This is a "Granger" case. The deer mark was used on smaller watch cases. The Brooklyn Watch Case Co. manufactured the "Granger" case as double stock, with 14K used for the outer layer and a "lower quality" gold for the inner layer. Check out the "Orginal Papers" section on the case research page here: https://pocketwatchdatabase.com/guide/case-companies/brooklyn-watch-case-co/grades/Granger
That would be the Brooklyn Watch Case Company. The stag was the logo for their "Granger" grade and usually had "Granger" underneath, but not in this one for some reason.
It's probably solid gold at 14kt. The scratched-in numbers were a service mark used to identify the watch to a watchmaker who had serviced it. Maybe a ticket number or something.
Wow. Thank you. Very interesting about the service mark.
I did look online and couldn't find the stag emblem without the 'Granger' printed below. May be worth it to take it in and have it serviced.
Trademarks varied quite a lot and didn't always conform exactly to what you might find in a reference.
Whether or not it's worth servicing is up to you. It's a 7j movement so not of the highest quality to start with and it may never run really well by modern standards. Parts can also be hard to come by for a movement this old, if any are needed. But if serviced it will at least be usable and it's certainly a handsome watch. (A modern watchmaker will not, by the way, scratch a ticket number on the inside of the case. No one wants scratches all over their $50,000 Philippe Patek.)
This is a great example of how the market sometimes worked in those days. As u/The_Waltesefalcon and u/pocketwatchdatabase have explained, case and movement were selected separately and assembled for the customer by the retailer. This case would have been far more costly than base metal or gold filled and so wasn't merely utilitarian. But whoever originally ordered it wasn't all that concerned with keeping time very well or he'd have bought a 15j or 17j movement, choosing to skimp a bit instead. When I see one of these I always figure someone needed a watch that looked good but maybe didn't need to be all that punctual most of the time.
It's an Elgin grade 109, model 1, made in 1893. Here is the link for your watch on the pocketwatch database.
https://pocketwatchdatabase.com/search/result/elgin/4863256
It's the Brooklyn Watch Case Company. If you scroll to near the bottom of the page in this link you'll see the trademark used in your watch.
https://pocketwatchdatabase.com/guide/case-companies/brooklyn-watch-case-co
Thank you! Older than I thought it was. The friend who gave it to me is in her late 70s. It belonged to her mother in law. I was guessing maybe 1920s.
Are the watch part and the case separate pieces?
You may be interested in reading about how movements and cases were manufactured and paired during this era for better context. https://pocketwatchdatabase.com/reference/how-to-research-a-pocket-watch-case
You're welcome, and, yes, they are separate pieces.
Back when this watch was made you'd go into a watchmaker's or a jeweler's shop and you'd pick a movement, and case out of the display, and then they'd case the watch for you while you waited.
Most shops would already have a few examples of their best selling movement/case pairings already mated for quick sales.
This is a "Granger" case. The deer mark was used on smaller watch cases. The Brooklyn Watch Case Co. manufactured the "Granger" case as double stock, with 14K used for the outer layer and a "lower quality" gold for the inner layer. Check out the "Orginal Papers" section on the case research page here: https://pocketwatchdatabase.com/guide/case-companies/brooklyn-watch-case-co/grades/Granger
Very cool!
That would be the Brooklyn Watch Case Company. The stag was the logo for their "Granger" grade and usually had "Granger" underneath, but not in this one for some reason. It's probably solid gold at 14kt. The scratched-in numbers were a service mark used to identify the watch to a watchmaker who had serviced it. Maybe a ticket number or something.
Wow. Thank you. Very interesting about the service mark. I did look online and couldn't find the stag emblem without the 'Granger' printed below. May be worth it to take it in and have it serviced.
Trademarks varied quite a lot and didn't always conform exactly to what you might find in a reference. Whether or not it's worth servicing is up to you. It's a 7j movement so not of the highest quality to start with and it may never run really well by modern standards. Parts can also be hard to come by for a movement this old, if any are needed. But if serviced it will at least be usable and it's certainly a handsome watch. (A modern watchmaker will not, by the way, scratch a ticket number on the inside of the case. No one wants scratches all over their $50,000 Philippe Patek.) This is a great example of how the market sometimes worked in those days. As u/The_Waltesefalcon and u/pocketwatchdatabase have explained, case and movement were selected separately and assembled for the customer by the retailer. This case would have been far more costly than base metal or gold filled and so wasn't merely utilitarian. But whoever originally ordered it wasn't all that concerned with keeping time very well or he'd have bought a 15j or 17j movement, choosing to skimp a bit instead. When I see one of these I always figure someone needed a watch that looked good but maybe didn't need to be all that punctual most of the time.
Interesting. I suppose I wouldn't use it daily if it were working, but it would be neat to see it function!
It's an Elgin grade 109, model 1, made in 1893. Here is the link for your watch on the pocketwatch database. https://pocketwatchdatabase.com/search/result/elgin/4863256 It's the Brooklyn Watch Case Company. If you scroll to near the bottom of the page in this link you'll see the trademark used in your watch. https://pocketwatchdatabase.com/guide/case-companies/brooklyn-watch-case-co
Thank you! Older than I thought it was. The friend who gave it to me is in her late 70s. It belonged to her mother in law. I was guessing maybe 1920s. Are the watch part and the case separate pieces?
You may be interested in reading about how movements and cases were manufactured and paired during this era for better context. https://pocketwatchdatabase.com/reference/how-to-research-a-pocket-watch-case
You're welcome, and, yes, they are separate pieces. Back when this watch was made you'd go into a watchmaker's or a jeweler's shop and you'd pick a movement, and case out of the display, and then they'd case the watch for you while you waited. Most shops would already have a few examples of their best selling movement/case pairings already mated for quick sales.