Hammel Riglander Pennant Corp. v. United States

22 C.C.P.A. 204, 1934 CCPA LEXIS 160
CourtCourt of Customs and Patent Appeals
DecidedMay 21, 1934
DocketNo. 3729
StatusPublished

This text of 22 C.C.P.A. 204 (Hammel Riglander Pennant Corp. v. United States) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Customs and Patent Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Hammel Riglander Pennant Corp. v. United States, 22 C.C.P.A. 204, 1934 CCPA LEXIS 160 (ccpa 1934).

Opinion

Hatfield, Judge,

delivered the opinion of the court:

. This is an appeal from a judgment of the United States Customs Court holding certain imported watch crowns dutiable under clause [205]*205(3) of subparagraph, (c) of paragraph 367 of the Tariff Act of 1930, as assessed by the collector at the port of New York, rather than under either clause (4) of subparagraph (c) of that paragraph, or paragraph ■397 of that act, as claimed by appellant.

The involved paragraphs, so far as pertinent, read;

Par. 367. (a) Watch movements, * * * :
(c) Parts for any of the foregoing shall be dutiable as follows:
(1) Parts (except pillar or bottom plates, or their equivalent, bridges or their equivalent, and jewels) imported in the same shipment with complete movements, mechanisms, devices, or instruments, provided for in -subpara-graph (a) of this paragraph (whether or not suitable for use in such movements, mechanisms, devices, or instruments), 45 per centum ad valorem; but ithis clause of this subparagraph shall not be applicable to that portion of alltthe parts in the shipment which exceeds in value 4 p,er centum of the value of such complete movements, mechanisms, devices, or instruments;
(2) pillar or bottom plates, or their equivalent, shall be subject :to one-half the amount of duty which would be borne by the complete movement, mechanism, device, or instrument for which suitable;
(3) each assembly or subassembly (unless dutiable under clause (1) of this subparagraph) consisting of two or more parts or pieces of metal or other material joined or fastened together shall be subject to a duty of'3 cents for each such part or piece of material, except that in the ease of jewels the duty shall be 15 cents instead of 3 cents, and except that in the case of pillar or bottom plates or their equivalent the duty shall be the rate provided in clause (2) of this subparagraph instead of 3 cents, and .except that in the case of a balance assembly the duty shall be 50 cents for the assembly instead of 3 cents for each part or piece thereof. N.o assembly or subassembly shall be subject to a greater amount of duty than would b.e 'borne by the complete movement, mechanism, device, or instrument for which suitable, nor to a less rate of duty than 45 per centum ad valorem. For the purpose of this clause a balance assembly shall be an assembly consisting of-a balance wheel, balance staff, and hairspring, with or without the other parts commercially known as parts of a balance assembly. For the purpose of this clause bimetallic balance wheels (not part of a, balance assembly), and mainsprings with riveted ends, shall each be considered as one part or'piece;
(4) all other parts (except jewels), 65 per centum ad valorem.
(d) Jewels, suitable for use in any movement, mechanism, device, or instrument, dutiable under this paragraph or paragraph 368, or in any .meter, or cam-pass, 10 per centum ad valorem.
Par. 397. Articles or wares not specially provided for, if composed whdlly or in chief, .value of platinum, gold, or silver, and articles or wares plated with platinum, gold, or silver, * * * whether partly or wholly manufactured, '65 per centum ad valorem * * *.

On the trial in the court below, appellant ealled two 'witnesses, Edward Renz and Nathan Moskowitz.

The witness Renz testified that he was treasurer .of the Hammei Riglander Pennant Corp., appellant; that appellant was-engaged .in the business of importing tools and materials for "watchmakers .and jewelers; and that the merchandise here involved consisted o'f 3,6'27 watch crowns. He identified Exhibit No. 1, which waslntroduoed'm [206]*206evidence as representative, except as to size and shape, of the imported articles. He also identified a watch crown, introduced in evidence as Collective Exhibit A, which was similar to those imported, except that it had been “sawed in half” by the witness in order to show that the imported articles were composed of two pieces of material, a core and a shell, the shell being “clamped over the core.” The witness further testified that the terms “assembly” and “sub-assembly” were not used in the trade; that watch crowns, of which Exhibit 1 is representative, are bought and sold in the trade as one piece or unit; that the watch crowns could not be disassembled without “ruining” them; that his company designated watch crowns and stems “as case materials”; and that the shell portions of the involved articles were gold-plated.

The witness Moskowitz testified that he was connected with the Hamm el Riglander Pennant Corp., appellant, as a “material man”; that as such it was his duty to “fit and take apart and put together * * * the various parts of watches that are dealt in by that corporation.” With regard to the attachment of watch crowns to watches, he testified as follows:

Q. Have you put watch crowns into watches? — A. Yes.
Q. Have you attached or fastened a crown to a watch movement?
*******
The Witness. I have.
*******
Q. To a watch movement, you have? — A. Well, to the stem. The stem is part of the movement, the crown is part of the case. They work together that way.
Judge Fisci-ieb. Have you fastened the crown to the case or to the stem? The Witness. It is fastened to the stem.
*******
Q. The crown is fastened to the stem? — A. That is right.
Q. The stem runs, as I understand it, through the upper portion of the case and extends down into the movement? — A. That is right.
Q. And the stem is attached to the movement; is;that correct? — A. That is right.
Judge Fischeb. If you fastened the crown to the case, it couldn’t move, could it?
The Witness. The crown could not be fastened to the case. It has to be attached to the stem.
* * * * * » * *
Mr. Isenschmid. Do you handle watchcases at all?
The Witness. We don’t import them, no. During my course of work I come across them. It is necessary to have to buy them.

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Bluebook (online)
22 C.C.P.A. 204, 1934 CCPA LEXIS 160, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/hammel-riglander-pennant-corp-v-united-states-ccpa-1934.