I thought some of you might be interested in this article from the Waltham Sentinel, "Devoted to Agriculture, Manufactures, Literature, Local Intelligence, Advertising, Etc.". Waltham: Thursday, August 28, 1856 -

Our Mechanics

We have received from the artist, A.C. Warren, Esq., a beautiful lithographic engraving, giving a view of the Waltham watch works, and the grounds in the vicinity. It is very finely excecuted, and will give to the stranger a good idea of this important and interesting establishment, while it presents to our own people a satisfactory representation of what will soon become one of the most attractive spots in our vicinity. A visit to this establishment will impress the mind with a high but not extravagant idea of the importance and extent of these works, of the urbanity and intelligence of its proprietors and managers, as wll as of the superior skill and ingenuity of all who find employment within its walls.

Our town cannot too highly appreciate this recent, but valuable addition to its many attractions. It is well known that this is the only establishment of its kind in America. This distinction, of itself even, is not to be disregarded. It gives to our place a pre-eminence among the mechanical institutions of the world, which in a variety of ways, must result to its advantage. The peculiar manufacturing and mechanical operations so successfully and extensively carried on in Manchester, Liverpool, Burmingham (sic) Sheffield and Leeds, have given to those cities the distinctive and world wide reputation that belongs to them. It is not too much to hope and to believe, that the time is to come, when our own country is to take the lead among the industrial nations of the world, in its manufacturing operations and productions, as well as in the inventive genius of its people. The Waltham watch has already found its way into the saloons and courts of Paris, London, and St. Petersburg. And if time must yet elapse before our town will have become familiar to the ears of foreigners, as the location of this establishment, it has already on this side of the water, become known as the place in which are manufactured the best and most reliable time keepers now on the market.
We trust that our people will see and feel the propriety of extending to this and to all mechanical establishments and interests, the fostering patronage of its good intentions and kind regards. Our town bids fair in less than a quarter century to become one of the most prominent among the industrial towns of New England. By a glance at the work recently published, giving the statistics of the industry of Massachusetts, it will be found that while but a few places surpass Waltham in the amount of its manufacturing productions, it is already in advance of them all in the variety of the mechanical establishments located on its territory. We shall not be unmindful of this distinction, when we remember that mechanics everywhere, are the life blood of the business and prosperity of a community. Without them all enterprise would with difficulty keep up a tolerable degree of interest. Of our town particularly, the mechanical interest is the life and the hope. Let us not be regardless of this truth. May we be careful to extend to it, in all its various branches, every measure of encouragement within our power.

Thanks for sharing, Eric.

With that I'd like to show and tell a model 1857 Waltham Appleton, Tracy & Co. grade watch from just a few years after your article --> that is, 1859. This timepiece is in a sterling silver "Am Watch Co" case. It has 15 jewels, with an undersprung balance; s#16,594.

Yes, it's Civil War era, but the real draw for me is its hand-wrought arabic-numbered dial, in period-style. I believe that arabic dials this early are as scarce as hen's teeth. If anyone else has a watch with such a dial pre-1870, don't hesitate to show it.
I can't be 100% sure that the fleur-de-lis hands are original, but they are not more unusual than the dial itself.

kh

Ken , does James Russell Watches strike a familiar note?

I found a pic and a link but have asked for permission to post it here.

No Sir Lorne

Does this help?

http://www.pricelessads.com/m57/JamesRussell/

His response to my request to post this here: Sure, in fact I have a few more Arabic AT&Co dials to post. They provide a strong connection between James Russell watches and the Waltham watch factory. Whoever painted the James Russell dials also painted these AT&Co dials.

Ron
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That's pretty interesting. I have an early Jonas G. Hall domed staking set. I would never have connected the staking set and the timepiece to Hall - if in fact he is the man behind the 'James Russell' watches.

What I thought from the outset was that the lettering looked like something penned during the mid-19th century, which is what I meant above by "period style." But almost all Waltham watches of the period have Roman-numeral dials. The exceptions appear connected somehow to 'James Russell.'
Whose idea what is it to create that unusual departure? I think likely someone working for the watchmaker, whether Waltham or Hall or ??
And I suspect that person must have been pretty confident in doing something atypical to a Waltham dial.
A young Moorhouse? If not, who?

Here's a photo of the movement.