Mosler Safe Company, Hamilton, Ohio - 4 movements

  A

  B

A. 1916. This is a very early and rare example from the Mosler Safe Company. Their first offering was this four movement model that featured a gold-plated door with a crackle jewelling finish. This feature was used only for one year and by 1917 was replaced with a smooth bronze or silver finish similar to that in example B. No production records exist for this model of Mosler time lock, but it is thought that over a hundred were made. The case numbering appears to have been initiated at #3000. According to Mr. Erroll's book written in 2006, only one example was known to survive. Now, with this specimen, there are at least two. 7 3/4"w x 5"h x 2 7/8"d, case#3056. (1) file 137

B. c. 1920's. Around 1902 with the sale of E. Howard & Co. to the Keystone Watch Case Company, E. Howard exited the time lock business. However, unlike most time lock companies that used either E. Howard or Seth Thomas movements, this company used 18-size Model #4 pocket watch movements supplied by the Illinois Watch Company. The movements had a separate crystal covering the watch movements much like on a conventional pocket watch providing exceptional protection from contamination compared to other time lock movements. Bankers Dustproof Time Lock Co. was another company that used movements supplied by Illinois Watch Company. This was probably not coincidental since Banker's disappeared as a brand in 1915 and Mosler Safe Co. appeared in 1916 based on designs very similar to that of Bankers. After 1932 Mosler switched to American Waltham Co. 16-size pocket watch movements. Mosler Safe Co. was the result of a series of consolidations of earlier companies including Mosler Safe and Lock Co., Mosler Bahmann and Bankers Dustproof Time Lock Co. That company emerged in 1917. In addition to the protection given the watch movements by a glass crystal fitted over them, the movements can be wound without having to open the door by sliding the lever to open the winding holes. These features result in Mosler movements being some of the best in surviving condition . Case #6427 and case #6712. file 115, 3 mvt; file 6, 4 mvt

Below a large round type vault door with a Mosler quad movement time lock. The second photo shows a relatively small vault door to have a four movement time lock. One would expect a three movement lock in this application.

(1) American Genius Nineteenth Century Bank Locks and Time Locks, David Erroll & John Erroll, pg 324.