Case date Vs Movement date.

What is the serial number on the case?

Ignore the patent date.

As I get ready to enter a bunch of possible unknow watches into the database, look for ads etc... I too am looking for a date range in which to check database. I have questions and comments:

For a case production date range-

The patent date gives the earliest  possible date for case production.  Not the production date.

In 1927, didn't the 1924 patent date get completly replaced w/ a 1927 patent date, or was this only in watches/cases where the newer 1927 patent design was implemented? 

                     or asked differently

Were there any cases produced after late 1927 which still showed the 1924 patent date? 

    {this would give case production date range, but not necessarily an end date, as they could have been markedted the following year, cased w/ mvnt from previous year etc...}

I would certainly consider the first digit of case SN to help me set a range in which to check - at least for watche/cases when this pattern exists ( this pattern is about ~1924 through ~1932 or so?). 

AND if that case SN was up to a year later than a mvnt SN, I would extend the date range and not think it was necessarily a recase.

Am I on the right track here?

'The patent date gives the earliest  possible date for case production.  Not the production date'.

That statement is incorrect.

'Were there any cases produced after late 1927 which still showed the 1924 patent date'.

Yes, the 1924 Patent can be found in early 1930's Cases.

'AND if that case SN was up to a year later than a mvnt SN, I would extend the date range and not think it was necessarily a recase'.

If You are referring to the Movement Datecode - Correct.

eg: it would not be unusual to see a 1925 Movement in a 1926 case.

IMO

The patent date is simply the date that the overall case design with dust cover was patented.  You can find the patents under the Information tab.  We do have examples of cases produced after 1927 that have the 1924 patent date.

It is not uncommon for a movement to be dated a year or even two years earlier than the case.

When looking for ads, I consider several pieces of information, i.e., the date of the movement, the date of the case (using the serial number), and the style of the case, etc.  The latter criteria takes practice, but, after a while, you'll be able to glance at a watch and narrow the date down to at least the correct decade, if not the earlier or later part of that decade. 

It also sometimes helps to look up the movement, both in the movement database and in the watch database, to see when that movement was used.  Of course movements can get swapped, so you don't want to rely on that information as your sole criteria.  A combination of factors is best to lead you in the right direction.

Does that help?

Thanks u 2- This helps. 

I am still confused....fifth

The patent date gives the earliest  possible date for case production.  Not the production date'.

That statement is incorrect.

It may be how i asked.  For a particular individual case-  how could they make a case (not a style of case over a date range, but one spicific case)  before 1924 - say  1923, which had the 1924 patent date?  Seems like they would not have had the 1924 patent in 1923?

I'd expect something like patent pending, but not a date in the future.

Thanks

The 1924 Patent Date can't appear in Casebacks produced prior to.

yea that's what I thought.  I saw you typed "That statement is incorrect" and based on that, I thought you meant the date somehow could appear earlier....like maybe they new the patent was coming or something along that line.  I got it now. Thanks for your time.

anytime William.

We are all learning here.

I'm still lost on the watch. Do I disregard the C?