We had a nice stay at the Plantation Resort Villas, but it was not as luxurious as the other Gold Crown properties we have booked through RCI. Accommodations were spacious and well-outfitted, but the beach was not onsite. The pools were geared toward families rather than adults. The buffet breakfast for $9 per adult was equivalent to what a Holiday Inn-type motel provides for free.
One of the first things you can do when you acquire a new piece of jewelry is to look for hallmarks. One hallmark will generally tell us the metal content of a piece, and the other (if there is another) will tell us either the country of origin, designer, or manufacturer. I found a used gold crown owner says is from the 1950s in good condition for $1500. I'm not sure about the history of gold crowns, but that seems pretty old. I would say $1,500 is right at the top of what I would pay unless the table was in. There are a lot of newer GCs around here for less but I live pretty close to where.
We did not participate in any of the activities, so I cannot comment on those. We would not stay there again because we would prefer staying oceanfront, and I think all properties located in a beach area should be required to be right in the ocean in order to qualify for a Gold Crown designation. More Show less.
Whether you’re an avid watch collector or just an individual interested in the history of the pocket watch, there’s a long and interesting story behind how one of the world’s most popular accessories came into existence that you’ve got to hear. Pocket watches have been around since at least the 14th century, and over the years they have evolved into the timepiece we know today. With time, watches in general have shrunk in size ( and in use according to some) and have incorporated new types of technology to make them more accurate. The Pocket Watch.A pocket watch is a type of timepiece that is designed to be worn within a pocket. Unlike regular watches, which have bands and are made to be strapped to the wrist, the pocket watch is protected from the elements by the clothing of the wearer. Pocket watches date back to a time before wrist watches and they were even considered the most common type of timepiece until just after World War I when wrist watches became more popular.The pocket watch is traditionally secured to a waistcoat, lapel or belt loop with a chain, leather strap or other type of fixture.
This prevents the watches from being dropped or easily stolen. The first pocket watches also included a protective cover that prevented the face from becoming scratched or shattered. The chains and covers were usually decorated with either silver or coloured enamel. Coats of arms or seals of special societies were commonly used as decorations on the watches.Some of the first pocket watches also included practical gadgets in their design like winding keys, a or even a cigar cutter. These added gadgets increased the usability of the watch and gave it an added appeal to consumers. Pocket watches with built-in gadgets are also popular amongst watch collectors as the added gadget tells a story about the time during which the pocket watch was produced and in use.One of the first historical references of the pocket watch can be found in a letter dated in November 1462 from an Italian by the name of Bartholomew Manfredi.
The watchmaker sent the letter to the Marchese di Mantova Federico Gonzaga and detailed a pocket clock that belonged to a mutual acquaintance, the Duke of Modena. It was after this letter was sent that spring-driven pocket clocks first appeared in Italy.
By 1524 the practice spread and Peter Henlein, a master locksmith, began manufacturing watches in Germany. Watch production spread to the rest of the world, gaining popularity rapidly. Early pocket watches only had an hour hand as the minute hand did not appear on the clock face until the late 17th century. In the late 1830s, the first American pocket watches were produced using machine-made parts. Photo credit: Pocket Watch StylesThere are 2 basic styles of pocket watches available: open-face and hinged. Hinged pocket watches are sometimes called Hunter pocket watches. If the watch has a hunter-case, then the watch will use a hunter-style or geneva-style crystal.
Hunter-style crystals are typically thin and fragile. They can be flat or slightly convex, but they must always be low enough to allow the watch lid to close. Replacing a broken hunter glass is difficult as it must be high enough to not interfere with the arms of the watch, but low enough not to impede the cover.
Typically, the glass of a hunter style watch is only 0.4mm to 0.5mm thick, so it winds up being quite fragile. This is one reason hunter watches should never be closed by pressing on the center of the cover.The other type of watch is the open-faced watch.
These watches have no cover and the dial is exposed at all times. The dial is protected by a slightly thicker glass cover than is found on hinged pocket watches. Many vintage styles that have survived to today have an open style. The crystal of these watches have a bevelled outer edge. It was not a stylistic choice – it actually gives the watch dial a defined outer edge. Most open faced watches have a bevelled crystal ranging between 1mm and 1.5mm though some can be as thick as 2.5mm.While most open faced and hunter style watches are made with a metal case, briefly ceramic and even glass cases were used.
Glass pocket watches are usually only displayed as the glass makes them quite fragile. It also provides a clear and unhindered view of the watch’s inner workings, which many watch enthusiasts enjoy.Ceramic watches made an appearance briefly as well.
The ceramic cases were more fragile than metal cases, making them less practical. However, the ceramic case could be painted with various crests and scenes, for one-of-a-kind pieces that quickly gained collectibility. Ceramic watch cases were also heavier than metal cases, making them more difficult to carry and store. They eventually declined in popularity due to practical reasons.Other unusual watches include those with painted dials. Whether it’s a Harley or a sunset, painted dial watches are typically purchased for the art on the dial rather than the quality of the timepiece.
Sailors had a history of purchasing painted-dial watches containing images of ladies of ill repute. Images can be added to plain watch dials by specialists that specialise in creating images on the dial of a watch. HistoryThe first watches worn were designed in the 16th century in Europe. They were sized between a traditional clock and what we think of as watches today. The “clock-watch” was made to be attached to clothing or worn on a chain around the neck.
These designs were quite heavy and cumbersome. Most were made with a drum-shaped brass cylinder that was engraved and ornamented. The first watches only had an hour hand and lacked the glass covering that has become almost universal in watch design. They did however include a hinged cover. Decorative cut-outs allowed the watch to be read even with the cover in place.The movement of the watch was made with either iron or steel and the parts were held together with specially shaped wedges as screws were not used until after 1550.
Alarms were popular features in the watches. Unusual shaped watches soon became popular after the first clock-watches were introduced and designs featuring animals, stars, flowers, insects and religious symbols were soon made.In the 17th century, men began to desire to wear their watches in their pockets instead of around their necks. It is believed that Charles II of England first introduced this trend in 1675 when he made waistcoats popular.
In order to fit into pockets, the watches had to shrink in size. They soon became round, flattened and smooth. Glass found its way into the watch design as a cover for the dial sometime around 1610. The chain that was once used to hang the watch around the neck shortened and the chain was now used to secure the watch to the vest of the wearer.Watches were considered a luxury item until the second half of the 18th century.
Newspapers in England often included advertisements for stolen watches and rewards for helping recover the timepieces were often hefty. By the end of the 18th century, watches were starting to become more common and cheaper designs were being produced for sailors. This is also the time when paintings on the dials became popular.Until the 1720s, most watch movements were designed after the which was used in most large public clocks. This type of movement involved a lot of friction and lacked protective jewelling that kept the contacting surfaces from wearing. Because of this, verge watches couldn’t achieve the degree of accuracy that the public demanded. Many ran fast, gaining as much as an hour a day or more. In response to the inaccurate verge movement, a cylinder escapement was added in the 18th century.
Towards the end of the 18th century, a lever escapement was used in a limited number of watches including a Swiss collection made by Josiah Emery. With the improved movements, common watches could remain accurate to within a minute each day. Lever watches are still popular today.Across the pond, in America, the American Watch Company located in Waltham, Massachusetts, introduced what is known as the Waltham Model 57. This watch was introduced in 1857 and was the first to use interchangeable parts. That tiny improvement cut down on the cost of manufacturing and repairing the timepieces.
The watches were made in coin silver, which is 90 percent pure, unlike sterling silver. By 1865 the American Watch Company was turning out more than 50,000 watches each year. This advancement allowed the company to overtake the Swiss watchmaking industry, dominating the market for the first time in history. In response, the Swiss raised the quality of their watches to help establish themselves as a leader in accuracy, rather than affordability. Connection to American RailroadsIn the last half of the 19th century, railroading was gaining popularity in America.
New tracks were being laid and more people were travelling by train than ever before. This rise in railroading led to a more widespread use of pocket watches by the engineers. In 1891, a large train crash occurred on the Lake Shore and Michigan Southern Railway because one of the engineers’ watches paused for a mere 4 minutes. In response to this accident, Webb C. Ball was commissioned by railroad officials as the Chief Time Inspector. He helped create precision standards and an inspection system for railroad chronometers. In 1893, an official set of standards for pocket watches became an official standard used in railroading.
Thanks for all the information. I recently purchased an 1893 Elgin Pocket watch, 17 Jewels, non-railroad, hunter on ebay.
The serial # is 4935062 which makes it a 126 grade pocket watch and according to pocketwatchdatabase.com I made a pretty good investmern considering its recent surge in retail value. Very happy with it. It is inscribed with “E.C. Elliott, from his parents Dec. 21, 1895”, now I don’t have any papers or definitive prove, but one of the most important Presidents of Purdue University (he even hired Amelia Earhart for the school) was named E.C.
Elliott and was born on Dec. Thus making my little pocket watch a potential 21st birthday gift for this interesting man.
Also I inquired as to the history of this watch and the seller told me it belong to some people that worked at the Elgin factory and eventually setup their own Jewelry shop in Chicago Illinois back in the late 1800’s. Guess where E.C. Elliott was born? Hi, I recently came into possession of my grandfather’s open face watch.
He was born in 1880 & died in 1913. I am sure it was a very inexpensive watch when new. The pocket watch was made by the New York Standard Watch Co.
Or the Keystone Watch Case Co. Watch size is 18 (44.687mm) I have spent several days examining it.
Both front and rear of case screw on. The dial is white enamel and is damaged.
I found a dial on the internet that seems to match but it has three legs. There two screws on the back of the watch movement that I believe to be holding the dial on that are on the edge of the watch and are sheared off on one side. Would it be possible to remove the legs of the new dial and attach it to my watch? Your thoughts would be greatly appreciated. I have an old pocket watch which was given to Great grandfather in 1904. I took it to an antique watch repairer who showed us that it was actually working. W just needed to wind it.
He said that they could repair a graze which was on the face. I left it with them and they have done a very bad job on the repair and now the glass over the dial falls off. There appears to be no way that this stays on the watch. It does not twist on. I rang the repairer and they want it back but I am a bit concerned leaving it with them again. Any advice would be appreciated.