1900’s Waltham pocket watch
25 June 2021
Description

Blue steel hands, open face. The face screws off, not sure how the back comes off. Working

Provenance

Unknown

Acquired from
Inherited
For sale
Maybe
Answered within about 2 hours
By David
Jun 25, 17:49 UTC
Fair Market Value
$125 - $150 USD
Suggested Asking Price $125 USD
What does this mean?

Hello Michelle,
Thank you for sending in this pocket watch to mearto.com for an appraisal. I shall try to do that for you today. Thank you for so rapidly getting the photo of the movement for me.
TITLE:
Gent's, size 12, Art Deco era, 14k yellow gold filled, pendant wound and pendant set, open face pocket watch, grade 220, S/N 23915588, made by the Waltham Watch Company, Waltham, Massachusetts, USA, circa 1921.
DESCRIPTION
Case: Size not provided, estimated to be 40-43mm in diameter, this is a two leaf, 14k gold filled, open face pocket watch with a fluted suppressed ball winding crown with a shaped polished bow placed at the twelve-position relative to the dial. The back cover is a polished gold-filled metal engraved with ‘C’-scrollwork with a shield shaped cameo in the center for the owner’s initials (blank).
The shield design has Fleur-de-Lys designs top and bottom while the balance of the cover has incised foliate patterns and vertical striping. The barrel of the case including the bezel is filled with small embossed foliate shapes. The inside of the cover is not shown.
Dial: Round silvered Art Deco dial with black enameled Arabic stick figure hours, open bar minute track to the outside, sunken subsidiary seconds dial @6 with a tufted guilloche dial center and steel Antique Breguet hands. The upper dial is enameled, ‘Waltham’. . . .
Movement: This is a size 12, damascened nickel split three quarter plate movement having exposed ratchet and crown wheels. American made index regulator using a Duane H. Church
Patented regulator, patent #484176, patented on Oct 11, 1892 and marked fast and slow. The nickel plates are marked A.W.W.Co, Waltham, USA, 15 jewels, and carrying the serial number 23915588. This is Waltham’s grade 220 movement, model 1894 made in 1921 in a run of 8000 such movements. All are pendant wound and pendant set. They have bi-metallic balance wheels for temperature compensation and Breguet hairsprings, but are not adjusted for position nor of railroad calibre.
Condition:
Case – The engraving on the case had moderate amount of wear.
Dial – Some darkening but otherwise in very good condition.
Movement – not seen but assumed original to this case, genuine and functional.
HISTORY:
~Waltham Watch Company
This American company was the first to produce watches by the machined use of interchangeable parts. This was the vision of the founders of the company; Aaron Dennison, David Davis and Edward Howard. The initial company was located at Roxbury, Mass. in 1851, and was called the Warren Manufacturing Company. The business moved to Waltham, Ma in 1854 and the name had just been changed to the Boston Watch Company. That business failed in 1857 and was sold at a sheriff's sale, reorganized and called Appleton, Tracy and Company. In 1859 the Waltham Improvement Company merged with Appleton, Tracy to form the American Watch Company. Between 1859 and 1885 the firm operated under that corporate name. These early watches were key wound. Stem winding was introduced in 1870. The last key wound watches were produced in 1919. In 1885 the name was changed to the American Waltham Watch Company. In 1906 it became the Waltham Watch Company and in 1923 the Waltham Watch and Clock Company. Production ceased in 1950.
COMPARABLES:
https://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/70161651_waltham-art-deco-open-face-pocket-watch (Sold in 2019 for $100)
https://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/69660550_waltham-art-deco-gold-filled-pocket-watch (Sold for $175 in 2019)
https://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/61820342_a-14k-white-gold-art-deco-waltham-pocket-watch (Sold for $250 in 2018)
https://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/49404298_an-art-deco-pocket-watch-by-waltham (Sold for $225 in 2016)
PRICING:
In today’s marketplace gold filled pocket watches do not bring significant sums. However, art deco designed watches bring a bit of a premium and remain highly popular amongst collectors. I believe the fair market value if placed at auction today would fall into the $125-$150 price range. Retail prices would be about twice that amount.
Thank you for choosing mearto.com for your appraisal.
My best,
David

Hi Michelle,
Thank you for contacting Mearto with your appraisal inquiry.
Since there is no hinge on this case the back should screw off the same way the dial bezel did.
I am going to start on this appraisal and if you can open the back cover send me a photo of the inside of the cover as well as the movement.
SUGGESTION:
If you are right handed - place the watch face down in your left palm (while the bezel is screwed into place over the dial). Using your right palm, press down on the back cover and turn it using pressure to turn in a counter clockwise direction. It should start turning and then you simply unscrew it.
By seeing the inside of the cover we will know who made the case and of what quality it is. It should also expose the movement for you to photograph.
I will start writing up the appraisal and if I do not receive anything from you by late this afternoon I will send it in as complete. Or, if you can unscrew the back cover let me know and I will wait for your further information and photos.
Thank you
David

Michelle williamson Jun 25, 18:20 UTC

Im going to take it in. I only see one seam and that is the face. I’ve tried to twist it open, only the face comes off. I will keep you posted when I return.

Michelle williamson Jun 25, 19:07 UTC

Image uploaded of inside

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