Jacob D. (Detweiler) Custer (1809--1879) is another famous name
in horology, but he is best known for his clocks which he made in
Norristown, Pa. beginning in the early 1830s. His accomplishments
in the clock field, including tower, light propelling, tall case and shelf
clocks are well documented; other fields of his inventions are many
but less known including a steam engine he built (in use through the
mid 1880s), a steam boat, and a bullet machine which he designed
and invented for use in the Civil War. In addition he also preached
early on and was skilled enough as a cobbler to make his own
shoes!
Considered the third on the list of early American watch makers, Custer
evidentially had no formal training but was one of those fellows (like Henry
Pitkin) who was a mechanical genius and applied it later
on to watches after his clock business. During the 1840s he
decided to make some watches and (according to Crossman) finished about 12
of these, 14s 3/4 plate gilt, lever escapement and fusee
movements. He also made his own silver cases in the
swingout style. One interesting note is that these movements require a male
arbor squared key to wind and set them unlike any other American
winding/setting styles. It is interesting to
read about Crossman's account of the information on Jacob D.
Custer as he received it directly from a Dr. Jacobs, also of
Norristown, Pa. who was an intimate friend of Custer's and
who actually carried one of these famous Custer watches up
through the latter part of the 19th century!
There are just three seen of these Custer watches which are unique in design
and virtually uncollectible. The all original example pictured above, serial
number 7 and dated Feb. 4th, 1843 (his patent of record is No. 2939) on the back
plate and cased in its original silver Custer made OF case, originated from old
time Pennsylvania collection and was obtained in Norristown in the 1940s; this
is the very watch mentioned in Crossman and noted above as being the Jacobs
watch. A second example (MOVEMENT ONLY) serial number 2 resides in the
Smithsonian along with its original winding keys--this example is the patent
model for his design.
Note: that the balance
cock is different from (more narrow and more crudely made) than
the cock on watch number 7.
A third movement, which has
long since disappeared reportedly had a gold metal dial of English
origin and of the period, is otherwise virtually identical to number 7. No
other examples are known or have been recorded or seen since the
rediscovery of number seven.
These EARLY American watches (Goddard, Pitkin and Custer)are
remarkable little mechanisms and reflect the early days of the American
struggle in watchmaking and are considered the foundation for the great
American watch industry which developed BIG TIMEi n the United States at
the beginning of the second half of the nineteenth century.
Jon (Hanson)