Abraham Lincoln's Watch, around 1858
name: label: associated person
content: Lincoln, Abraham
notes: label: Description
content: Lincoln’s English gold watch was purchased in the 1850s from George Chatterton, a Springfield, Illinois, jeweler. Lincoln was not considered to be outwardly vain, but the fine gold watch was a conspicuous symbol of his success as a lawyer.
label: Description
content: The watch movement and case, as was often typical of the time, were produced separately. The movement was made in Liverpool, where a large watch industry manufactured watches of all grades. An unidentified American shop made the case. The Lincoln watch has one of the best grade movements made in England and can, if in good order, keep time to within a few seconds a day. The 18K case is of the best quality made in the US.
label: Description
content: A Hidden Message
label: Description
content: Just as news reached Washington that Confederate forces had fired on Fort Sumter on April 12, 1861, watchmaker Jonathan Dillon was repairing Abraham Lincoln's timepiece. Caught up in the moment, Dillon unscrewed the dial and engraved: "April 13, 1861 Fort Sumpter was attacked by the rebels on the above date J Dillon April 13, 1861 Washington" and "thank God we have a government Jonth Dillon."
label: Description
content: In 1864 a second watchmaker, L. E. Gross, signed his name. Also, at some point someone etched "Jeff Davis" inside the watch, either as a joke or a statement of support for the Confederacy.
label: Description
content: Lincoln never knew about the messages he carried in his watch. The inscription remained hidden behind the dial for over a century. After hearing from Jonathan Dillon's great-great-grandson, the Museum removed the dial on March 10, 2009, to reveal the watchmakers' declarations.
label: Description
content: Gift of Lincoln Isham, great-grandson of Abraham Lincoln, 1958
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
topic: label: related event
content: Battle of Fort Sumter, 1861
setName: label: See more items in
content: Political History: Political History, Presidential History Collection
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content: Government, Politics, and Reform
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content: Clothing & Accessories
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content: Selections from the Abraham Lincoln Collection
publisher: label: Related Publication
content: Rubenstein, Harry R.. Abraham Lincoln: An Extraordinary Life
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: gift of Lincoln Isham
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: PL.219098.01
label: catalog number
content: 219098.01
label: accession number
content: 219098
objectType: label: Object Name
content: watch, pocket
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: gold; glass (watch material)
label: Physical Description
content: metal (key material)
label: Physical Description
content: gold (watch chain material)
label: Physical Description
content: wood; metal; fabric (box material)
label: Measurements
content: watch: 2 in x 3 in x 1/2 in; 5.08 cm x 7.62 cm x 1.27 cm
label: Measurements
content: watch chain: 13 in; 33.02 cm