New York Chronograph Watch Co Production

[Bila]

Would anyone be keeping production figures for the New York Chronograph Watch Company Production, and does someone know what time frame that they started to use the "US Watch Co of Waltham" material?

I remember reading an article about the Company and it had stated somewhere around 1896, but this is at odds with the dates of the Companies existence with regard to info in the Pocket Watch Guide (fat book).

 

[Greg Frauenhoff]

Bila,

I don't know what the "fat book" has to say about the New York Chronograph Watch Co. but far and away the best published info on it is the article by Mike Harrold in an old NAWCC Bulletin.

A quick comment, the 18s mvts are similar to the Manhattan products and the 16s ones are based on the US of Waltham model.

Cheers,

Greg

 

[Bila]

Thanks Greg, I will have a look for that article in the old Bulletin issues, it might of been Mike Harrold's article that I once before had stumbled across. The fat book lists the Company as operating between 1883-85 which is way out of kilter with the 1896 that is in my memory bank. Also I notice that the fat book only has 7-11 Jewel watches listed in the US Waltham design, but the one I have here is 15 Jewels.

 

[Greg Frauenhoff]

Bila,

The fat book has lots of good info but the farther off the beaten' track you get the more iffy it becomes.

Show us your new find (if you have such). I still have few NY Chronograph Watch Co. items around and will try to post such, but you should get things started.

Greg

 

[Bila]

Will post photos a bit later today Greg, it is the 16s without the chrono gear, just the sweep seconds as the larger majority of the US Watch Co material was and with very few chrono parts found judging by Mike's article.

 

[Bila]

Here is some photos of the 16 Size watch based on the US Watch Company of Waltham movement, circa 1996 approximately from what I have read from Mike Harrold's Bulletin piece. Also probably the originally case in my opinion.

 

[Greg Frauenhoff]

Terrific looking watch (and rather scarce).

 

[Greg Frauenhoff]

Bila,

I can't quite make out the serial number on yours. Can you provide? Also, yours is marked "Adjusted" while my 2 aren't. A long time ago I had some data online but the hosting service died and my web page along with it.

Anyway, here are 3 different 16s dials:



Greg

 

[Bila]

That middle one Greg is very similar to the one used on the Waltham Chrono's with the "Lugrin Patent" from memory. I like that fancy dial, very nice. The one I have is a nice example and hasn't been butchered by the looks, probably hasn't seen a service for a long time but has been within 1/2 min a day. It is marked adjusted, has the Breguet hairspring as it should and split expansion balance, dial has been pulled to check that it is 15 Jewel. Do you know if yours are 15 jewel or 7-11 Jewel, just wondering as you said yours are not marked adjusted? I just noticed that I put 1996 instead 1896 in one of the above posts, sorry.

 

[Greg Frauenhoff]

Some s/n data for these interesting watches. The 18s ones are based on Manhattan while the 16s ones are based on a US of Waltham mvt. The former are generally complete functioning chronographs whereas the later only rarely have the chrono parts. The bulk of the data is from Mike Harrold's fine Bulletin article.

18s: 170274, 170571, 170618, 170905, 171283, 171320, 171436, 172645, 172798, 172816, 172927, 173199, 173228, 173288, 173320, 173395, 173404, 173574

16s: 174091 (with complete chrono parts), 174195, 174381, 174462, 174484, 174492, 174593, 174793, 174918, 174935

 

[Greg Frauenhoff]

Some s/n data for these interesting watches. The 18s ones are based on Manhattan while the 16s ones are based on a US of Waltham mvt. The former are generally complete functioning chronographs whereas the later only rarely have the chrono parts. The bulk of the data is from Mike Harrold's fine Bulletin article.

18s: 170274, 170571, 170618, 170905, 171283, 171320, 171436, 172645, 172798, 172816, 172927, 173199, 173228, 173288, 173320, 173395, 173404, 173574

16s: 174091 (with complete chrono parts), 174195, 174381, 174462, 174484, 174492, 174593, 174793, 174918, 174935

A few new sightings.

18s: 172968, 173199

16s: 174627 (fancy dial), 174805, 174951, 174981

BTW, though they seldom show up for sale they generally can be had for a relative pittance. These are, as the saying goes, sleepers.

 

[Greg Frauenhoff]

18s: 170274, 170571, 170618, 170905, 171283, 171320, 171436, 172645, 172968, 172798, 172816, 172927, 173199, 173228, 173288, 173320, 173395, 173404, 173574

16s: 174091 (with complete chrono parts), 174195, 174381, 174462, 174484, 174492, 174593, 174627 (with fancy dial), 174793, 174805, 174918, 174935, 174951, 174981

18s, 19 reported examples between 170001 and 174000.

16s, 14 reported examples between 174001 and 175000.

From this admittedly small group of data it seems doubtful that 4000 of the 18s mvts were finished. Or else there is a significant reporting bias for the 16s mvts (which, in my opinion, seems unlikely).