Hello Anna,
Thank you for sending in your family pocket watch to mearto.com for an appraisal. I shall try to help you with that today.
TITLE:
Gent’s size 12, 14k yellow gold, keyless, pendant wound and pendant set, open face pocket watch, Grade 225, model 1894, made by the American Waltham Watch Company, Waltham, Ma. Circa 1912.
PROVENANCE: “It was owned by my great grandfather who was born in 1892 in New York City. It has never been exhibited.”
DESCRIPTION:
Case: 44mm diameter, three leaf, 14k yellow gold open face pocket watch case with fluted gold suppressed ball pendant and ovoid gold bow placed at the twelve position. The outer back cover is unengraved while the inside is marked 14k gold warranted by the Leon Watch case company (owned by Leon Hirsch - see history) which made watch cases in New York from as early as 1908 and working up until close to the mid-point of the 20th century. Case number is "129410".
Dial: Round white dial with enameled upright Arabic hours, open bar minute track with red Arabic markers placed every five minutes around the periphery of the dial, sunken subsidiary seconds dial @6, steel spade hands and the upper dial is signed “Waltham”.
Movement: Size 12, a damascened nickel, split three-quarter plate movement, the Grade no 225, model 1894 made by the American Waltham Watch company of Waltham, Massachusetts in a production run of 2000 such example, each with 17 jewels, serial number is 18424987 and being manufactured in 1912, some of the jewels are in gold screw settings, pendant wound and pendant set, patent regulator, bi-metallic balance wheel with Breguet hairspring with no adjustments and not of railroad grade. Properly signed and numbered by the Waltham company.
Condition: Case – Very good with no significant damage. Dial – Excellent with no hairline fractures. Movement – clean, genuine, original and likely functional.
HISTORY of the Leon W. C. Co.:
The Invar Watch Company was founded in La Chaux de Fonds, Switzerland, by Achille Hirsch, circa 1900-02. Roy Ehrhardt's trademark book shows a page of trademarks and trade names apparently registered to "Fils de Achille Hirsch & Co., of La Chaux de Fonds”. Invar is on the list. On the next page is a shorter list registered to Leon Hirsch, Inc. of 37 Maiden Lane, New York. That list includes Invar and Invar Watch Co., among many others. Then there is a much shorter list belonging to Leon Hirsch Corp. at 37-39 Maiden Lane. Maiden Lane was at one time THE center of the watch and jewelry trades in New York. I believe it was named for the young women who, in an earlier era had plied their trade there.
COMPARABLES:
https://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/82723912_14k-gold-waltham-pocket-watch (sold for $750 in 2020)
https://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/81442436_14k-yellow-gold-waltham-pocket-watch-size-12-17 (sold for $950 in 2020)
https://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/79836329_14k-gold-waltham-no-220-hunting-case-pocket-watch (sold on 2020 for $675)
PRICING:
I believe the fair market price in today’s demanding watch market of your family heirloom pocket watch would be in the range of $800-$850 with retail prices substantially higher. I hope this helps to describe this fine watch as priced on today’s market.
Thank you for choosing mearto.com for your appraisal. Continue to take good care of this fine pocket watch.
My best and stay safe,
David