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Pan-American: A Seth Thomas Private Label Pocket Watch

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Pan-American pocket watches are Private Label pocket watches manufactured by the Seth Thomas Watch Company around 1898 that may have initially been intended as a commemorative for the Pan-American Exposition (World’s Fair) of 1901, held in Buffalo, New York from May 1, 1901, through November 2, 1901. In 1898 when the Spanish-American War broke out, plans for the Pan-American Exposition were placed on hold. The 1898-1901 advertisements for the Seth Thomas Pan-American pocket watch movement made no mention of the Pan-American Exposition at all.

The 18-size Pan-American pocket watch is a 7-jewel private label watch in Seth Thomas Model 10 (open-face orientation) and in Model 11 (hunting case orientation). They are all lever set, unadjusted, have a nickel finish, and are produced with features similar to grade “Century.” The movements for Model 10 and Model 11 can be identified by referencing the Ehrhardt American Numbered Drawings EA 813 and EA 814, respectively. The Ehrhardt American Numbered Drawings can be found in the American Pocket Watches: Identification and Price Guide (1999) by Roy Ehrhardt & Wiliam “Bill” Meggers.

The Pan-American pocket watch was advertised from 1898 through 1901 in Sears, Roebuck & Company Catalogs No. 107-111. The open-face Model 10 version is illustrated in the advertisements. It is unclear how the sale of one special Philadelphia Watch Case Company gold-filled case sold in the Sears, Roebuck & Co. catalog only came with the option of Seth Thomas Pan-American movements – whether Sears distributed all of the Pan-American movements using only two watch case makers, or whether some of the Pan-American pocket watches could have been manufactured for sale by the Philadelphia Watch Case Company in Riverside New Jersey. Three out of four of the Pan-American pocket watches in my collection have dials signed “Philad’a Watch C. Co. Riverside N.J. U.S.A.”, or “P.W.C.Co.”. The fourth dial is signed with the monogram “P-A” for Pan-American”. Unfortunately, the Pan-American pocket watch’s dial is not described in the two Sears, Roebuck & Co. catalog advertisements. The Sears, Roebuck & Co. advertisement for the Pan-American movement in a “Silverine” watch case suggests that Sears was the provider of the movement in that instance, not the Philadelphia Watch Case Co.; because it was Dueber Watch Case Company that used the term “Silverine” for their nickel alloy case material. Philadelphia Watch Case Company used the term “Silverode” for their nickel alloy case material.

Advertisement from the 1898 Sears, Roebuck & Co. Catalogue No. 107 showing the Pan-American in Model 10 with a Silverine watch case.

Advertisement from the 1898 Sears, Roebuck & Co. Catalogue No. 107 showing the Pan-American in Model 10 with a gold-filled watch case.

An identical Seth Thomas movement (except for the markings) was the standard “Century U.S.A.” offered by the company. It was also made in the Model 10 and Model 11, and eventually in Model 12 and Model 13. Some of the Model 11 and Model 13 Century U.S.A. movements were also manufactured in gilt finish. Century U.S.A. was initially only sold in the Sears, Roebuck & Company catalog to commemorate the turn of the 20th century. The Century U.S.A. movement was also subsequently sold by A.C. Becken in their 1899 catalog (Model 10 only), and the N. Shure Company and John M. Smyth Company in their catalogs. Model 10 and Model 11 are considered “Century” grade. None of the Model 10 or Model 11 pocket watches display individual serial numbers on the top plate. Partial serial numbers are observable on the front of the pillar plate behind the dial. Colonial pocket watches were also a Private Label within the Seth Thomas Model 10 and Model 11 Century grade; but are not yet known to have been manufactured for Sears, Roebuck & Company.

Advertisement from the 1899 Sears, Roebuck & Co. Catalogue No. 109 showing the Century U.S.A. in Model 10

The photographs of specific Pan-American pocket watches in this article include:

Model 11 Given Serial Numbers “PANAMERICAN11B”, “PANAMERICAN11C”, “PANAMERICAN11A” and Model 10 Given Serial Number “PANAMERICAN10A”. Other specimens may be viewed on the Pocket Watch Database Private Label Search.

Seth Thomas Pan-American pocket watch dials may be found with several signature variations. Some of the original dials bear the signature “P-A” for Pan-American. Others bear the signature “Philad’a Watch C. Co. Riverside N.J. U.S.A.,” and others are signed only “P.W.C.Co.” Unfortunately, the Pan-American pocket watch’s dial is not described in either of the two Sears, Roebuck & Co. catalog advertisements found in each of the 1898-1901 editions. There is, however, mention that the “American movement, made by the Seth Thomas Watch Co., of Thomaston Conn.”… is… “stamped Pan-American or Riverside”. There is no publicly known mention anywhere of a Seth Thomas pocket watch movement that is stamped “Riverside”. This may be an instance of confusion regarding the dial marking “Riverside N.J. U.S.A.” found on some dials with a movement marking, but that is unclear. If it was not so clearly stated that Seth Thomas was the manufacturer of the movements, one might wonder if Waltham’s “Riverside” movement was being referenced. The same reference to some of the movements being marked “Riverside” also appears in the Sears Catalog advertisements for the “Pan-American” movements that were manufactured by Trenton Watch Company.

The importance of making historical background information freely available to all who have interest in the roots of the American clock and watch industry cannot be overstated. Information that is not freely shared not only confounds the research of present-day horologists; but will likely become information forever lost to the future generations of horologists.

The Pocket Watch Database, serving as a collective repository for the studies and research of many, is playing the greatest role in collecting, organizing, consolidating, and freely disseminating invaluable information to the horological community and the public at large.

Documentation of the Pan-American Pocket Watch

There is an entry on a Seth Thomas Private Labels Chart that describes the Pan-American pocket watches in the Encyclopedia and Price Guide to American Pocket Watches Volume 1 (1982) by Roy Ehrhardt, and the Pan-American also appears as a listing in American Pocket Watches: Identification and Price Guide (1999) by Roy Ehrhardt & Wiliam “Bill” Meggers. Their description includes that the movement is 18-size with 7 jewels, is offered in Seth Thomas Model 10 for open face and Model 11 for hunting case, both orientations are in nickel finish, and lever set. The description includes information describing the dial signature as “P-A”. A copy of their listing is included below.

Encyclopedia and Price Guide to American Pocket Watches Volume 1 (1982) by Roy Ehrhardt

American Pocket Watches: Identification and Price Guide (1999) by Roy Ehrhardt & Wiliam “Bill” Meggers

The Pan-American Exposition of 1901 in Buffalo New York U.S.A.

President of the United States, William McKinley, was assassinated at the Pan-American Exposition’s Temple of Music on September 6, 1901. Then Vice-President, Theodore Roosevelt, became President upon William McKinley’s death on September 14, 1901.

This is a 1900 Presidential campaign button for Republican running-mates William McKinley and Theodore Roosevelt. It is kept with the Pan-American pocket watches in my collection to provide historical context.

This is a copy of “A Souvenir of Buffalo New York, Niagara Falls, and the Great Pan-American Exposition” published by James Rayne Company & Company that I have also added to my collection for historical context.

Other Manufacturers of “Pan-America” pocket watches

Pocket watches that were not manufactured by Seth Thomas are also sold under the name “Pan-America”. You will frequently see Pan-America pocket watches available that were manufactured by the New York Standard Watch Company. Reference is made to them in American Pocket Watches: Identification and Price Guide (1999) by Roy Ehrhardt & Wiliam “Bill” Meggers. They can be identified as EA 665A. Another “Pan-American” was manufactured by Trenton Watch Company and can be identified as EA 869. Photos of both are included below.