Over the years I've seen a few pictures of 16s RR grade Walthams made for "F.Q. Hatch"., with the # 1047 on them.These were '99 or '08 models.Just wondering if any 18 sizes have been seen, and if anyone would know what the "1047" meant.Thanks!...Ted.

Ted

I don't recall ever seeing one, the gold book shows it as IQ Hatch & Company. No. 1047, they only list a 16s 21 jewel.

Tom

Thanks Tom!...Ted.

Ted
Do you know if it was FQ or IQ?

Tom

Hi Tom, It was F.Q. One I had seen had the name in real elaborate Old English, the other in capital letters.I wonder if he was a RR inspector?One of these is shown on pg. 87 of Roy Ehrhardt's vol. one encyclopedia.It's marked No. 1047, specially adjusted for F.Q. Hatch & Co., 21 jewels, adjusted 5 positions.I think private label rairoads like this are pretty cool.Thanks again, Ted.

Ted

I wish I had something to report, I searched the name every way I could think of with no luck. On some of these without a city or at least a state to go by it is like looking for a needle in a hay stack.

I will keep looking though. That is a nice looking movement in the book, I am guessing from about 1908?

Tom

Hey Ted, can you post a photo of one with the Name, F.Q. Hatch shown on it for Tom to look at....It may help....

Regards,

Jerry

Hi Jerry & Tom, I still don't have any way to post a picture of it, otherwise I would.I seem to remember that Hatch was in either L.A or San Francisco, don't remember which.It looks like it may be a 645 grade, specially marked., Railroad for sure.Seems to me that if this guy was having Railroad watches made, he must have been a RR inspector. I have to ask, Tom, are you a private investigator by trade? You are quite a detective!Thanks and Best Regards, Ted.

Jerry

This is a scan of the one from the page Ted mentioned.

Ted
Still nothing in California, but I will keep looking. He is not in my WI list or the other book.

Tom

Here he is listed in the 1901 "Railway Age" Vol 31
"Mr. FO Hatch has been appointed general agent of the Chicago Great Western at San Francisco in place of Mr. CO Johnson, promoted and transferred."

He is also listed in the 1907 Railway Gazette, still in San Francisco, as an agent for the St Joseph & Grand Island.

And here is his temporary address after being displaced by the San Fran earthquake.
"Temporary Addresses of San Francisco Railway Officers. ... For the Chicago Great Western, FO Hatch, general agent, 1023 Telegraph avenue, Oakland, Ca."

Ray

Oh,no I have been bested by a Motor Cop!

Could you post a link to one of those articles. So you are saying they show him as F. O.? I am stumped I can not get him to come up on any subscription sites or google.

Tom

Thank you ,Tom & Ray.I also tried searching before I asked about this, and like Tom, I came up with nothing.It's a nice looking Waltham at any rate.I'm really curious as to what "1047" meant.At the time Ray mentioned, 1901,18sizes were still going strong, so I still wonder if he had any of those made too.Thanks again, Ted.

Looking at what you can see of the damaskeening in Tom's picture, it looks more like a Crescent St. pattern than the 645 pattern I thought at first.

Ted

I am interested to find out how Ray found this info, even when I search for the sources he listed I don't find those particular ones.

I thought maybe if we could find stuff on him that the number 1047 might pop up, like an address or something relevant to him or his business location.

Tom

Hi Tom,
I usually do a check in Google books, That's where I found him. I will grab a link to the page and post it.
As far as "besting you"....Hardly, I just got lucky and beat you to it

Here is the first one
What I did you notice is that if I put a period after the F and O it narrows the search results and thats how I found him.
Hatch

Here is another link
F O Hatch

Are we looking at the same guy that is engraved as F "Q" Hatch on the movement above that Tom posted...?

Regards,

Jerry

This is strange, sure looks like a "Q" on the watch.I don't believe an O in Old English has that "tail" under it.The other one I had seen a pic of was in regular capitals, and it also was a Q.I can't remember where I saw that one, though.

Thanks Ray, I don't know why I can not get it to come up when I search, I have searched exactly like you said & nothing. If I follow you links it brings them up. I really don't know how Google works & I didn't think you got different results based on where you live but maybe you do.

Ted, I to wonder about the middle initial, it sure looks like a Q to me, it has been one of the more difficult names. Like I said the Gold book has it as I.Q. & Co., which is obviously wrong. If you look at the image I posted it sure looks like a Q but the typing under the image list F.O.

Tom

Hi again, I just hit a jackpot on this one.I tried a search on this site under "Hatch Waltham" and a whole slew of stuff came up.Apparently, this same question came up before.Apperently, it's "J. Q. Hatch" instead.There's one shown "No. 1024" also. This mystery keeps getting stranger all the time!Man, what a nice find it would be to run across one of these, Hatch had good taste, they really look sharp!One shown has really fancy damaskeening, gold lettering, and 17 jewels.Thanks ! Ted.

Also searched under private- label Waltham, and found even more.Also, Hatch had 18S 1892 models done too.

I tried changing Ray's search on Google for "J.Q. Hatch & Co.", and an ad comes up , but I can't get the whole thing to show.It's cut off , all you can see is the name.Says he's an inspector for several RR's.

Looks like a J.Q to me too. Dont ask me how or why I was searching it as an “F.O” .Looks like the right guy has been found though.

Thanks Ray, It's a blast trying to unravel these RR watch mysteries, maybe some more info will turn up.Take care, Ted.