Watch Factories and Watch Case Factories Active in 1899

I published a list of watch factories and watch case factories active in 1890 here a few days ago. Since that time, Jerry Treiman has referred me to an updated list published in the 1899 edition of Seeger and Guerney’s Cyclopedia of the Manufactures and Produces of the United States, available online at Hathitrust.

It should be noted that these lists do not represent an entirely comprehensive, nor correct, depiction of the entire watch industry in the United States at the time. For example, the Dueber Watch Case Co. is not listed as a manufacturer of nickel, gold-filled, or silver cases even though we know the factory was actively producing these types of cases during this era. As a result, reasonable caution should be practiced when evaluating these lists.

Comparing this 1899 list to the list published in 1890 reveals the changes to the American watch industry within nearly a decade at the end of the 19th century. Additions to the 1899 list that were not present in the 1890 list are in bold below. My personal notes are in italics.

Watch Cases

• W.F. Doll Mfg. Co., 9 Maiden Lane, New York
• Globe Watch Case Co., 48 Maiden Lane, New York [Company Organized by S.F. Myers]
• Philadelphia Watch Case Co., Riverside, N.J.

Electro Watch Cases

• Keystone Watch Case Co., 813 N. 19th St., Philadelphia, Pa. [New “Electro Watch Cases” List]

[Gold] Filled Watch Cases

• Bates & Bacon, Attleboro, Mass.
• Courvoisier-Wilcox Mfg. Co., Newark, N.J.
• Crescent Watch Case Co., Newark, N.J.
• Fahys Watch Case Co., Sag Harbor, N.Y.
• Globe Watch Case Co., 48 Maiden Lane, New York [Company Organized by S.F. Myers]
• Keystone Watch Case Co., 813 N. 19th St. Phila. Pa.
• S.F. Myers Co., 48 Maiden Lane, New York
• Philadelphia Watch Case Co., Riverside, N.J.
• Wadsworth Watch Case Mfg. Co., Newport, Ky. [Listed as “H. Wadsworth in 1890 List]

Gold Plated Watch Cases

• Philadelphia Watch Case Co. Riverside, N.J.

Gold Watch Cases

• American Watch Case Co., 11 John St., New York
• Bates & Bacon, Attleboro, Mass.
• Courvoisier-Wilcox Mfg. Co., Newark, N.J.
• Crescent Watch Case Co., Newark, N.J.
• Criterion W. Case Mfg. Co., 171 Wallabout St., Bklyn, N.Y.
• Dueber Watch Case Mfg. Co., Canton, O.
• Duhme Mfg. Co., Cincinnati. O. [Listed as “Duhme & Co. in 1890 List]
• Durand & Co., Inc., 49 Franklin St., Newark, N.J.
• Fahys Watch Case Co., Sag Harbor, N.Y.
• P.A. Giannini, 109 Montgomery St., San Francisco, Cal.
• Globe Watch Case Co., 48 Maiden Lane, New York [Company Organized by S.F. Myers]
• Hibbard G. Gill, 618 Chestnut St., Philadelphia, Pa.
• Illinois Watch Case Co., Elgin, Ill.
• Keller & Untermeyer Mfg. Co., 192 Broadway, New York
• Keystone Watch Case Co., 813 N. 19th St., Philadelphia, Pa.
• Henry G. Lefort, 60 Arlington St., Newark, N.J.
• Margot Bros., 23 Water St., Boston, Mass.
• H. Muhr’s Sons, 1110 Chestnut St., Philadelphia, Pa.
• S.F. Myers Co., 48 Maiden Lane, New York
• Roy Watch Case Co., 56 Pearl St., Brooklyn, N.Y.
• Charles Schwitter, 28 Cumberland St., Brooklyn, N.Y.
• Andrew K. Shiebler & Son., 21 Maiden Lane, New York
• Solidarity Watch Case Co., 17 Hope St. Brooklyn, N.Y.
• Wadsworth Watch Case Mfg. Co., Newport, Ky.
• Philadelphia Watch Case Co., Riverside, N.J.

Nickel Watch Cases

• Crescent Watch Case Co., Newark, N.J.
• Fahys Watch Case Co., Sag Harbor, N.J.
• Illinois Watch Case Co., Elgin, Ill.
• Keystone Watch Case Co., 813 N. 19th St. Philadelphia, Pa.
• H. Muhr’s Sons, 146 N. Broad St., Philadelphia, Pa.

Silver Watch Cases

• Crescent Watch Case Co., Newark, N.J.
• Criterion W. Case Mfg. Co., 171 Wallabout St., Bklyn, N.Y.
• Fahys Watch Case Co., Sag Harbor, N.Y.
• Illinois Watch Case Co., Elgin, Ill.
• Keystone Watch Case Co., 813 N. 19th St., Philadelphia, Pa.

Watches

• American Waltham Watch Co., Waltham, Mass.
• Webb C. Ball Co., Cleveland, O. [Did not manufacture watches]
• Elgin National Watch Co., 76 Monroe St., Chicago, Ill.
• E. Howard Watch & Clock Co., Washington St., Boston, Mass.
• Illinois Watch Co., Springfield, Ill.
• Robt. H. Ingersoll & Bro., 163 Washington St., New York
• Keller & Unterneyer Mfg. Co., 192 Broadway, New York.
• Manhattan Watch Co., 234 Broadway, New York
• New England Watch Co., Waterbury, Conn.
• N.Y. Standard Watch Co., Jersey City, N.J.
• Seth Thomas Clock Co., Thomaston, Conn.
• Trenton Watch Co., Trenton, N.J.
• United States Watch Co., Waltham, Mass.
• Waterbury Clock Co., 10 Cortlandt St., New York

Bicycle Watches

• New England Watch Co., Waterbury, Conn. [New “Bicycle Watches” List]

Chronograph Watches

• American Waltham Watch Co., Waltham, Mass.
• Manhattan Watch Co., 234 Broadway, New York

Non-Magnetic Watches

• American Waltham Watch Co., Waltham, Mass.
• Webb C. Ball Co., Cleveland, O.
• Waterbury Watch Co., 10 Cortlandt St., New York