Researching vintage items is part of the allure for me. And the frustration! Records can be hard to find and finding reliable sources is more than half of the battle. Collecting and selling vintage items is a labor of love, heavy on the labor side.....but learning about the history of an item is worth the digging!
I am currently researching a vintage ladies pocket watch I bought a few months ago-finally looking at it closer and trying to find out more about it. It is a cute smaller size for a pocket watch with a beautiful etching of a bird and flourishes on each side of the case. Inside, there is an engraving of the name "Rachel Barden". Imagining who owned this watch and the wonderful occasion when this must have been presented as a gift!
The clock face is marked Hampden but is missing the crystal. The other side of the case is marked Dueber Special with an anchor mark, meaning this case is gold filled per the research I uncovered. There is also a serial number but that is for the case only, I need to determine how to open the case to see the "guts" of the watch to see the serial number for the inner workings. The watch also has "1938" scratched inside, but per research, this must be a watch repairers marking, as the Dueber-Hampden company went out of business in 1930. My best guess at this point is early 1900's.....I hope I can find out more about Rachel Barden and her beautiful watch!
If you have any tips on vintage research, I'd love to hear your ideas! Happy hunting.....
