Circa 1918 Illinois Trench Watch
This is a 31mm Illinois “cushion case” sterling silver trench watch. It features a 17-jewel Illinois 3/0s pocket watch movement with the crown at 12 o’clock. The serial number is 2,891,487, dating it to 1916. The watch case is a sterling silver “Illinois Watch Case Company” (W.C.C.). The watch dial and case are in perfect condition; the watch runs accurately for around 20 hours.
The watchband is the original 1918 leather band in excellent (wearable) condition; it is marked “Pat’d”, but does not have a patent date.
Illinois Watch Company History: The company was founded in Springfield in 1878 and existed until 1932. They had four basic periods of wrist watch production. The 1st period was from the 1910s to the early 1920s, during which most wrist watches were converted pocketwatch movements. Gent's military and military-style specimens were made, often featuring porcelain dials.
