1908 Waltham?

[artbissell]

I am inclined to believe original case and movement. Nice case 0s Model 1900 15j mvnt. of 1908. Old proper band. 1915 catalogue version. Critics welcome.

[richiec]

Nice one, Art. Wouldn't it be nice if you could pick up an original looking leather band, too. I am not a fan of the dangling metal bracelets, they get caught and break frequently though they look much nicer when dressed up. I have a couple of Walthams and one Elgin I let my wife wear on special occasions only as she is hard on a watch and doesn't understand about no shock resistance or not being water resistant.

[Don Dahlberg]

Art,

What catalog is that? Hamilton introduced their first men's wristwatch in 1916 and did not appear in their catalogs until 1917.

Don

[artbissell]

Attachment 121987

Art,

What catalog is that? Hamilton introduced their first men's wristwatch in 1916 and did not appear in their catalogs until 1917.

Don

Jeweler wholesale catalog Norris, Alister Ball Co. Chicago 1916. About 100 various w.w. from Elgin, Waltham, Ingersol, Swiss. No Hamilton.
Since before 1900 similar styles available but little demand.

All cases with metal loops shown only with leather straps. So metal one a later replacement.

[Cary Hurt]

Art,

I am always inclined to say that the "crown at 12" orientation suggests a converted pendant watch, but of course there are examples of original wristwatches sold this way. Of course, these were still being put together by jobbers and jewelers at the time, and they would make anything a customer would pay for.

All in all, I would give this one a strong maybe. I don't see anything to rule it out, but as 1908 is so very early, it could still have been put together at some later date.

Cary

[artbissell]

Art,

I am always inclined to say that the "crown at 12" orientation suggests a converted pendant watch, but of course there are examples of original wristwatches sold this way. Of course, these were still being put together by jobbers and jewelers at the time, and they would make anything a customer would pay for.

All in all, I would give this one a strong maybe. I don't see anything to rule it out, but as 1908 is so very early, it could still have been put together at some later date.

Cary

Well stated. I guess impossible to know if actually from Waltham.

This old 0s Elgin in cheapest no hinge case seems like the catalog image and nickel case description below:

[Don Dahlberg]

If it was cased by Waltham, then the advertisement would have said that it was factory cased.

This is a very strange time for men's wristwatches. A man wearing a wristwatch in 1915 would be equivalent to carrying a man-purse today, acceptable in Europe but a subject of remarks in the US. By the time the soldiers are returning from WWI, a wristwatch was acceptable for veterans and during sporting events only.

Even the factory cased watches were women's movements put in wristwatch cases until the mid 1920s. What we are trying to figure out is when did the various watch producers actually start factory casing wristwatches. I found a man's wristwatch in what we think is a 1916 Hamilton price list, and in the 1917 catalog. I suspect that Elgin and Waltham may have cased watches before Hamilton. Regardless the majority of male wristwatches were put together by jobbers.

Don

[Jeff Hess]

webb c ball made wrist watches in 1917, small like that, complete with circular damaskeening etc.