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Illinois White Gold Filled Art Deco Watch circa, 1928 Modified Tortue Shape

About the Item

FACTORY / HOUSE: Illinois Watch Company STYLE / REFERENCE: Art Deco / Tortue Shape METAL / MATERIAL: White Gold Filled CIRCA / YEAR: 1928 DIMENSIONS / SIZE: Length 36mm X Width 28mm MOVEMENT / CALIBER: Manual Winding / 17 Jewels / Caliber 6 / 0 DIAL / HANDS: Two Tone with Luminous Numerals / Blued Steel Luminous Hands ATTACHMENT / LENGTH: Leather, 20mm / Regular Length WARRANTY: 18 months on the movement LIFETIME SERVICE COMMITMENT This is the only example we have ever seen of this model by the legendary house of Illinois Watch Company. The case is entirely hand engraved and the movement is hand made as well. The shape, The Tortue was originally designed by Louis Cartier in the early teens and the style was copied by nearly every watch company. Cartier based the design of the Tortue Shaped Watch on some columns saw in an ancient Greek Temple as a young man. The columns were held up at the base by giant tortoises. The Greeks revered the Tortoise because it lived for hundreds of years and they knew this. This is a "vault find" watch, it has been locked up for nearly 50 years, which means it needs a service. We will give it a factory quality service by our finest watchmaker as part of the purchase price before it is shipped out to you. This will delay shipping for a few days of course.
  • Creator:
  • Case Material:
  • Movement:
  • Style:
  • Place of Origin:
  • Period:
  • Date of Manufacture:
    1928
  • Condition:
    Wear consistent with age and use. It is worth noting that this watch only had a 12-month warranty when it was new. However, we are so confident of our workmanship and team that we offer an 18-month warranty on all our watches, even those over 100 years old.
  • Seller Location:
    Long Beach, CA
  • Reference Number:
    Seller: 41881stDibs: LU422324551292

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Illinois White Gold Filled Art Deco Watch circa, 1928 Modified Tortue Shape
By Illinois Watch Company
Located in Long Beach, CA
FACTORY / HOUSE: Illinois Watch Company STYLE / REFERENCE: Art Deco / Tortue Shape METAL / MATERIAL: White Gold Filled CIRCA / YEAR: 1928 DIMENSIONS / SIZE: Length 36mm X Width 28mm MOVEMENT / CALIBER: Manual Winding / 17 Jewels / Caliber 6 / 0 DIAL / HANDS: Two Tone with Luminous Numerals / Blued Steel Luminous Hands ATTACHMENT / LENGTH: Leather, 20mm / Regular Length WARRANTY: 18 months on the movement LIFETIME SERVICE COMMITMENT This is the only example we have ever seen of this model by the legendary house of Illinois Watch Company. The case is entirely hand engraved and the movement is hand made as well. The shape, The Tortue was originally designed by Louis Cartier in the early teens and the style was copied by nearly every watch company. Cartier based the design of the Tortue Shaped Watch on some columns saw in an ancient Greek Temple as a young man. The columns were held up at the base by giant...
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Illinois White Gold Filled Rare Model Art Deco Tortue Shaped Watch
By Illinois Watch Company
Located in Long Beach, CA
FACTORY / HOUSE: Illinois Watch Company STYLE / REFERENCE: Art Deco METAL / MATERIAL: White Gold-Filled CIRCA / YEAR: 1929 / 1930 DIMENSIONS / SIZE: 28mm Length X 36mm Diameter MOVEMENT / CALIBER: Manual Winding / 17 Jewels / Caliber 6 O DIAL / HANDS: Silvered with Arabic Luminous Numerals / Blued Steel Hands ATTACHMENT / LENGTH: Leather, 16mm / Regular Length WARRANTY: 18 months on the movement LIFETIME SERVICE COMMITMENT This is a "vault find" watch, it has been locked up for nearly 50 years, which means it needs a service. We will give it a factory quality service by our finest watchmaker as part of the purchase price before it is shipped out to you. This will delay shipping for a few days of course. This is a rare model by the legendary company and this one was produced just after Hamilton purchased the renowned house. The watch shape called a Tortue, or Tortoise was an original design by Louis Cartier. He based it on Tortoises he saw holding up columns in a Greek Temple that was 3000 years old. The Tortue is still in the Cartier line today. Cartier was one of the first designers to "stylize" basic things around him. He looked at them and re-interpreted them by exaggeration, extension and "stylization." The Illinois Watch Company, founded in Springfield, Illinois in 1867, rose to prominence under the Bunn family leadership, producing high-quality pocket watches...
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Illinois White Gold Filled Watch Art Deco Wrist Watch 1930's
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Located in Long Beach, CA
FACTORY / HOUSE: Illinois Watch Company STYLE / REFERENCE: Commodore / Art Deco METAL / MATERIAL: White Gold Filled CIRCA / YEAR: 1930's DIMENSIONS / SIZE: 27mm Length X 34mm Width MOVEMENT / CALIBER: Manual Winding / 15 Jewels / Caliber 605 DIAL / HANDS: Silver Dial with Art Deco Arabic Numerals / Blued Steel hands ATTACHMENT / LENGTH: Leather, 16mm / Regular Length WARRANTY: 18 months on the movement LIFETIME SERVICE COMMITMENT Illinois Watch Company was one of America's famous old houses. The company was sold to Hamilton in the late 1920's so this watch was produced after the sale. We seldom get Illinois wrist watches...
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