Northern Partners
Northern Partners
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Brief History: Rockford Watch Company
The Rockford Watch Company, located 93 miles from Chicago on the Rock River, began operation in 1873 using equipment purchased from the Cornell Watch Company. Two of Cornell's former employees, P. H. Wheeler (Wheeler's Patent, etc) and C. W. Parker became key employees of Rockford. Their factory building was built in 1875-76, and was located on the 300 block of South Madison in Rockford (parts of the original factory building were later used by Rockford High School).
Rockford is one of the companies that produced a relatively small number of very high-quality watches, and as such they are quite collectible, and (at least in my opinion) somewhat undervalued. Rockford Watch Company
Be sure to use the serial number on the movement of the
watch itself.
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Northern Partners
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© Northern Partners 1999 |
Their
first watch, a key-wind, 18-size, full plate with expansion balance was placed
on the market on May 1, 1876. By 1877, the company was producing its own 3/4
plate nickel movements that fit standard size cases. The highest grades of
early Rockford watches were signed "Ruby" or "Ruby Jewels"
which later became a stylized letter "R" engraved next to the
jewel-count. Rockford watches were quite popular with railroad men, as 3
railroads went through Rockford, and the company advertised heavily to them.
Many of the later Rockford watches are signed "RG" for
"Railroad Grade" The company had financial difficulties in 1896, and
after reorganization the name was changed to Rockford Watch Co. Ltd. They
finally closed their doors in 1915.
