I just got this today and think it is just neat! I was told that it was probably made by a student of a watch making class. There are no markings anywhere except a little on the balance bridge. The plates look to be hand cut. The dial is matte finish. It looks to have 11 ruby jewels and is key wind/set. The seller is trying to find the name of the watchmaker whose inventory he bought to, perhaps, find out more info on who made it. It is smooth winding and keeping very good time. Even if it proves to be other than a student watch, I still like it.

another view....

third photo...

last view....

Mary that,s a nice Piece ,,I have seen a few of these over the years and that could be what it is,,Most of the time although no always they would personallize them with their name..

The work did on this watch is great nice smooth edges on the plates most of the time these are rough but not this one...Great watch i like it..

Mary, I like those too, I have looked at them on line but yet to buy one. I agree with Samie that that one sure looks smooth.

I wonder if the orginal serial number might be under the balance cock or another one of the plates?

I was trying to figure out by the location of the regulator stud & the balance jewel screws & the hairspring stud who might have made the movement but I just don't know them well enough.

Tom

That's so neat! I like it too, and just like the others here, I think whoever did it, sure did a beautiful job. Much smoother than any I have seen.

Great find! Congratulations!

Just a thought,but that kinda looks like a custom job on a model 1883 Waltham. I am doing a similar job on a similar model myself,and this picture will help me with my project. I am using a dremel to cut away all the unneeded parts of the top and bottom plates. I hadn't considered cutting the balance bridge,but after seeing this one,I might just do it too. I am hand finishing all the edges,and I have a two crystal case,waiting for it. I have been working on mine for several weeks,and I will post a picture when it is finished. It should look a lot like this one.

Tom - I can take it apart but I don't know how to put them back together so am unable to check for any markings on the undersides of the plates. I did look closely and can see no visible markings other that what was left after trimming the balance cock.

Cecil - I am glad that my pictures will be of help to you in your project. I have several model 1883's and it does look very similar from what I can tell except this is key wind and the 1883's are not. Not having seen an 1883 "in the nude" I don't know if the layout is like that of, say, an 1857. I am just a collector and afficionado. I'd love to see pictures of your watch when you finish it.

Hey Mary Ann,
It is easy to put a key wind arbor,mainspring bridge,and a key wind cannon pinion on an 1883.
My book even lists the model 1883 in both key wind and stem wind. Also the model 1879 is very similar and it also came in key or stem wind. I'm still aways away from finishing mine. It was just something that I thought was a good idea when I started,and this picture will make it easier to finish,because I was having a problem trying to imagine what the finished watch would look like,and now I have a good idea.

Thanks for the information, Cecil. Keep on with your project and please post photos when you are done.

Waltham actually made 8150 11 Jewel Key Wind Model 1883 movements. Unfortunately the price guide "lumps" these together value-wise with the other 5,000,000 Pendant winding versions.

According to the old Vernon Hawkins research from many years ago, well over 400,000 Mdl.83 Walthams were made, ranging from the 7 jewel "Home" grade all the way up to the 15 jewel "Appleton Tracy & Co." grade.
Key wind Mdl.83s show up by the dozens on the UK Ebay site.

Harold, Vernon Hawkins report is exactly where I got my figures. Sorry I sort of estimated the total quantity which is actually 5,417,467 recorded 1883 movements. Of course there were a few Sterlings, Ellerys, AWCo's, and Export KW models with 11 Jewels and it would be a darned shame if it were one of those few that got "Skeletonized". I just was sorta hoping they did the most "common" run of 8150 Pc's.(see arrow)

Mary Ann, there should be a serial number on a face of the pillar plate. If we ever need to really know what this started out life as. In the meantime, it's a very nifty "show and tell" type piece.

Hi Mary Ann,
Thanks for sharing this interesting piece. I like it too!

David, That's the same sheet I used...with over 5.4 million Mdl.83 examples made, a few Skeletonized conversions shouldn't make to much difference.......

Well, I took it out of the case. The plates have been cut out to just the bare minimum. What looks like a plate is actually the back of the unfinished dial. I very carefully tried to lift it up to see if I could take it off and it wouldn't budge so I guess it is glued on. I still can't see any marks. If it's a kw 1883, that's okay with me. I like it.

David - glad you found your missing roller jewel!

another angle....