14k solidairty
07 September 2020
Description

1 1/4 round. S/n 217898

Provenance

Unknown

Acquired from
Inherited
For sale
Yes
Answered within about 3 hours
By David
Sep 08, 02:37 UTC
Fair Market Value
$350 - $450 USD
Insurance Value $0 USD
What does this mean?

Hello Lynda,
Thank you for sending in your pocket watch to mearto.com. for an appraisal. I shall try to help you with that this evening.
TITLE:
Gent’s,14k yellow gold, pendant wound and pendant set, keyless, savonette, hunting case pocket watch, case made by the Solidarity Watch Case Company of Brooklyn, New York, and the imported unsigned Swiss-made movement using the ‘Wizard’ model name which was sold by The Hipp, Didisheim & Brothers Watch Store in New York City circa 1912-1915.
DESCRIPTION:
Case: Approximately 31 mm in diameter, four leaf, 14k solid yellow gold, hunting case pocket watch with a fluted ball pendant and t=round gold bow placed at the three position (savonette) opposite the case hinge. The outer cover is engine turned in various patterns: hobnail, circular, herringbone etc. while having engravings of plumes of feathers which include many floral, foliate and pin-wheel designs. The inside of the cover reveals the case number to be 217898. The inside of the cover is marked Solidarity for the Solidarity Watch Case Company (see history below) of Brooklyn, New York. The cuvette or movement cover is not engraved.
Dial: White enameled dial with upright Arabic hours, open bar minute track with Arabic markers placed every five minutes along the periphery of the dial, sunken subsidiary seconds ring @6 and steel Spade hands. The upper dial is marked ‘Wizard’ (not a Waltham brand nor model).
Movement: Not shown. You do mention this a ‘Waltham’ watch but I can find no evidence of the Waltham name on this watch or case from the photos shown. Pocket watches marked ‘Wizard’ on the dial are usually made in Switzerland. I would expect this movement to be a split three-quarter, damascened nickel plate movement with exposed ratchet and crown wheels and would have a serial number and 15 jewels on the plates. The Swiss index regulator would be in the traditional Swiss style. The Swiss company that used the Wizard name on watches exported to the USA was "Hipp, Didisheim & Brothers" of New York City, importers of Swiss watches (where their family had a watch factory). The New York office was opened circa 1890 and they were in business until the Great Depression of circa 1929. They registered the 'Wizard' name for watches and watch parts on January 5, 1923 but they used the Wizard name from December 17, 1912.
Condition: Case – I cannot see all of the leaves of the case but the back cover is excellent and the interior is very good. Dial – The gilt finish on the Spade hands is worn and the hour hand is bent. The dial is otherwise very good. Movement – Not shown but assumed original to this case, genuine and functional.
HISTORY:
The Solidarity Watch Case Company was founded in Brooklyn, New York in 1885. They initially employed eight men and made only solid gold pocket watch cases. They also made a line of diamond set, raised gold cases. By 1894 they employed 94 men and several women in their factory. They used various trademarks, e.g. Defiance, Scepter, Securitas, star white and Solidarity itself. They continued to function until at least 1928 and probably went into bankruptcy during the years of the Great Depression.
COMPARABLES;
https://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/9348817_135-fine-antique-10k-gold-wizard-pocket-watch (10k gold Wizard watch and long gold chain sold for $400 in 2010)
https://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/64344159_waltham-14k-hunter-case-pocket-watch (Waltham in a solid gold Solidarity case sold for $700 in 2018)
https://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/65575682_swiss-13-ligne-14k-gold-pocket-watch (Swiss watch in a 14k solid gold case sold in 2018 for $250)
https://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/53327858_swiss-13-ligne-14k-gold-pocket-watch (Swiss watch in a `4k solid gold Solidarity watch case sold in 2017 for $400)
PRICING:
If this was a Waltham watch the price would be higher but it is a Swiss made watch which would have a fair market value today if sold on the watch market in a range from $350-$450. Retail values would be somewhat higher. Again, I am uncertain why you refer to this watch as a Waltham, but if it does have a Waltham movement, I would be glad to take a second look at the watch. Essentially, what happened is that a jeweler associated the Wizard Swiss dial and movement with a solid gold 14k American made case, according to the choice of his client, perhaps your relative, around the start of the 20th century.
I hope this helps you to better understand the parts of this pocket watch.
My best,
David

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