Kent
11-25-2003, 01:50 AM
Adam:
According to information in "Waltham Pocket Watch Identification and Price Guide," Roy Ehrhardt, Heart of America Press, Kansas City, MO, 1976 (A new edition is still in print - see Heart of America Press (http://www.hoapress.com)) and on the NAWCC Information Storage - Waltham Serial Number Data Base (http://www.nawcc-info.org/WalthamDB/LookupSN.asp), your first watch, Waltham serial number 11,352,385, was built in about 1903, give or take a year of so. It is a "Seaside" grade, model 1890 (in that period, Waltham named their models with the year that each model was designed). It comes from a run of movements 11,348,501 - 11,357,000 (a good example of American mass production). The run consisted of otherwise identical movements having between 7 and 15 jewels. These are 6-size watches, smallish size movements, intended for use in ladies' watches.
The American Waltham Watch Co. had its origins in the 1850's. It was the first successful company in America to manufacture watches in mass production using machinery to make identical (or at least, near identical) parts. Over the next hundred years or so of its existence, its output of jeweled watches (over 34 million) was only exceeded by one other company, the National Watch Co. at Elgin, IL. Commonly referred to as "Waltham," the company made a full line of watches ranging from modest, affordable watches to some of the finest watches made in this country.
The case was probably purchased separately at the time of sale. Being marked "Guaranteed Cyclone 10 years" indicates that it is a gold-filled case. "Cyclone" is the name of the grade of the case. According to "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):
1853 - Randolf & Reese Peters were making cases in Philadelphia, employing James Boss.
1859 - J. Boss received a patent for "spinning up" cases made of "gold-filled" type material. That is, material made of a sheet of composition metal (usually brass) sandwiched between two thin sheets of gold.
1871 - J. Boss sold patent rights to John Stuckert of Philadelphia.
1875 - T.B. Hagstoz & Charles N. Thorpe formed Hagstoz & Thorpe, purchasing the manufacturing facilities and "J. Boss" patent from the estate of John Stuckert.
1883 - 1885 - T.B Hagstoz withdrew from the company which became C.N. Thorpe Co. and shortly thereafter it was reorganized as the Keystone Watch Case Co.
Keystone then went on to absorb other case companies (and several watch companies), becoming one of the largest case manufacturers in the country. Keystone stayed in business another 80+ years.
Typically, the case serial number is stamped inside of the back, on your watch: 6902962. To keep the parts of cases together throughout the manufacturing process, the bezel and center ring are frequently stamped with the last 4 or 5 digits of the case serial number.
********************
Your second watch, the one made by the E. Howard Watch Co. Boston, is a 16-size gentleman's watch. The 1911 inscription was probably put on the watch when new, although most sources indicate that the watch was made a few years earlier. It may have sat in inventory for several years, not an uncommon occurance.
Back in 1901, the Philadelphia Watch Case Co. had purchased the U.S. Watch Co. at Waltham. In 1904, Keystone, Philadelphia and a number of other watch case companies merged, continuing under the Keystone name.
The Keystone Watch Case Co. had purchased the rights to use the Howard name on watches sometime around 1903 and, at first, had watches built under the E. Howard name by the American Waltham Watch Co., which Keystone-Howard then marketed. Upon merging with the Philadelphia Watch Case Co., Keystone acquired a watch factory in Massachusetts in 1904 and used it to begin making their "E. Howard Watch Co." brand of watch in 1905. Keystone-Howard stopped manufacturing watches around 1930, a victim of the Depression. The rights to the Howard name for use on watches was then sold to Hamilton.
Its believed that all Keystone-Howard watches were furnished in Howard-signed gold, or gold-filled Keystone or Crescent (a Keystone company) cases.
********************
A little information about your third watch can be found in "Serial Numbers and Descriptions of Fredonia and Peoria Watch Co. Movements," Greg Frauenhoff, Sedalia, CO, 2001 (available at this Link To Greg’s Books (http://hometown.aol.com/gfrauen10/gfrauen10.html)). It was built in the mid-1880's and was probably a grade #7.
********************
Your Bunn Special model case is something that would really appeal to a large number collectors who have Bunn Special grade movements that are supposed to go in those cases.
********************
Regarding repairing, check out What You Need To Know About Watch Repair at Wayne Schlitt's Elgin Website:
http://www.midwestcs.com/elgin/help/watch_repair.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)
I hope that others will be able to add more information.
Good luck,
Kent
That guy down in Georgia :smile:
[This message was edited by Kent on November 25, 2003 at 10:58.]
[This message was edited by Kent on November 25, 2003 at 11:04.]
According to information in "Waltham Pocket Watch Identification and Price Guide," Roy Ehrhardt, Heart of America Press, Kansas City, MO, 1976 (A new edition is still in print - see Heart of America Press (http://www.hoapress.com)) and on the NAWCC Information Storage - Waltham Serial Number Data Base (http://www.nawcc-info.org/WalthamDB/LookupSN.asp), your first watch, Waltham serial number 11,352,385, was built in about 1903, give or take a year of so. It is a "Seaside" grade, model 1890 (in that period, Waltham named their models with the year that each model was designed). It comes from a run of movements 11,348,501 - 11,357,000 (a good example of American mass production). The run consisted of otherwise identical movements having between 7 and 15 jewels. These are 6-size watches, smallish size movements, intended for use in ladies' watches.
The American Waltham Watch Co. had its origins in the 1850's. It was the first successful company in America to manufacture watches in mass production using machinery to make identical (or at least, near identical) parts. Over the next hundred years or so of its existence, its output of jeweled watches (over 34 million) was only exceeded by one other company, the National Watch Co. at Elgin, IL. Commonly referred to as "Waltham," the company made a full line of watches ranging from modest, affordable watches to some of the finest watches made in this country.
The case was probably purchased separately at the time of sale. Being marked "Guaranteed Cyclone 10 years" indicates that it is a gold-filled case. "Cyclone" is the name of the grade of the case. According to "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):
1853 - Randolf & Reese Peters were making cases in Philadelphia, employing James Boss.
1859 - J. Boss received a patent for "spinning up" cases made of "gold-filled" type material. That is, material made of a sheet of composition metal (usually brass) sandwiched between two thin sheets of gold.
1871 - J. Boss sold patent rights to John Stuckert of Philadelphia.
1875 - T.B. Hagstoz & Charles N. Thorpe formed Hagstoz & Thorpe, purchasing the manufacturing facilities and "J. Boss" patent from the estate of John Stuckert.
1883 - 1885 - T.B Hagstoz withdrew from the company which became C.N. Thorpe Co. and shortly thereafter it was reorganized as the Keystone Watch Case Co.
Keystone then went on to absorb other case companies (and several watch companies), becoming one of the largest case manufacturers in the country. Keystone stayed in business another 80+ years.
Typically, the case serial number is stamped inside of the back, on your watch: 6902962. To keep the parts of cases together throughout the manufacturing process, the bezel and center ring are frequently stamped with the last 4 or 5 digits of the case serial number.
********************
Your second watch, the one made by the E. Howard Watch Co. Boston, is a 16-size gentleman's watch. The 1911 inscription was probably put on the watch when new, although most sources indicate that the watch was made a few years earlier. It may have sat in inventory for several years, not an uncommon occurance.
Back in 1901, the Philadelphia Watch Case Co. had purchased the U.S. Watch Co. at Waltham. In 1904, Keystone, Philadelphia and a number of other watch case companies merged, continuing under the Keystone name.
The Keystone Watch Case Co. had purchased the rights to use the Howard name on watches sometime around 1903 and, at first, had watches built under the E. Howard name by the American Waltham Watch Co., which Keystone-Howard then marketed. Upon merging with the Philadelphia Watch Case Co., Keystone acquired a watch factory in Massachusetts in 1904 and used it to begin making their "E. Howard Watch Co." brand of watch in 1905. Keystone-Howard stopped manufacturing watches around 1930, a victim of the Depression. The rights to the Howard name for use on watches was then sold to Hamilton.
Its believed that all Keystone-Howard watches were furnished in Howard-signed gold, or gold-filled Keystone or Crescent (a Keystone company) cases.
********************
A little information about your third watch can be found in "Serial Numbers and Descriptions of Fredonia and Peoria Watch Co. Movements," Greg Frauenhoff, Sedalia, CO, 2001 (available at this Link To Greg’s Books (http://hometown.aol.com/gfrauen10/gfrauen10.html)). It was built in the mid-1880's and was probably a grade #7.
********************
Your Bunn Special model case is something that would really appeal to a large number collectors who have Bunn Special grade movements that are supposed to go in those cases.
********************
Regarding repairing, check out What You Need To Know About Watch Repair at Wayne Schlitt's Elgin Website:
http://www.midwestcs.com/elgin/help/watch_repair.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)
I hope that others will be able to add more information.
Good luck,
Kent
That guy down in Georgia :smile:
[This message was edited by Kent on November 25, 2003 at 10:58.]
[This message was edited by Kent on November 25, 2003 at 11:04.]