Job Number 180107

Here's a Trenton pocketwatch that has a special story.

This watch was given to my Grandfather by his instructor, William Samelius, at the Elgin Watch College.

William Samelius was well known at the time as a watchmaker and educator. He was referred to as "The Dean of American Watchmaking". Students at the college referred to him as "Ol' Bill".

William Samelius made quite an impression on my Grandfather. He spoke of his teacher often.

The back of the watch has the initials WHS and "No 12" engraved.

See the entire album for this project here.

ES034

Elgin Watchmakers College Student Work

This is a brass plate with five different types of jewel settings used in train jeweling, in vintage watches. This was made at the Elgin Watchmakers Collage to show competency with the various jeweling techniques. All the parts, other than the jewels themselves are hand made from scratch as part of the project.

My grandfather made this during his time at the school in the 1930s.

My Grandfather's Last Watch

This is an Elgin branded quartz watch, "vintage" (as in 1980s-ish), that was the last watch my Grandfather used. It is missing some of the dial markings and logo near 12:00 due to... an unfortunate incident... after which I don't think my Grandfather trusted himself to handle watches anymore.

What's Wrong With My Balance Staff?

This belonged to my Grandfather. It's a large scale, plastic model of a balance staff including a number of interchangeable pivots and balance hole and cap jewels. It is intended as an aid in showing a customer what is wrong with their watch.

The interchangeable pivots include a bent one, one worn to a tapper, a broken one, etc. The jewels likewise include holes and caps worn in all the various common ways.

Elgin Watchmakers' College Student Work

It's hard to take a really good photo of this, with my phone at least, but I got a piece of student work done by my Grandfather, Everett Sexton. mounted and framed. It turned out really well. 

This was done at the Elgin Watchmakers' College, it is signed, approved, by William Samelius, 1936.

Watch College Opens to 70 Students, 1936

From The American Horologist magazine, October 1936

Watch College Is Open to 70 Students

The Elgin Watchmakers college launched its seventeenth year yesterday with a record enrollment of 70 students.


Many of the students hail from distant places, including Canada and Hawaii.  Almost every state in the union is represented in the enrollment, from Maine to California, and Canada to the Gulf of Mexico.


The course consists of watchmaking, engraving, jewelry work, and clock work.


Every student who graduated at the close of the last school year has been placed in a position, including a large group who were trained for repair work at the plant of the Elgin National Watch Co.  At the present time a group or eight are being schooled for positions at the plant of the Western Clock Co. in LaSalle, Ill.


"Now that the depression is a thing of the past, the field for watchmaking is promising and students can be assured of positions after mastering the trade," said W. H. Samelius, director of the college.


In addition ot Mr. Samelius, members of the faculty include Jacob L. Hagelow, Reuben Davis, and George Gorham.  E. L. Schmidt is secretary of the college.


My Grandfather, Everett Sexton, began at the college with this group.  He is second from the left end of the first row in this photo, printed later in the Watch Word, the Elgin factory magazine.  The gentleman from Hawaii is at the left end of the second row from the front.


Before anyone asks, taking photos like this of students at the watch college was not a regular thing.  I have one other photo of this group, in a the shop area (the above is a lecture hall), and I have seen only one other photo from a later year of students visiting the Westclox factory.  

William Samelius

William Samelius was one of the most significant watchmakers that we have ever seen, he was also my Grandfather's teacher. Samelius was referred to as The Dean of American Watchmakers, because he ran the Elgin Watch College for many years.

William Samelius took a special interest in my Grandfather because of his aptitude for watchmaking, and because of a funny story which I'll get to another time. But the point is that Samelius was a great teacher and made an impression on my Grandfather, Everett Sexton, that lasted a lifetime. My Grandfather would invoke the name of the master to make an impression on me. He would say when inspecting my work, for example, "Well I think you've done great, but Samelius would say you were too generous with the oil on the forth wheel."

When I learned how to do something, I was told how Samelius said to do it, from hand finishing the points of screwdrivers to lathe work. My Grandfather is gone now, but I feel very fortunate to have had this connection. Today, William Samelius is largely forgotten, even though he was once a household word.

I have lately exchanged some email with the decedents of the Samelius family. They have generously provided me with some information that I can put on line to inform about the master watchmaker. I'm not sure when I'll get to all that, but here are a couple of photos...

Find more about William Samelius here...

Lost Art?

In the 1970s the local Coeur d'Alene, Idaho newspaper ran a series they called "Coeur d'Alene Has It" with the idea of highlighting local businesses one can find in town. In one edition of the series they featured my Grandfather, Everett Sexton, watchmaker and owner of Overjourde's Jewelers. That article read a lot like the one below, although for different reasons. The 1970s were dark times for watchmakers as mechanic watches seemed to be fading into history forever.


http://southpasadena.patch.com/articles/shop-local-the-lost-art-of-watchmaking

As an aside the jewelry store in Coeur d'Alene is still there. It is now Clark's Diamond Jewelry. It has been in business for more than 100 years. I highly recommend a visit if you are ever in that part of Idaho.

http://www.adiamondisfornow.com/

Everett Sexton, Watchmaker

I just ran across this original photo of my Grandfather. I had not seen the original before, but I believe this picture was printed in the Cour d'Alene Press as part of a feature on local business. This was taken sometime in the early 1970s I would guess.

In The Family

This weekend I had the privilage of doing an overhaul, for a customer, on watch last cleaned by my Grandfather, Everett Sexton. The watch bears his mark in back of the case. The work was done in the early 1970s, judging from the mark's number.
The watch is a nice 17 jewel Hamilton. It was brought in Clark's Jewelry (formerly Overjourdes' when my Grandfather owned it) in Coeur d'Alene.

Everett Sexton

Born in The Dalles, Oregon in 1914, Everett Sexton was the youngest of the three sons of Lowry and Priscilla Sexton. As a young man he attended the Elgin Watchmakers' College, married and moved to Coeur D'Alene, Idaho for work as a watchmaker in a shop that he later came to own. He raised two children in Coeur D'Alene. He was respected and well liked in the community for honesty and integrity in his personal and business life. He was an outstanding watchmaker of some reputation, and was known for his intelligence and sense of humor.

Everett Sexton passed away the morning of December 3rd, 2007. He leaves behind his daughter Carol, his wife of 70 years, Veda, and his grandchildren, great-grandchildren and one great-great-granddaughter. He was 93 this November.