Is my case as old as my Waltham watch?

[Kate N]

Actually--the watch jewels are usually rubies, sometimes sapphires and once in a while, diamonds. For quite some time, they have been made from synthetic rubies, etc.
Generally, the more jewels in a watch, the better the quality. Most watch jewels are tiny discs with a hole in the center, in which parts of the watch swivel or turn. There are other types of watch jewels, as well.
When pocket watches were popular, the watch manufacturers would often sell movements without cases to jewelers and others. A customer would select the watch movement and then select a case for it.
Essex was probably just a watch case manufacturer. The "20 years" means that your watch is in a gold plated case, rather than solid gold. I don't know that there are any surviving manufacturers' records of watch case numbers.
In any case--hope you enjoy your watch!

[rrwatch]

Your watch case was made by the Courvoisier-Wilcox Mfg Co., who were headquartered on Maiden Lane in New York City. "Essex" was their tradename for a line of gold filled, (not gold plated) cases. Gold filled is a process where two plates of gold alloy (either 10, 14 or 18 Karat) are sandwiched around a central plate of base metal, usually brass. The three are swedged together and rolled out to the desired thickness to make the cases. Thus, these cases are "filled" with a brass layer which cuts costs and adds strength to the finished case, while still not wearing through to the base metal underneath for at least the number of years that the case was guaranteed for. These are far more durable than "plated" cases which have a much thinner electrolytically deposited layer of gold.
As for age, your case may be a bit older than the movement. C-W is listed as being in business from 1875 to 1892, although these dates are approximate. Possibly someone placed a new Waltham movement in the still serviceable case, or that the case laid around in a jewer's showroom for a very long time.

[Kate N]

Glad you corrected my error re: filled vs. plated. That's what happens when I post past my bedtime :frown:

[Kent]

Hi lhight:

Welcome to the NAWCC Pocket Watch Message Board!

To add to what Ed posted, the book, "History of the American Watch Case," Warren H. Niebling, Whitmore Publishing, Philadelphia, PA, 1971 (available on loan by mail to members from the NAWCC Library & Research Center (http://www.nawcc.org/Library/library.htm)), has a small amount to say about the Essex Watch Case Co. It began in 1884, making a grade of gold-filled cases named "Columbia (http://photos17.flickr.com/19728057_432de12c72_o.jpg)." After several years, Thomas B. Hagstoz, who at one time was in a partnership that held the J. Boss patent for gold-filled case manufacture, was named president of Essex. Under his leadership, Essex expanded its line to include 14K and 18K solid gold cases as well as silver cases. "By 1894 they were turning out 300 cases a day."

The Essex Watch Case Co. appears to have been taken over by Courvoisier-Wilcox some time between 1892, when the Columbia Grade was Still Being Sold by the Essex Watch Case Co. (http://photos5.flickr.com/19696912_90806446b8_o.jpg), and 1895, at which time surviving ads show the change. This firm continued the Essex line of solid gold cases, gold-filled cases, such as the Superior (http://photos14.flickr.com/19696913_7299605ebd_o.jpg) (and probably others) and silver cases as well.

By June of 1905, Courvoisier-Wilcox passed into the hands of a receiver who Sold Off the Complete Stock of Watch Cases (http://photos16.flickr.com/19728058_e85e784c5c_o.jpg) to Wm. I. Rosenfeld. At that time the Remaining Assets of Courvoisier-Wilcox were Placed Up for Sale (http://photos15.flickr.com/19728059_5f4b2e6910_o.jpg).

So, it may not have been such a strech for the Essex Columbia case to have been new when the Waltham movement was placed in it.

Edited to correct Essex/C-W dates