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Illinois White Gold Filled Rare Model Art Deco Tortue Shaped Watch

About the Item

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 like the railroad-grade "Bunn Special". After facing financial difficulties, the company was acquired by the Hamilton Watch Company in 1927. Although Illinois-branded watches continued to be made for a short while, production eventually ceased in the 1930s, leaving behind a legacy of American watchmaking excellence.
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  • Date of Manufacture:
    1930's
  • 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: 12291stDibs: LU422323142512