Lovely art-deco watch. Illinois wristwatches tend to be highly regarded, and this one has a nice high-grade movement with an enamel filled bezel. The radium burn is disturbing, and may make it more difficult to get this serviced though. Its reasonbly safe as is, but anyone who tries to take it apart to clean risks inhaling radium particles. Which, as you might imagine, isn't good.
Hi and welcome Very, Very cool watch.
Serial No dates it to 1930
Yours is called The Whippet, I think white gold filled case.
Production of it started in 1926.
Very, Very collectable, as Illinois did not just make great pieces, they only made 5.4M before being bought by Hamilton. Out of the 5.4m probably 80% were were pocket watches (just my guess- no evidence)
Regards
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: Fred Freidberg - The Illinois Watch
Thanks for the info. It's to bad the radium hands burnt the dial. This was my grandfathers, so I think I'll keep the dial as it is. The stem still clicks closed, but is very weak. Any idea if that's an expensive repair?
Me, I like it as it is.
Should you decide to get the dial re-worked, please PM me and I will give you the emails of Illinois experts Fred Freidberg and Greg Hart for advise
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