I bought a pre-Waltham Appleton Tracy & Co. Model 1857 PS Bartlett. I thought I would post a few photos of it.

The serial number is 8768, and dates the watch to March of 1858.

It has a nice engine turned sterling case, I made an earlier post trying to determine the maker.

https://ihc185.infopop.cc/eve/f...86047761/m/875102971

It is possibly a Mathey Bros., the case only has the one case screw mark, so I am curious if this was perhaps the orginal case. Brian had posted that they were in business inder this name from 1860-1880.

This is the front of the case.

The case back

The case has a nice reeded (I am guessing that is the proper name) edge.

The movement is a pinned bridge & pinned dial, from what I have been able to find some say they made both screwed or pinned, the pinned was an attempt at money saving.

It is a 7 jewel movement, the hairspring is pinned under the balance cock, again a cost saving feature.

While taking it a part for cleaning, I noted that each part was number 68, the last two digits of the serial number. Even the minute wheel & the hour wheel were stamped with the number 8.

So I am assuming it is all original.

I want to thank Samie Smith for the new mainspring so I could get this up & running again.

Tom

I also wanted to thank Brian Cavanaugh for some hands, I actually haven't put them on yet. I was hoping the old ones would work but the minute hand is a little too big & doesn't want to stay on the cannon pinion. So I will put Brian's on.

Well thanks for looking.

Tom

Tom,
That is a great watch! What stories it might tell! I've never seen one like it. Love those reeded edges, too!
Mike

Great watch Tom, looks like a survivor. And a good example as well.
Ray

Beautiful piece, Tom. James Buchanan was vascillating in the White House when that watch was made. Yours precedes my oldest watch (a Martyn Square) by exactly 20 years.

Tom,
Thats as nice an Appleton Tracy & Co. 1857 P.S. Bartlett grade as I've seen in a long long time . I am not a 18sz. guy but it sure whets the appetite This would probably fall in the first year of production for the new company. These pre Civil War watches are an important piece of true Americana. The watch looks very original to my eye and in top condition.Waltham Watch Co. continued to make KW watches I believe up until 1919 Thanks for showing and caretaking of this outstanding watch, I know how proud you must be!! Regards, bb

Thanks for the comments, it is the oldest American made watch that I have. I like it but I will probably put it up for sale eventually. As most of you know I try to keep ones that have a name attached to them & I have to sell them to buy them.

I will have to see how long it takes for me to find something else I want more. Boy I wish I was wealthy.

Buster, for what I have been able to find I guess Robbins bought the bankrupt Howard Dennison & Davis Boston watch company in Sept. of 1857 & started selling watches by Dec. of 1857. They merged with Waltham Improvement Company in Jan. 1859 & became the American Watch Co.

I have found conflicting serial numbers as to runs, some show my watch to be a 3 rd run but it gets confusing because apparently Robbins reused some of the Boston Watch Co.'s number so if they were not successful he could deny ownership (at least that was what I read).

Tom

That's a real gem, Tom! What a find, especially in such nice condition and with matching plate numbers! You have a excellent example. Well done!

Tom,
An absolutely fine example of an early Waltham.
I know I would consider myself lucky to have such a fine Waltham 1857 next to my other examples of 1857 Waltham's.
My information from (Origins of the Waltham Model 1857) says the second run of watches was #8301-#13700 in 1858. Pinned plates for the cheaper models to the end of 1858-#12500.

Thanks, so Ed from your information my would be a 2nd run?

Tom

A very nice example, Tom, and a great job of restoration also....Keep it up Bud....

Regards,

Jerry

Tom,
Yes, that is what Ron Price wrote. He even mentions the references (serial number ledgers)for his information.

Thank you for that, I keep running cross different sets of numbers & then the price guide has a whole other set. I am guessing the confusion stems from three of four watch companies changing hands in just a few years all making the same movement.

Tom

Tom,
Your dial falls right in with the other data.
"Approx. August 1858 - AT&Co, straight signature, not sunk seconds")

Tom

This is a watch with flair and history without a name attached, very fine condition, a time pice and contemporary witness of early watchmaking industry in America.

--- k e e p ---

Gerald

WOW!!!

Tom that,s beauty i really like the case.

Nice watch Tom I dont have any early pre civil war Walthams as they usually bring such a premium I sell to get the money. Hard to find one all original and in such a nice case, that one is a keeper.

Thanks for all the comments.

I spoke with Chris Abell & I am going to send this to him to take a look at. The watch will run for a few hours & then stop, once I start it again it will again run for a while but then stop again.

As I mentioned the hairspring is pinned & I re-pinned it in the same position it was when I started but it runs slow in this position, if I crank the regulator up past fast I can get it up to 16200 which I assume this runs at. Since this is so early a watch & I have terrible luck with hairsprings I thought I had better have Chris look at it.

The one unusual thing I found, when checking the watch for any magnetism, I discovered there is a huge magnetic field around the mainspring barrel, it is so high that when a compass is brought near it the needle will completely rotate to the opposite pole. I have never seen this before but I know it can't be good for it's running ability.

I tried to demagnetize it but I think it is so charged it didn't make a difference. I would pull the mainspring barrel back out & check it but I found with these early watches the barrel will not come out with out totally disassembling the watch & since I am sending it to Chris I will let him take a look at that too.

But again thanks for the comments, I thought perhaps I could get it going good on my own but I don't want to push my luck.

Tom

Nice Waltham.

I expect that Chris will and "Vibrate" and re-pin the balance wheel spring to tune it up to speed. Sounds like the mainspring has become a "magneto". Also, I suggest that you send the original hands along with it as Chris may have some "Watchmaker's alchemy method" to make that square hole a little smaller to fit again.

Thanks David, yes I did include the original hands, they are still on the watch actually. But thanks for the advice I always need it.

Tom

Well I found out something new about my watch, it has a diamond end stone. I didn't even notice until I saw it's twin (more jewels though) for sale on Ebay tonight.

I posted it under the Pitfalls section, I will be interested to see if they get any offers.

https://ihc185.infopop.cc/eve/f...=559107681#559107681

Tom