AUTHENTIC VINTAGE WALTHAM RETRO DRESS GENTS WRISTWATCH

MADE IN: USA

CIRCA: 1960's

MODEL: RETRO DRESS

CRYSTAL: ACRYLIC

MOVEMENT: HIGH GRADE WALTHAM 25 JEWELS AUTOMATIC MOVEMENT

DIAL COLOR: CREAM GOLD IN MINT CONDITION

FUNCTION: HOUR, MINUTE AND CENTER SWIPE SECOND

HANDS: LUMINOUS ARROW GOLD TONE METAL

MARKERS: RAISED GOLD TONE DIAMOND SHAPE MARKER

CASING : BASE METAL GP TOP/STAINLESS STEEL BACK

HINGING LUGS: 18mm

MEASUREMENT: 36mm DIAMETER INCLUDING CROWN and 37mm LUG TO LUG

BACK CASE ENGRAVING: -WALTHAM~SHOCK RESISTANT~WATERPROOF~ANTI MAGNETIC~ BASE METAL BEZEL~STAINLESS STEEL BACK

CROWN: ORIGINAL WALTHAM GP CROWN

STRAP: NEW GOLD PLATED BRACELET

STRAP SIZE: 8.5"

EXCELLENT CONDITION, WORKING, KEEPING TIME, DISCONTINUED MODEL & VERY RARE AND VERY HARD TO FIND

PRICE: USD120 (NEGOTIABLE)

BRIEF HISTORY OF WALTHAM WATCHES

American Waltham Watch Company, founded in 1850, were one of the largest watch makers of the 19th Century. The company was founded on a relationship between three men, in Massachusetts USA.
Mr David Davis, a Mr Dension and a Mr Howard. It was based on a dream that they could produce watches that were of good quality, yet were not made from some of the more expensive materials usually found on watches of the era.

By 1851, the trio had there own production house, and the name 'American Horology Company' was adopted.

In 1852 the company had renamed themselves and watches were being produced with the signature 'The Warran Mfg. Co.' after a Revolutionary War Hero.
Watches 1 - 17, the first from the production line, were not placed on the market but were instead given to the company officials, and executives.
From then on the company went through a number of name changes, with watches #18 - 110 being engraved with "Warren Boston", the next 800 were marked "Samuel Curtis" (The Main Financial Backer of the Company) and a few were marked "Fellows and Schel" and were sold for $40.

In September 1853 the name was changed yet again to 'Boston Watch Company' an d a factory was erected in Waltham, Massachusetts in October 1854. The movements produced at this building are marked #1,001 to #5,000 and were marked with the engraving of "Dennison, Howard & Davis,", "C.T.Parker", and "P.S. Bartlett".
Times were hard and the Boston Watch Company failed in 1857, and was subsequently sold at Auction to Royal E Robbins.

In May 1857, the company was shuffled and became "Appleton, Tracey & Co.", and the watches produced in this time carried the serial numbers between, 5,001 and 14,000 ,model 1857. The C.T.Parker movement was re-introduced as Model 1857 and was sold for $12, 399 were made. In 1855 brass watches were being sold for $1. Also at this time 598 chronometers were made, and by January 1858 the P.S.Bartlet watch was made.

In January 1859, the Waltham Improvement Company and Appleton, Tracey & Co. merged to form The American watch Company.

Also an interesting fact is that, according to the biography by Carl Sandburg, Abraham Lincoln himself carried an American Waltham wrist watch, the 'William Ellory' Model, produced by Waltham, in 1863 and was an 18 size, 1859 ¾ plate model with steel balance.

The Waltham name is synonymous with quality and craftmanship, and remain to this day, very desirable timpieces and some of the Waltham finest watches were made in Le Locke, Switzerland.

This is a peculiar Waltham watch from the 60s, during the height of the “jewel war” Another interesting sight to note is the swiss movement, which was identical to those used in many early Blancpain Bathyscaphe watches. It was know that after the closure of Waltham manufacturing facilities in US in the early 60s, it imported and marketed Swiss watches in US, including the some of the famous divewatches made by Blancpain and LIPS.

Company Name History:

Approximate Date	Company Name
1850, September	Howard, Davis and Dennison, Roxbury Mass
1851 (for 6 months.)	American Horology Co., Roxbury Mass.
1851-1853	The Warren Mfg. Co., Roxbury Mass.
1853 (Sept) - 1857 (May)	Boston Watch Co., Roxbury Mass & Waltham Mass.
1857	Tracy Baker & Co., Waltham Mass.
1857-1859	Appleton Tracy and Co., Waltham Mass.
1859-1885	American Watch Co., Waltham Mass.
1885-1923	American Waltham Watch Co., Waltham Mass.
1923-1957	Waltham Watch Co., Waltham Mass.