Waltham pocket watch on a strap

[richard mortlock]

Also posted on wristwatches.
Can you help me get some background. I own a size 12 open face 17 jewel watch in a case set up as a wristwatch. Serial no 24159673. It has a black dial with offset second hand. The case appears purpose made. I believe the movement is manufactured circa 1922.
Do you know, is this a purpose made item of a deliberate design, or is it a one off make up . Did Waltham actually produce these as forerunners of wristwatches? Or is it only a privately adapted pocket watch? Whichever - its a really good item. Any information please.

[Tom McIntyre]

It is an interesting item.

Waltham was well into the wristwatch business by the time this watch was made, so it would not be a precursor. The L-10 Lady Waltham started with sn 11524501 right around 1900. All the L-size model watches were exclusively for WW use.

You can find information about the early wristwatches in the Waltham Serial Number Database > Model and Grade Report (http://www.nawcc-info.org/WalthamDB/ModeluGrade.asp). Unfortunately there is not a lot of information in the database for these later runs that are transcriptions from the Gray Book.

[Jon Hanson]

There were some similar Waltham watches made up as a prop for a movie, circa 1988.

[richard mortlock]

Many thanks Jon and Tom. I'd really like to know what that film was if you know Jon.
Tom - what is WW? I'm sorry for my ignorance - does it mean World War?
I'll carry on looking into this watch. It looks like I got what I wanted when I bought it - a pocket watch to wear on the wrist!:)

[Tom McIntyre]

Sorry about that WW=Wristwatch and PW=Pocket Watch.

If you use the model and grade report and look for models that start with L-, you will see all the exclusively wrist watch listings. The other small sizes such as 6/0 and 18/0 generally have a model name different from the size.

Try running the model and grade report with "L-%" for the model and "%" for the grade. (You will also catch the Col-14, etc models but there are only a few of those.)

[Jon Hanson]

Many thanks Jon and Tom. I'd really like to know what that film was if you know Jon.
Tom - what is WW? I'm sorry for my ignorance - does it mean World War?
I'll carry on looking into this watch. It looks like I got what I wanted when I bought it - a pocket watch to wear on the wrist!:)

As I wrote my last post I was thinking of the name of the movie, but I can't quite remember it.......it will come to me.

Two such pocket/WW were made to order, one being a backup in the advent of breakage.

The reason I know about this is that a friend of mine had them made up for the props dept., and I was in the store at the time and was asked to supply a matching pair of Waltham mov'ts for the project.

[richard mortlock]

Thanks again. I have a theory on this watch that I really would like you to comment on. The last post on the WW forum suggested it might be a recent conversion from Easten Europe or Far East. I've had courage to take the back of the case. I find both bezel and case have the imprint (deeply scratched inside) ' ND/M ' - but more to help is that there are several watchmakers marks for service - the most legible takes it back to 22nd April '38. Since the movement date is circa 1922 and I have this service date I'm assuming the watch was converted in the Depression years in between 1922 and 1938 - so I'm thinking this could actualy be a Depression years conversion. I have vague memory of seeing a similar configuration dial for sale - plain white with second hand offset to the 9 position.
What do you think? :confused: