Need Information

[Wayne C. Anderson]

Need information on a Waltham 18Size pocket watch, s/n 16577236?

Thanks

[Wayne C. Anderson]

Need information on a Waltham 18Size pocket watch, s/n 16577236?

Thanks

[Barry G]

The serial number of your watch dates it to about 1908, and the Waltham Serial Number and Grade List indicates that it is an 18 size, Model #1883 [named after the first year of production], Grade no. 81 or 18, with 15 jewels. This would have been a large, low-to-medium grade man's watch from the period. To get an idea of how it compared with other grades for the same model, check out the following page I put together:

http://barrygoldberg.net/watchguide/walthamgrades.htm

Regards,

Barry

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My Online Pocket Watch Collection (http://barrygoldberg.net/watches.htm)



[This message has been edited by Barry G (edited 04-07-2002).]

[BMW]

Cool link Barry. Thanks for taking the time to compile the data and post it.
B

[Tom McIntyre]

Barry, you have done a pretty good job on the grades page. There is one consistent error however. Am'n and Amn are two distinct grades. The Am'n grade is at least the equal of the Appleton Tracy grade for the early models. The Amn grade is below Riverside.

Also, to the best of my knowledge, there is no AWCo grade that is independent of American Watch Co. grade. The abbreviation in the serial number lists for American grade is consistently AWCo. This is true both in the handwritten and later printed lists. However, there are examples from the list with the AWCo indication that the watches are not American grade. The only way to be certain about these listings is to examine the watches.

As I mentioned in another post somewhere around here, Waltham was also inconsistent about recording the jewelling of the earlier grades. Cap jewels in the train were not originally recorded, so many 19 jewel watches are listed as 17 jewels. Of course, 17 jewel watches are also listed as 17 jewels, so once again, you have to look at some examples from each run.

Even looking does not always help. Most of the early American grade 1872 models are 18 jewels. However, there exists at least one 19 jewel example and there may be more. The volatile jewel is the center jewel on the dial plate.

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Tom McIntyre
Past President, NAWCC Chapters 174 and 87
Member Chapters 8, 87, 149, and 174
Pocket Horology Web (http://www.pocketwatch.org)
Tommy the JOAT's Web (http://www.AWCo.org)