Illinois Bunn Special Grade 161 with a Pristine 14K White Gold Case (1931)

The Railroad Watch is a particularly American institution. These pocket watches were built, tested and regularly checked by railway Time Inspectors to make sure they conformed to rigid specifications. It cannot be emphasized enough how important Railroad Watches were to the safety of train passengers and freight during the late 19th and 20th centuries.

Railroad Watches' quality, dependability and accuracy made them world famous. They were an important life-or-death tool for railway workers, and a constant source of pride and delight for the general public. The Illinois Watch Company of Springfield, Illinois manufactured some of America's finest examples of the genre, and the Bunn Special is widely recognized as one of the high-water marks of American horology.

This particular Bunn Special was produced in 1931 and carries the coveted Grade 161, Model 14 designation. The 16-size movement is finished in nickel and features 21 jewels, adjusted to six positions and temperature. This is exactly the kind of precision specification demanded of timekeepers entering railroad service. The openface configuration keeps the beautiful Montgomery dial unobstructed and instantly legible, just as Time Inspectors preferred for safe operation on the rails.

The movement itself is in excellent condition, displaying the careful finishing and high-grade architecture that earned the Bunn Special its reputation. The Montgomery dial is likewise in excellent condition with no hairlines and no chips, presenting cleanly and crisply as one hopes to find but rarely does on a watch nearly a century old. The case is beautiful, showing only the minimal wear one would expect consistent with age. Overall, this is a near-mint example.

When you hold a Bunn Special like this one, you feel the weight of an era: the final stretch of American railroading's golden age, when a man's pocket watch could mean the difference between an on-time arrival and a tragedy on the line. That this 1931 Grade 161 has survived in this state of preservation is a quiet testament to the craftsmanship of the Illinois Watch Company and to the generations of caretakers who valued it enough to keep it intact. A serious piece for the serious collector.

Like all of our antique and vintage pocket watches, this Illinois Bunn Special has been cleaned, oiled, and adjusted for accuracy, and is warranted for one full year from the date of purchase. It shows beautifully for daily carry or as a cornerstone display piece in any serious collection.