The restoration involved an intricate overhaul, a five-day process that included disassembling all components, inspecting each wheel, polishing the pivots, wiping its 11 jewels with soft wood to remove the original oil-which as it’s made from animal fat, hardens solid over time-adding fresh synthetic oil, and polishing the case with the same automatic ultrasonic cleaner used by some of the biggest names in horology. Located in NYC’s famous train station, the staff at Grand Central Watch take apart each timepiece to do a complete restoration. I wondered if it had been his father’s pocket watch. But the age of the watch and the fact that Harry worked full-time until six months before his death didn’t match. I’d assumed he’d gotten it for retirement from the First National Bank in Vandalia, Illinois, where he’d started out as a teller in 1895, eventually graduating to “Vice President/Head Teller” before his death at 71 in 1939.

Turns out Harry’s watch was much older than I thought-fabricated by the Illinois Watch Company in 1886. People scheduled their lives around their pocket watches. “They were the timepiece of choice for hundreds of years, really up until the 1930s. “Everyone had a pocket watch in those days,” says Steve Kivel, the third-generation owner of Grand Central Watch, the firm I entrusted my heirloom to, which is also the second-oldest business behind the Oyster Bar in New York’s Grand Central Station. The movements are known for their accuracy and precision, making these watches especially reliable.Tarnished, cracked and with dials broken, the pocket watch had probably stopped ticking 80 years ago when Harry Sturgess last used it. Automatic quartz movement wristwatches tick with the assistance of a small crystal that vibrates to spin the hands. The second hands rotate in a sweeping motion, moving continuously around the dial. Hand-wound mechanical watches are a great choice for anyone who enjoys the motion of manually winding their timepiece. Available Movement Types for Illinois Wristwatches:

With numerous features and functions, you can find one that has exactly what you're looking for.

Digital watches are typically built with backlighting, so you can easily see the time in poor lighting conditions. Designed with stylish and functional displays, they will help you always arrive on time. Whether you prefer a watch with Roman numerals or Arabic numbers, analog wristwatches come with a wide range of dial features. Illinois Wristwatches Available Display Styles for Illinois Watches:

Illinois watch old