c.1900 New England Watch Company “Scout” with Colorful Playing Cards Dial and “Club” Hands

c.1900 New England Watch Company “Scout” with Colorful Playing Cards Dial and “Club” Hands. The New England Watch Company manufactured inexpensive watches designed to reach the lower end of the market. These “Dollar Watches” generally sacrificed precision to achieve lower production expenses. This 14-Size watch offered by the New England Watch Company in the early 1900s features a duplex escapement, contrasting the lever escapements in most conventional American watches at the time. This particular watch only features two jewels, compared to the minimum of seven jewels in most conventional American movements. As a result, external style and flair were prioritized, exhibited by the colorful playing cards dial and “club” hands fitted on this watch. This complete “Card Dial” watch was advertised in the 1901 Benjamin Allen & Co. for $3.82. For context, the cheapest 16-Size Elgin movement offered in the catalog, a 7-Jewel Grade 210, was priced at $9.00 – without a case.