My first AWC model 1857

[miguel angel cladera]

As many of you know, I don't allow myself to call myself a "collector of American watches", but I do like to collect watches that for some reason are representative of the American watch industry. In this case it is a W. Ellery which, according to its serial number, was made in December 1865, months after the end of the Civil War and the assassination of Lincoln...

The case, which looks original to the box itself, bears a patriotic eagle stamp on both lids, but no maker's mark. Another thing that I think is very representative of American industry is its movement. We all know how important this calibre was in the development of the industry.

Unfortunately, the customs agents opened the package, releasing the watch from its packaging and leaving it free inside the cardboard box... I can't even imagine how many knocks it must have taken. It seems that the balance wheel and the hairspring are rubbing against each other and the watch is not working properly, but as I was going to give it a service anyway, we'll see what's wrong with it and I hope it's nothing serious.

It is not a luxury watch, its movement is not the most sophisticated, but I think it should not be missing in any collection. For me in particular, this watch tells me a very important part of the history of the USA and its watch industry.

Hope you like my friends.

 

[TaborClock]

Very nice sprung under movement. And a Boston barrel bridge. Very nice find..

 

[miguel angel cladera]

It seems that these cheaper watches were chewed up by AWC at the bridge with Boston Mass and not Waltham so that people would not identify them too closely with the company, yet it was the biggest sales success it had and cemented the model for the new industry. The box bears two eagle stamps with no maker's name. Is it possible that it is from the AWC, but they didn't engrave it either? I would like to know who made it, if anyone has any idea?

 

[Clint Geller]

As many of you know, I don't allow myself to call myself a "collector of American watches", but I do like to collect watches that for some reason are representative of the American watch industry. In this case it is a W. Ellery which, according to its serial number, was made in December 1865, months after the end of the Civil War and the assassination of Lincoln...

View attachment 750364

The case, which looks original to the box itself, bears a patriotic eagle stamp on both lids, but no maker's mark. Another thing that I think is very representative of American industry is its movement. We all know how important this calibre was in the development of the industry.

View attachment 750365

Unfortunately, the customs agents opened the package, releasing the watch from its packaging and leaving it free inside the cardboard box... I can't even imagine how many knocks it must have taken. It seems that the balance wheel and the hairspring are rubbing against each other and the watch is not working properly, but as I was going to give it a service anyway, we'll see what's wrong with it and I hope it's nothing serious.

View attachment 750366

It is not a luxury watch, its movement is not the most sophisticated, but I think it should not be missing in any collection. For me in particular, this watch tells me a very important part of the history of the USA and its watch industry.

Hope you like my friends.

That's a nice early Model 1857, Miguel. It's a pity about the damage it suffered in the mail, but I'm sure it is remediable. Many American case makers used eagle stamps at this time, so it would likely be impossible to tell the maker from the stamp. The arched company signature on your dial is contemporaneous with your movement. However, the dials of Wm. Ellery Grade movements generally were unsigned in this period, and for the same reason the barrel bridge reads only, "Boston Mass." So your dial may actually have come from a higher grade Model 1857 movement.

The AWCo introduced the William Ellery Grade, which came to be known as the "soldiers' watch," only a month after the rebel attack on Fort Sumter and President Lincoln's initial call for 75,000 troops to defend the Union. The Ellery Grade was named after Senator William Ellery of Rhode Island, then deceased, who had signed the Declaration of Independence, and/or the senator's grandson, William Ellery Channing, who was a popular contemporaneous Unitarian preacher. It is very likely no coincidence that both men were known to have had abolitionist sympathies.

 

[miguel angel cladera]

That's a nice early Model 1857, Miguel. It's a pity about the damage it suffered in the mail, but I'm sure it is remediable. Many American case makers used eagle stamps at this time, so it would likely be impossible to tell the maker from the stamp. The arched company signature on your dial is contemporaneous with your movement. However, the dials of Wm. Ellery Grade movements generally were unsigned in this period, and for the same reason the barrel bridge reads only, "Boston Mass." So your dial may actually have come from a higher grade Model 1857 movement.

The AWCo introduced the William Ellery Grade only a month after the rebel attack on Fort Sumter and President Lincoln's initial call for 75,000 troops to defend the Union. The Ellery grade was named after Senator William Ellery of Rhode Island, then deceased, who had signed the Declaration of Independence, and/or the senator's grandson, William Ellery Channing, who was a popular contemporaneous Unitarian preacher. It is very likely no coincidence that both men were known to have had abolitionist sympathies.

Thank you so much for the information Clint

 

[miguel angel cladera]

At the end it brought more work than we thought. The Rubi ellipse was broken and all the pivot centres had to be rectified....But now it is clean and working again!

I have written this. It is in Spanish, but you can use the translation tool. If anyone notices a mistake, please report it.

American Watch Co. Wm Ellery: A Watch For The History Books.

1865 fue un año cargado de importantes acontecimientos que marcaron la historia de los Estados Unidos de América. Algunos de ellos aun resuenan en la memoria colectiva de los habitantes de esta nación.

www.safonagastrocrono.club

 

[miguel angel cladera]

With the invaluable help of Dr. Clint Geller I have been able to rewrite in an acceptable translation my article about this fantastic watch. I would like to make public my thanks for his advice and very good observations and corrections. I know that many times the language barrier can be an inconvenience, but I feel fortunate to belong to this community and make my small contribution.

American Watch Co. Wm Ellery: A Watch For The History Books. (English Version)

1865 was a year full of important events that marked the history of the United States of America. Some of them still resonate in the collective memory of the inhabitants of this nation.

www.safonagastrocrono.club

Hope you like.

 

[Clint Geller]

With the invaluable help of Dr. Clint Geller I have been able to rewrite in an acceptable translation my article about this fantastic watch. I would like to make public my thanks for his advice and very good observations and corrections. I know that many times the language barrier can be an inconvenience, but I feel fortunate to belong to this community and make my small contribution.

American Watch Co. Wm Ellery: A Watch For The History Books. (English Version)

1865 was a year full of important events that marked the history of the United States of America. Some of them still resonate in the collective memory of the inhabitants of this nation.

www.safonagastrocrono.club

Hope you like.

Thank you for making the important story of the Wm. Ellery Grade Model 1857 available in the Spanish language, Miguel.