16-size, 21-jewel open-face lever movement, sold factory-cased in gold · United States
South Bend Watch Company 'Polaris' Grade
Partially verifiedThe Polaris was South Bend's top grade, sold only complete in a South Bend gold case with a 'Polaris' signed dial; about 500 were made in a single run in 1908.
Technical facts
- Size
- 16-size, open face
- Jewels
- 21, ruby in gold settings
- Adjustment
- Temperature, five positions and isochronism
- Escapement
- Lever, double roller, sapphire pallets
- Production
- About 500 (run 518001–518500)
- Casing
- Factory-cased in solid gold; 'Polaris' signed dial
Historical significance
- The Polaris was South Bend's top grade, sold only complete in a South Bend gold case with a 'Polaris' signed dial; about 500 were made in a single run in 1908.
- References disagree on whether the Polaris carried the grade number 295 (see below), so check the movement and dial markings of any example.
Background
The South Bend Watch Company produced the 'Polaris' grade as their finest product, which was designed as a 16-size, 21-jewel open-face movement. The movement was meticulously finished with damaskeened plates, a gold train, and polished steel work, while the escapement featured a double roller, sapphire pallets, and a steel escape wheel. The complete watch was packaged for sale in a specially designed wooden box lined with silk and velvet.
Written from the sources listed under Sources (makers, museums, auction houses and specialist publications are paraphrased, not reproduced); each statement was checked against the cited text, and claims a maker makes about its own work are attributed to it.
Construction and mechanism
- Factory-provided cases were crafted in solid gold, including both triple-hinged and snap-back varieties.
Later history
- While the serial number range for the run is 518001–518500, researchers note that some movements within this range were not Polaris grade.
Where sources differ
- Technical record. Jones and Horan's auction description calls an example "South Bend, Polaris, Grade 295", while the serial-list compiler Lyle Stratton writes that he knows "of at least 1 grade 295 in this run", treating grade 295 as a different grade from the Polaris.
- Significance. Jones and Horan describe the Polaris as "rare with a total production of approximately 500 made", while Stratton reports that "the survival rate of the Polaris was very high", though all-original examples with the correct dial and case are hard to find.
Related photographs
No confidently matched photograph of this subject has been found yet. These photographs show a closely related record, and are not examples of the type described on this page.
Sources & references
- 16 size Polaris, southbendhorology.com, retrieved 2026-11-02 (paraphrased; text © the publisher)
- South Bend Polaris movement scan and information, NAWCC Forums, retrieved 2026-11-02 (paraphrased; text © the publisher)
- South Bend, Polaris, 21J, 14K w/factory provenance, Jones and Horan Auction Team, retrieved 2026-11-02 (paraphrased; text © the publisher)
- South Bend Watch Movements, Watch Cases, and Complete Watches (January 1914): Polaris, Pocket Watch Database (digital archive), retrieved 2026-11-02 (paraphrased; text © the publisher)
- southbendhorology.com, 16 size Polaris (South Bend catalogue description)
- South Bend Watch Co., jewelers' price list, January 1914 (Pocket Watch Database digital archive), Polaris page
- Lyle and Donna Stratton, The South Bend Watch Co. — A Complete Listing of Serial/Grade Numbers (1999), as cited on the NAWCC Message Board
- Jones and Horan Auction Team, South Bend Polaris 21J with factory provenance, May 2024
Where sources disagree, the disagreement is stated rather than resolved silently.