VINTAGE WALTHAM ARTDECO GENTS WRISTWATCH CIRCA 1920'S
SHINNING TWO TONE GOLD DIAL
CRYSTAL IS CLEAN WITH NO CRACK NO SCRATCHES
THE 17 JEWEL WALTHAM USA WATCH CO. MANUAL WINDING MOVEMENT
GOLD TONE OLD MERCEDES LUMINOUS HANDS (NO LONGER LUMED)
ARABIC MARKER
14K GOLD FILLED BY FAHY'S BRISTOL CASE MEASURES APPROXIMATELY 30mm W/O CROWN AND 42mm LUG TO LUG
UNSIGNED CROWN
STAINLESS STEEL FLEXI BAND FITS 8.5" WRIST
DISCONTINUED MODEL... VERY RARE MINT CONDITION!
WORKING CONDITION, KEEPING TIME AND RECENTLY SERVICED
PRICE: (SOLD TO MR DICKSON FROM PJ)
RM1,000
BRIEF HISTORY OF WALTHAM WATCHES
American Waltham Watch Company, founded in 1850, were one of the largest watch makers of the 19th Century. The company was founded on a relationship between three men, in Massachusetts USA.
Mr David Davis, a Mr Dension and a Mr Howard. It was based on a dream that they could produce watches that were of good quality, yet were not made from some of the more expensive materials usually found on watches of the era.
By 1851, the trio had there own production house, and the name 'American Horology Company' was adopted.
In 1852 the company had renamed themselves and watches were being produced with the signature 'The Warran Mfg. Co.' after a Revolutionary War Hero.
Watches 1 - 17, the first from the production line, were not placed on the market but were instead given to the company officials, and executives.
From then on the company went through a number of name changes, with watches #18 - 110 being engraved with "Warren Boston", the next 800 were marked "Samuel Curtis" (The Main Financial Backer of the Company) and a few were marked "Fellows and Schel" and were sold for $40.
In September 1853 the name was changed yet again to 'Boston Watch Company' an d a factory was erected in Waltham, Massachusetts in October 1854. The movements produced at this building are marked #1,001 to #5,000 and were marked with the engraving of "Dennison, Howard & Davis,", "C.T.Parker", and "P.S. Bartlett".
Times were hard and the Boston Watch Company failed in 1857, and was subsequently sold at Auction to Royal E Robbins.
In May 1857, the company was shuffled and became "Appleton, Tracey & Co.", and the watches produced in this time carried the serial numbers between, 5,001 and 14,000 ,model 1857. The C.T.Parker movement was re-introduced as Model 1857 and was sold for $12, 399 were made. In 1855 brass watches were being sold for $1. Also at this time 598 chronometers were made, and by January 1858 the P.S.Bartlet watch was made.
In January 1859, the Waltham Improvement Company and Appleton, Tracey & Co. merged to form The American watch Company.
Also an interesting fact is that, according to the biography by Carl Sandburg, Abraham Lincoln himself carried an American Waltham wrist watch, the 'William Ellory' Model, produced by Waltham, in 1863 and was an 18 size, 1859 ¾ plate model with steel balance.
The Waltham name is synonymous with quality and craftmanship, and remain to this day, very desirable timpieces and some of the Waltham finest watches were made in Le Locke, Switzerland.
This is a peculiar Waltham watch from the 60s, during the height of the “jewel war” Another interesting sight to note is the swiss movement, which was identical to those used in many early Blancpain Bathyscaphe watches. It was know that after the closure of Waltham manufacturing facilities in US in the early 60s, it imported and marketed Swiss watches in US, including the some of the famous divewatches made by Blancpain and LIPS.
Company Name History:
| Approximate Date | Company Name |
| 1850, September | Howard, Davis and Dennison, Roxbury Mass |
| 1851 (for 6 months.) | American Horology Co., Roxbury Mass. |
| 1851-1853 | The Warren Mfg. Co., Roxbury Mass. |
| 1853 (Sept) - 1857 (May) | Boston Watch Co., Roxbury Mass & Waltham Mass. |
| 1857 | Tracy Baker & Co., Waltham Mass. |
| 1857-1859 | Appleton Tracy and Co., Waltham Mass. |
| 1859-1885 | American Watch Co., Waltham Mass. |
| 1885-1923 | American Waltham Watch Co., Waltham Mass. |
| 1923-1957 | Waltham Watch Co., Waltham Mass. |
