | 1905 |
| 2,325,000 | 1906 |
| 2,450,000 | 1907 |
| 2,575,000 | 1908 |
| 2,700,000 | 1909 |
| 2,800,000 | 1910 |
| 2,900,000 | 1911 |
| 3,000,000 | 1912 |
| 3,100,000 | 1913 |
| 3,200,000 | 1914 |
| 3,300,000 | 1915 |
| 3,375,000 | 1916 |
| 3,450,000 | 1917 |
| 3,575,000 | 1918 |
| 3,705,000 | 1919 |
| 3,825,000 | 1920 |
| 3,950,000 | 1921 |
| 4,175,000 | 1922 |
| 4,300,000 | 1923 |
| 4,425,000 | 1924 |
| 4,550,000 | 1925 |
| 4,625,000 | 1926 |
|
Illinois Watch Co:
Springfield, IL 1872-1932 |
|
| serial number | year |
| 1-2,000 | 1872 |
| 37,000 | 1873 |
| 59,000 | 1874 |
| 81,000 | 1875 |
| 191,000 | 1880 |
| 285,000 | 1885 |
| 432,000 | 1890 |
| 600,000 | 1895 |
| 1,000,000 | 1900 |
| 2,460,000 | 1905 |
| 3,800,000 | 1910 |
| 4,220,000 | 1915 |
| 4,400,000 | 1920 |
| 5,232,000 | 1925 |
| 5,400,000 | 1930 |
| 5,600,000 | 1932 |
|
Rockford Watch Co.:
Rockford IL 1876-1915 |
|
| serial number | year |
| 8,000 | 1876 |
| 18,000 | 1877 |
| 30,000 | 1878 |
| 40,000 | 1879 |
| 50,000 | 1880 |
| 60,000 | 1881 |
| 70,000 | 1882 |
| 80,000 | 1883 |
| 90,000 | 1884 |
| 104,000 | 1885 |
| 116,000 | 1886 |
| 128,000 | 1887 |
| 140,000 | 1888 |
| 152,000 | 1889 |
| 164,000 | 1890 |
| 176,000 | 1891 |
| 198,000 | 1892 |
| 234,000 | 1894 |
| 294,000 | 1896 |
| 324,000 | 1897 |
| 354,00 | 1898 |
| 384,000 | 1899 |
| 414,000 | 1900 |
| 448,000 | 1901 |
| 481,000 | 1902 |
| 550,000 | 1904 |
| 655,000 | 1907 |
| 730,000 | 1909 |
| 815,000 | 1911 |
| 850,000 | 1912 |
| 880,000 | 1913 |
| 930,000 | 1914 |
| 936,000 | 1915 |
|
Seth Thomas Watch Co.:
Thomaston, CT 1884-1914 |
|
| serial number | year |
| 4,000 | 1885 |
| 9,000 | 1886 |
| 20,000 | 1887 |
| 50,000 | 1888 |
| 80,000 | 1889 |
| 110,000 | 1890 |
| 150,000 | 1891 |
| 176,000 | 1892 |
| 204,000 | 1893 |
| 246,000 | 1894 |
| 288,000 | 1895 |
| 334,000 | 1896 |
| 376,000 | 1897 |
| 418,000 | 1898 |
| 460,000 | 1899 |
| 500,000 | 1900 |
| 552,000 | 1901 |
| 604,000 | 1902 |
| 657,000 | 1903 |
| 710,000 | 1904 |
| 763,000 | 1905 |
| 817,000 | 1906 |
| 937,000 | 1907 |
| 1,057,000 | 1908 |
| 1,177,000 | 1909 |
| 1,325,000 | 1910 |
| 1,835,000 | 1911 |
| 2,355,000 | 1912 |
| 3,000,000 | 1913 |
| 3,600,000 | 1914 |
|
South Bend Watch Co.:
South Bend, IN 1903-1930 |
|
| serial number | year |
| 380,000 | 1903 |
| 544,000 | 1908 |
| 700,000 | 1912 |
| 864,000 | 1918 |
| 1,028,000 | 1923 |
| 1,200,000 | 1928 |
|
Waltham Watch Co.:
Waltham, MA 1850-Mid 1900s |
|
| serial number | year |
| 1,000 | 1857 |
| 14,000 | 1858 |
| 17,000 | 1859 |
| 20,000 | 1860 |
| 23,000 | 1861 |
| 34,000 | 1862 |
| 46,000 | 1863 |
| 118,00 | 1864 |
| 190,000 | 1865 |
| 262,000 | 1866 |
| 335,000 | 1867 |
| 410,000 | 1868 |
| 470,000 | 1869 |
| 500,000 | 1870 |
| 550,000 | 1871 |
| 600,000 | 1872 |
| 691,000 | 1873 |
| 723,000 | 1874 |
| 800,000 | 1875 |
| 900,000 | 1876 |
| 1,000,000 | 1877 |
| 1,160,000 | 1878 |
| 1,351,000 | 1879 |
| 1,499,000 | 1880 |
| 1,675,000 | 1881 |
| 1,837,000 | 1882 |
| 2,000,000 | 1883 |
| 2,356,000 | 1884 |
| 2,650,000 | 1885 |
| 3,000,000 | 1887 |
| 4,000,000 | 1889 |
| 6,000,000 | 1892 |
| 7,000,000 | 1895 |
| 9,000,000 | 1899 |
| 10,000,000 | 1901 |
| 12,000,000 | 1903 |
| 13,000,000 | 1904 |
| 14,000,000 | 1905 |
| 15,000,000 | 1907 |
| 17,000,000 | 1908 |
| 18,000,000 | 1910 |
| 19,000,000 | 1913 |
| 20,000,000 | 1914 |
| 21,000,000 | 1917 |
| 22,000,000 | 1918 |
| 23,000,000 | 1919 |
| 24,000,000 | 1921 |
| 26,000,000 | 1927 |
| 27,000,000 | 1929 |
| 28,000,000 | 1934 |
| 29,000,000 | 1936 |
| 30,000,000 | 1939 |
| 31,000,000 | 1942 |
| 32,000,000 | 1945 |
| 33,600,000 | 1951 |
| 33,830,000 | 1953 |
| 35,000,000 | 1957 |