american waltham watch co

[Steven Mercer]

Margaret

From the serial number you gave, 8978999, the "Waltham Pocket Watch Identification and Price Guide" which is still available at, hoapress.com (http://www.hoapress.com/) , has this watch listed as an 18 size, model 83, grade Sterling, 7 jewels, pendant set, open face, and unadjusted. A Sterling grade is a fairly common watch, as Waltham produced over 850,000 of this grade.

Hope this information helps.

Steve

[Kent]

margaret:

The same reference book that Steve mentioned shows serial number 8,978,999 to have been built in about 1899. The Sterling grade was produced over a number of years. You can see an earlier catalog listing for the movement at:
http://elginwatches.org/scans/sales_catalogs/1887_S_F_Myers/m_waltham_watches.html
(you should copy this link and paste it in your browser address bar since directly linking to this website from the NAWCC Message Board is not possible)

The Fortune case may well have been made in Canada. Are there any other markings stamped into the case back? Did your father live, or travel, in Canada?

Only a small percentage of American watches (or Swiss watches for the North American market) were cased at the factories prior to the mid-1920's. Most watch companies just made movements (the "works") in industry standard sizes. The case companies made cases in those same sizes. The practice at that time was to go to a jeweler, select the quality of the movement and then pick out the desired style and quality of case. The jeweler would then fit the movement to the case in a matter of moments.

Or, watches were sold by mail-order. Large outfits such as Sears, Roebuck & Co., Montgomery Ward, or T. Eaton (in Canada), would offer the movements in a variety of cases of different design and quality in their catalogs. Smaller mail-order retailers would case the watches, typically in a 20-year gold filled case and offer it only that way, with the buyer not having a choice of cases.

To answer your question about if it is a railway watch, I'm afraid not. Railroad (railway) watches had to meet stringent timekeeping requirements. You can learn more about railroad watches at "Just What Is A Railroad Watch?" On the Pocket Horology, NAWCC Chapter 174 Website (http://www.pockethorology.org/).

Also, you can view a 1902 T. Eaton catalog page which lists a 7-jewel Waltham watch in addition to higher grade Waltham watches that are identified as watches that "... will Pass Railway Inspection."
http://elginwatches.org/scans/non_elgin_ads/1902/m_T_Eaton_RR.html
(again, you should copy this link and paste it in your browser address bar since directly linking to this website from the NAWCC Message Board is not possible)

Notice that the watches in the T. Eaton catalog page are offered in gold-filled, silver or nickel cases.

Hope this helps,
Kent

That guy down in Georgia :smile:

[This message was edited by Kent on September 19, 2003 at 14:26.]