• Waltham Watch Company Serial Numbers
• Waltham Pocket Watch Case Serial Numbers
• Waltham Pocket Watch Case Serial Number Lookup
• Waltham Watch Case Serial Numbers

Including Waltham Watch Serial Numbers and Production Dates

Always input the serial number from the pocket watch movement (the 'guts' of the watch). Never use the serial number from the case or any other part. If the serial number includes a letter, enter it along with the number when using the lookup feature. Many pocket watch case backs screw off. Others may require a dull wide blade to pry or pop the. All Waltham pocket watches have a serial number stamped on the movement (the 'works') inside the watch. The serial number can be checked against an online Waltham pocket watch list, which will give the approximate year of manufacture. Waltham pocket watch serial numbers can be accessed by opening the case back. To open a case back determine whether the watch has a screw-down, hunting. Jan 23, 2016  The name was changed to Boston Watch Company in September 1853, and the factory in Waltham, Massachusetts was built in October 1854. The movements produced here serial numbers 1001 - 5000 were signed Dennison, Howard, Davis, C. Parker, and P. The Boston Watch Company failed in 1857 and was sold at auction to Royal E. I am a newbie here, and I need your help identifying approx year of a mens wristwatch. I purchased the wristwatch from a thirft store. The watch is a square face mens watch with leather straps that states Waltham on the front. I removed the back of the case, and it says the following: France, unadjusted, 7 jewels, Waltham Watch co. (There are no serial numbers.). The serial number (3097487) allows you to date this watch. This pocket watch was made in 1886. You can find this information on the American Waltham page.

Dec 07, 2017  You can find out some basic facts about your Waltham watch by entering the serial number on the movement (the 'works') in the field on the NAWCC Information Storage - Waltham Serial Number Data Base (don't use any commas). There is also a Glossary of the terms provided by the serial number lookup. Nov 23, 2012  Waltham Pocket Watches Serial Numbers. Like the Elgin pocket watch the important serial number to look for is the serial number on the movement of the watch. You may also find a number on the case but this is of no relevance when working out the age or grade of your watch.

Waltham, Massachusetts

1850 - 1957

The American Waltham watch factory on the banks of the Charles River

Waltham Watch Company Serial Numbers

The American Waltham Watch Company had its beginnings in 1850 in Roxbury, Massachusetts. The company was founded by David Davis, Aaron Dennison, and Edward Howard. Their vision was to form a watch company that could produce high-quality watches at a lower cost using interchangeable parts. With financial backing from Samuel Curtis, of small-arms manufacturing fame, the watch production began in 1851, and the first small group of watches were finished in late 1852. The first watches produced went to officials of the company, and it was not until 1853 that the first watches were offered for sale to the public.

Problems were encountered with the new production methods. The company was exploring innovative new ideas in watch manufacturing, such as using jewels, making enamel dials, and producing plates with a high-level of finish which required extensive tooling and resulted in a great financial burden. They also found that even though they were using interchangeable parts, each watch was still unique and had its own set of errors to be corrected. It took months to adjust the watches to the point where they were any better than other widely available timepieces.

In 1853, the factory building was completed and the company began doing business under the name 'American Horologe Company.' The name was changed to 'Boston Watch Company' in September 1853, and the factory in Waltham, Massachusetts was built in October 1854. The movements produced here (serial numbers 1001 - 5000) were signed 'Dennison, Howard,& Davis,' 'C. T. Parker,' and 'P. S. Bartlett.'

The company went through a series of financial reorganizations and renamings over the next decades. The Boston Watch Company failed in 1857 and was sold at auction to Royal E. Robbins. It was reorganized as 'Tracy, Baker & Co.' and later that same year the name was again changed to 'Appleton, Tracy & Co' and watches 5001 - 14,000 were produced. The first movements carried the Appleton, Tracy & Co. marking. The C. T. Parker movement was reintroduced as the model 1857 and sold for $12, no small amount in those days!

Waltham During the Civil War Years

In January, 1859 the Waltham Improvement Co. and the Appleton, Tracy & Co. merged to form the 'American Watch Company.'

The dial department of the Waltham Watch factory.

In 1860, as Abraham Lincoln was elected President and the country found itself in the throes of the Civil War, the American Watch Company was faced with serious financial problems. By 1861, business had come to a standstill and bankruptcy seemed inevitable. The factory was kept in operation through these years by cutting expenses to the lowest possible level.. a strategy that proved successful.

I would call the proper authorities or 9-1-1 if necessary. Would your current employer be willing to provide a reference for you? Interview questions for school bus driver job. I would also get in touch with my dispatcher so they could guide me on what to do as I waited for the proper assistance and support to show up on-site.'

According to the biography by Carl Sandburg, Abraham Lincoln owned and carried a Waltham 'Wm. Ellery' watch. The watch was an 11-jewel, 18 size, key-wind in a silver hunter case, and was produced in January of 1863.

In 1885, the company became the 'American Waltham Watch Company'. In 1865 prices for movements only (no case) were: William Ellery $13, P. S. Bartlett $16, Bartlett-Ladies $30, Appleton Tracy $38, A. T. & Co Ladies $40, and American Watch Grade $175!

In 1906 the company was renamed the 'Waltham Watch Company'. In 1923, they became the 'Waltham Watch and Clock Company' reflecting the new importance of clock manufacturing, but then in 1925 the name was changed back to 'Waltham Watch Company'.

American Horology owes much to the brilliant visionaries of the Waltham Watch Company. Bacon, Church, Dennison, Fogg, Howard, Marsh, Webster, and Woerd all contributed greatly to American watchmaking.

Waltham continued to manufacture watches (and clocks) until 1957, when they ceased production and became the Waltham Precision Instrument Company. The rights to the name 'Waltham Watch Company' were sold to the Hallmark Watch Company of Chicago, Illinois who continued to sell imported watches using the Waltham name. Several of the original Waltham factory buildings are still standing, and were added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1989.

Waltham Named Grades

In addition to using grade numbers, Waltham also used many grade names on their watches, often choosing the names of Board members, company investors, or other prominent individuals. The grade name basically designates the model and/or level of finish of the watch. Some of the more popular Waltham named grades were:

P. S. Bartlett, Appleton Tracy & Co., William Ellery, Crescent Street, Colonial, Riverside, Central Park, Broadway, Royal E. Robbins, Vanguard, Bond Street, Sterling, Premier, Royal, and Maximus.

Modern Waltham Watches

It is still possible to purchase modern quartz watches that bear the Waltham name, but these watches are unrelated to the 'genuine' American Waltham Watch Company. In fact, a 1961 ruling by the Federal Trade Commission prohibited any inference that a relationship to the original Waltham Watch Company exists.

The bustling traffic outside the Waltham Watch factory at noon

American Waltham Watch Company

Total Production: Approx. 35 Million Watches

Be sure to use the serial number on the movement (the works) of the watch. Do not use the serial number from the watch case.

Can’t find your serial number in the table? Click here for an explanation and example of how to use our serial number tables.

Need help finding the serial number on your watch? Click here for instructions on how to identify and open most common case types.

At Renaissance Watch Repair, we are experts in the repair and restoration of antique watches made by the American Waltham Watch Company. Please contact us if you have any questions about the repair of your vintage Waltham watch.

Thanks for reading this article on Waltham pocket watches. I am not an expert on these watches by any means but I thought I would include a section on Waltham as that was where the Elgin company actually started from so in many ways their history is inter-linked.

Waltham Pocket Watches Value

The main question I always get asked is what is the value of a pocket watch. I can never tell you that with any degree of accuracy as there are just too many variables. There are so many things that contribute to the value of a watch that it would be unfair to even an offer an estimate. The bottom line is the value will always be determined by what someone is willing to pay for it and who can ever guess what that may be?

Waltham watches were made between 1851 and 1957 in the city of Waltham near Massachusetts in the USA. There are many collectors of these antique watches and as a general rule of thumb the rarer and older the watch is then the more value it will have. The best place to start in terms of identification is to find out what type of watch you actually have. There are three types of antique pocket watches which are:

1. Side Winder – You can identify this as it has no cover on the face and the winder will be positioned at 3 o’clock
2. Open Face – It also has no cover but the winder is positioned at 12 o’clock
3. Hunter – This will always have a closed case that covers the front of the watch.

Although difficult try to avoid touching the actual movement with your fingers as this can cause problems. You should now be able to get a note of the serial number though you may need a magnifying glass to see this properly. Take a note of this number and match it in the table below.

Waltham Pocket Watches Serial Numbers

Waltham Pocket Watch Case Serial Numbers

Like the Elgin pocket watch the important serial number to look for is the serial number on the movement of the watch. You may also find a number on the case but this is of no relevance when working out the age or grade of your watch. Back when these were made Waltham would have made the movements only and the customer would than have got a jeweller to make a case to fit around the movement. It was only after the 1930’s that manufacturers like Waltham started selling the case and movement as a single piece.

The Waltham serial numbers are shown below :

Waltham Pocket Watches for Sale

If you are looking to purchase a watch from this manufacturer then there are a number of places where you will be able to find them. I always find the best place to be physical auction rooms in remote places. Here you can usually avoid avid collectors who will always push the price up. If you are lucky enough to do that then you can sneak under the radar and pick these up for a low price.

There is of course always eBay who sell a lot of these watches but you do need to exercise great care as I have seen quite a number of suspect Waltham watches on there. Personally I would only buy one here if there was some proof of authentication. I have used it myself a few times and bought them when they came with some type of proof or they didn’t cost that much.

Amazon also do a selection of watches and there are a few other random sites that also sell these which you can find by doing a simple search around the Internet. Always be wary before parting with any money and I would never do this unless there is some type of proof of authentication.

Vintage Waltham Pocket Watches

In simple terms the older the watch then the more likely it is to have a higher value. These watches were not made after 1967 so I guess you could assume that any Waltham pocket watch is vintage and there is no actual definition of what is a vintage one and which isn’t. The same two principles apply in that if it is older and working it is worth more and if it is a rare watch it is worth more.

They vary in price from as little as a few dollars to a few thousand dollars so it is completely your choice as to what you can afford. I have done an article on pocket watch appraisal which will help you understand what to look out for so hopefully you will find that useful. Click here for more information on that.

Waltham Pocket Watches Prices – How Much Are Waltham Pocket Watches Worth?

These vary greatly in price and I have seen them range from around $20 (usually for parts) all the way up to around $15,000. So if you have the right one then you could certainly have a valuable timepiece. The same principles apply to a Waltham as to any other vintage brand. Age is very important and the more unusual the better and if it it still works then you can be fairly certain your watch is worth a considerable amount of money.

It is impossible to do an evaluation over the Internet and even with close up pictures it is still very hard. There are so many things that need to be checked and verified and unless you are an expert and have the watch in your hand then to give an evaluation is simply misleading.

Vintage Waltham Pocket Watches ebay

I guess the question is “Are Waltham pocket watches valuable?” and again there is no one answer fits all when it comes to accurately determining the exact value. eBay is simply an online auction and the bidder will pay what they are willing to pay. That will ultimately determine the value of your watch if you are selling it. It is always the age old principle of supply and demand.

I checked on eBay to see how many watches made by Waltham were on sale and at any given time there are around 2,000 active and bidding sales. That is a lot for any product and the cheapest was $10 and the most expensive was just under $11,000 for a Gold Hunter style watch. That is typical of the variation for watches and really it comes down to how much you want to spend to get the best watch.

Waltham Pocket Watch Case Serial Number Lookup

My recommendation is that before you would spend anything you should really understand what makes a pocket watch valuable and also to take advice from an expert. I have done an article on watch appraisal and you should begin by reading that which you can do by clicking on the highlighted link. That will give you the basics and then you should be able to have a conversation with someone who can advise how much a watch is actually worth. I have found with all auction sites that sellers always ask a lot more than they actually know they will get so be wary of that.

Waltham Watch Case Serial Numbers

What many people don’t know is that Amazon also sell Waltham pocket watches though their range is limited but that site is also worth a search if you are in the market for a watch.