Black, Starr & Frost was one of the oldest luxury jewelry retailers in the United States. It started in 1810 in New York and became well known in the 19th–early 20th century for selling high-end jewelry, silverware, and watches. They didn’t usually manufacture watches themselves—instead they retailed watches made by Swiss manufacturers under their store name. In this case, Longines.
The watch movement still keeps amazing time and the overall condition is immaculate with only very light scratches on the gold, impressive for a 100-year-old watch. The inside case states “14K”. This is a smaller men’s watch, about 26mm wide (not including the crown) and 27mm tall.
This watch is stunning in person. The full Arabic numerals, sub second dial, and hand design are all iconic for the time period. The hands appear to have been painted with radium lume which adds to the historical significance of this piece!