1923 Illinois Bunn Special 21j

1923 Illinois Bunn Special 21j

This movement was originally manufactured in 1926 by the Illinois Watch Company in Springfield, IL. John W. Bunn was an American corporate leader, financier, industrialist, personal friend of Abraham Lincoln, and later founder of the Illinois watch company. The Bunn Special is possibly Illinois' most famous railroad watch and most widely collected due to its exceptional beauty and performance.
 
This excellent condition piece features radially extending, ribbed rays, 3/4 style nickel plated bridges, 21 precision cut ruby jewels, gold jewel settings, a fully gold gear train, an Illinois whipspring regulator, adjustment to 6 positions, and adjustment for temperature.
 
This watch features a beautiful, double sunk, Montgomery style white enamel dial. 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 bold, uniquely serifed Arabic numerals. The original dial is lightly worn with multiple hairline cracks. This movement is one of 168,340 made.
 
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