The Burlington Watch Company existed as a mail-order sales company, so its watches were actually manufactured by the Illinois Watch Company. By selling direct to consumer, Burlington was able to eliminate the cost of distribution channels and offer premium watches for a lower price than the competition.
This particular watch is one of Burlington's earlier models, and while having nearly all required features of railroad grade watches, this movement did not meet all qualifications for standard watches like Burlington's later 21 jewel models. However, given the beauty and character of this watch it has been included in the Railroad Edition watch builder.
This piece features a gorgeous damascened wave pattern that aligns with straight Geneva stripes, a very open fingered bridge design, circular graining on the main plate, 19 precision cut ruby and sapphire jewels, gold jewel settings, a fully gold gear train, a Reed whipspring regulator, a double roller balance, and adjustment for temperature and positions.
This watch features a beautiful, double sunk, Montgomery style, white enamel dial with a large chip extending along a thin portion just inside the hour numerals from 1 O'clock to 3 O'clock. The Montgomery style (sometimes referred to as a safety dial) is a specific variation of marginal minute dials (dials having every minute numbered in the outer margin of the dial). The Montgomery variation was originally patented by railroad watch inspector Henry S. Montgomery and requires that all numerals be upright (as opposed to radial), it must have slightly enlarged red 5-minute numerals, and it must have a slightly smaller 6 hour numeral on the sub-seconds dial (an uncommon dial feature).
The blued steel, whipped-spade style hands point to clean, black, traditionally serifed Arabic numerals. This movement is one of 28,700 grade 106 watches ever made.
