I've always heard that the best watches are made in Switzerland. That wasn't always the case as a new video share shows a pocket watch made in Illinois way back in 1903 that still keeps perfect time after all these years.

I found this new video and it's from a YouTube channel with not many subscribers and I fear most won't see it. That's one reason I wanted to drop it in our app and share some watch history.

Before I do that deep dive, check out this pocket watch in stellar condition made in Springfield, Illinois in 1903 by the Illinois Watch Company.

Stephen Barlock commented on YouTube on this era of watch manufacturing here in America:

Beautiful. Not many people know that the USA made watches and movements were the envy of the world back in the early 20th century. Accurate, dependable, and most were a stunning sight to see.

That inspired me to do some research and Stephen is correct. The Illinois Watch Company states on their official website that they began in 1867. Collector's Weekly has an interesting article on the history of pocket watch manufacturing and they mention Springfield, Illinois specifically in that it was the area where pocket watches were first attempted to be made in a factory setting instead of by one individual watch maker who would sit down and build the watch from scratch. This happened during the late Civil War period right before Illinois Watch Company began.

Antiques Atlas show that vintage watches like this still go for a pretty penny. A lot of pocket watches from the early 1900's can go for more than $400. When you see the craftsmanship like the watch shown in the video, you can understand why.

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