WATCH COLLECTION
PRIVATE LABELS
Private label watches are watches made by a manufacturer, like Illinois, with the name of the re-seller on the dial and usually the movement. There are some very famous "private labelers". Forinstance, Sears and Roebuck started in business selling Illinois watches by mail order. Montgomery Ward, and others, such as Marshall Field, and Macy's sold watches with their brand names on them. These watches also include some of the more famous railroad marked pieces, such as the D&RG Special, and the C&O Special, seen earlier in this presentation, which were made for, and resold by watch inspectors.
Private labels are a great collectable. Many collectors who don't take the time to really learn about watches dismiss them, so it is still possible to pick up good examples at relatively moderate prices. You need to be an educated judge of movements and grades to make buying decisions.
