1902 Hampden Watch Co Full Hunter Pocket Watch

An antique General Stark full hunter pocket watch by the Hampden Watch Company.

General John Stark, for whom the watch was named, was a revolutionary war hero of Bunker Hill and Bennington fame. The Hampden Watch Company's home of Canton, Ohio is in Stark County, which probably accounts for the company naming a watch grade in his honour. The firm also named a ladies’ watch grade after his wife Molly.

The watch has a stem-winding movement which is ticking away nicely and the time keeping is good to within around two minutes over 24 hours. As well as being signed Gen'l Stark, the movement also has the serial number 1,731,823 which dates it back to 1902. The movement is protected by an inner dust cover which is nicely detailed inside with a double sunburst effect.

The watch measures 47mm diameter excluding the winding stem and the loop. The case is beautifully detailed on both the front and the back and the condition is good too. The inside of the case back is stamped with the name Dueber.

John C. Dueber had been manufacturing watch cases since 1864 and bought controlling interest in a case company in about 1886. At about this time an anti-trust law was passed and the watch case manufacturers formed a boycott against Dueber. To prevent himself going bankrupt, Dueber bought the Hampden Watch Company in 1888. By 1890, the company was manufacturing 600 watches a day, had 1000 employees, and possessed net assets of $2,600,000. Hampden produced some very fine quality watches, and introduced the first 16 size, 23 jewel movement made in America.

The plastic lens has discoloured over the years but is acceptable.

The dial is enamel and it is signed Hampden Watch Co. It has a charming look with Roman numerals, blued steel hands and an outer minute track. The hands are lever set whereby there is a small lever next to number V which is pulled out while the hands are set by way of the winding crown, and then the lever is pushed back in.

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All of our watches are checked over before listing, and are also checked for accuracy which is usually within around +/- two to three minutes over 24 hours (unless otherwise stated), which is considered respectable for a vintage watch.

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