Hi!
When did the first nickelmvt appear on the American market and witch company was first?
/Bernhard

I believe it was Waltham's 1868 model in the American Watch Co. grade (they were The American Watch Co. at the time.) They also made some nickel examples of the KW16 model, but these were probably a month or two later than the 1868 examples. The date was December 1868.

I am guessing that Elgin's 21J convertibles may have been the next ones. The United States Watch Co. of Marion NJ was probably next.

It would be an interesting project to document the nickel chronology.

I checked the records and the nickel kw16's were made in April 1870.

There are examples of both of these on my web site at www.awco.org uner the collections link.

I believe the first was the U.S. Watch Co. (Marion) in 1868-9, then Waltham. In any case, it was very close.
Mike

In checking the factory records, E. Howard produced and sold the first nickel movement on July 23,1869. It was nickel plated, not solid nickel, ser. #21,561. Here's a pic of my #21,576 finished a week later.

Harold,

Can you explain the design of the regulator on your watch? I don't think I have ever seen one quite like it. Very interesting!

Harold's watch has Mershon's patent regulator. The long index arm moves a single tooth of the rack for fine adjustment. For coarse adjustment the index is moved out of the way and the rack is moved directly.

The United States Watch Co. probably gets the credit for the first American stem wind watch produced in July of 1867. These were gilt finish, button set, Frederic Atherton grade. Their first nickel watches were produced in December 1869 in the United States grade.

My guess about Elgin was way off. They did not produce their first nickel until the mid 1870's.

Following up on earlier posts, the first Howard watch movement with solid nickel plates was Model 1869 movement S# 52,001 finished on June 2, 1870. The earliest known surviving example is movement S# 52,007.

The US Watch Co may have been the first US "manufacturer" to market a SW watch, but I suspect Chas. Fasoldt, a small independent maker of Albany, NY, may have marketed a few stemwinding movements preceding the USWCo's stemwinders. The first stem setting US-made watches may have been a small number of NY Springfield pieces completed before the original factory burned. These were followed very soon after by the E. Howard & Co. Model 1869, which was the first stem winding and setting US watch to be made in quantity.

I believe that the earliest surviving example of an American made watch with nickel finish is Howard number 21563.
Louis

I also think it was marion I know this is a old question and marion called it frosted plates here a photo of one.I was just looking to see what this forum had on marion and found this.