Hello.

I’m going to sell this private label Waltham 23j wind indicator but I really don’t know what it’s value should be. I was hoping that some members could give me their ideas on this.

The watch is a 23j 16s Waltham wind indicator with a private label dial marked “Hardy & Co.” and a movement marked “Made by Waltham Watch Co. for Hardy & Co., Seattle” It’s a 1908 model and from what I’ve been told may be from early in that model’s run. I’ve attached two pictures that hopefully give some idea of condition. The movement is pretty free from blemishes. The regulator has some corrosion which I see and some of the lettering has lost their black infill. It’s not been cleaned but does operate properly. It has the dust ring still. The dial has only one problem I can see and that’s chipping around the “donut” that the indicator hand sits in. The picture should show this pretty well. No hairlines or other damage I can see with magnification. The watch came to me in a 10k Keystone Victory rolled gold plate case that not only isn’t from the era of the movement but looks like about a half dozen watches have lived in it. I plan on offering the buyer that case or a quite nice Dueber 20 year gold filled case that looks to only have had a Waltham in it before. No brassing or dents to this case and a stiff bow. The Dueber case will need a new crystal since the one on it is scratch a bit.

As an FYI Ed Ueberall and Kent Singer were nice enough to give this watch a blurb in the August 2008 Bulletin.

OK, after absorbing all of that and the pictures can anyone give me an idea of what I might ask for it? Is it worth more than a regular 23j Vanguard wind indicator? The same? Less?

I’ve not found out much about Hardy & Co. but I did find some pictures of their store:

Hardy & Co. 1

Hardy & Co 2

Hardy & Co 3

Hardy & Co 4

Thanks for any help you can give! I really appreciate it.

-Tom Overfield

Tom, Try reloading the pictures, they look like something that may not be obtainable here.

Assuming it is a Vanguard Grade 23J W.I. by the Damaskeening patterns like my nearby s/n W I below, and noting that the "run" was from 500 PC's "Various Specials", this may be the only one left of a very few made in the first place. Given that, I would estimate $1250.00 to $1500.00 and possibly higher in a good gold-filled case, and if a Private Label collector got wind of it.

Thanks for the help David! I'm going to put it up for sale here at auction. I want it to go to a good home! Hopefully someone is interested in it.

Best,
Tom O.