The watch I have been carrying for the past month or so is this 21j 12-size Waltham. It was made around 1926. I acquired this watch when I was a young collector, about 35 years ago. Unfortunately I did not care as much about originality back then and I upgraded the watch with a new-old-stock solid silver dial with applied gold numerals. It is a very nice dial and could have been requested by the original purchaser, but it is not the dial it came with (a dial I have since seen on a few other examples). The white gold-filled Wadsworth case is original.

The movement is a grade 250 - a fairly high-quality movement with whiplash regulator and adjusted to five positions. The grade number is interesting because Waltham used the same grade number over 25 years earlier. When Waltham introduced their 12-size movement around 1896 they made a grade 250 that was the same in quality, finish and price as the named "Riverside" movement. Why they produced equivalent named and a numbered grades is a marketing decision that perhaps someone else can explain. Elgin did this too, a little later, when they gave the B.W. Raymond name to their grades 189 and 193 movements, or the Lord Elgin name to their grade 190 and 194 movements.

I am switching, this week, to my latest 12-size purchase. The case is one of my favorite styles, typical of the turn-of-the-last-century. It is simple and functional. The dial is what first caught my attention -- it is the proper dial for a Riverside Maximus, with the unique upright script "Waltham". The "A.W.W.Co." above the seconds bit is characteristic of earlier production (12 or 16-size).

The movement, however, is not a Riverside Maximus but instead an early Riverside grade movement. It is still a very fine position-adjusted grade with a double-roller escapement and cap jewels on the escape wheel. When I first found a Maximus dial on a Riverside movement several years ago I grabbed it up, knowing that the dial would help complete a Maximus I had with the wrong dial. I have seen other Maximus' with fancy dials that must have been requested by the customer and I figured some jeweler must have had the original swapped Maximus dial in the shop and used it to replace a damaged dial for another customer. But this watch is now the third or fourth Riverside I have come across with a Maximus dial and I am beginning to suspect that it may have come from the factory this way. All have been from around 1900. I am going to leave the dial and movement together. It is a surprise to me to realize that what I thought was a strict use of this dial for Maximus movements only may have not been such a rigid practice at the factory.

Has anyone else come across similar high-grade dials on lesser movements and wondered if it was a switch or if it was original? I think this type of watch has been a common source for us collectors looking for the proper dial for the gems in our collection, assuming that the combination was a later marriage that could be "annulled" without a qualm.

Ummm, its hard to say sometimes what I carried today. These recent "cleaner-uppers" are some of my recently restored watches I like carrying right now. Most of the time my #1 "favorite" is the silver Illinois right in the middle. That is my Ball-cased 17 Jewel Bunn "Chris Bauer #22 Mounds Ill." RR loaner watch that refuses to deviate! I have not had to adjust it for a month, and outside of the Russian Ships Chronographs running upstairs in the main L.R., this IS the most accurate piece running now in the collection! My #2 favorite is the Hampden "Daniel T. Smith, Salem, Mass" Private Label Key Wind (foreground). It is very accurate, and very comfortable to carry and use, and my #3 favorite is the $25 Elgin on the right side that I got at our mart from a genuine watchmaker's "collection".

Today i think it will be:
Waltham Crescent Street Model 1892
Serial # 10019740
ca. 1900-1901
keeps excellent time: 1-2 sec a day

Nice Crescent St. The 21j Crescent St. has three jeweling variants. Some, like yours, have cap jewels on both the pallet arbor and the escape wheel. Later ones had a jeweled barrel and either capped pallet arbor or capped escape wheel. These came in lower jeweled models (17j & 19j) too.

I like size 18 watches. I at this time I am carrying a 1892 21 j. Crescent St. 2 tone.I also carry a 936 Hamilton and 2 Hampdens, A 21 j. Dueber Watch Co and a 15 j. Railway.

Love the posts, and seeing that others also wear a pocketwatch on a daily basis. Most people who see mine act like they've never seen one before (and perhaps have not!). My daily wearer for 8 years was a very-early 992 in goldfilled glass-back case. I just recently switched this year to a mint 950 (one of my favorite models!), also in a glass-back case. I love to pull it out at meetings or other less-than-stimulating gatherings and simply watch those gold gears rotate... What a beautiful testament to craftsmen from days gone by... For really classy events I'll dig my American Watch Co. grade Model'72 Waltham out, or Elgin 21J Convertible. Real eye-poppers, and such a solid "chunk" of gold that feels classy in the pocket, even if you don't pull it out to show anyone. :-)

My daily work watch is 15J 16s no. 620 Waltham in a silveroid case a Montgomery dial.Nites I carry either a 19J. 16s Riverside RR, or one of 3 16s Hampden RR's, No. 105, New Railway or 19J Railway (5th. models).

I carry two, one is always an Elgin 1878 11J in a drum case, and either a plain Bunn Special in an ugly silveroid swing case or a Burlington 16s monty dial in base metal. I really like old hunters but you can't beat RR for accuracy.

Wlecome again Ted and Mike, show some pictures we love em all. Right now I just finished a 21J Walthan 1892 model 845. These were really classic purpose built RR Watches!

I pulled it out at the Post Office and heard someone behind me say "Montgomery sure earned his 2 bits on that one! Instant new Collector acquaintance!

My every day watch is a 992B with a Montgomery dial and a rolled gold case.

This is my favorite April 1 "reminder" watch for "bringin the cows home". I think it was the first "Wakeup call watch used in Cabooses too mebbe RR#1! That's my Chevy Pickemup behind my behind too! Happy April first to all IHC185er's

Whooaa, Did Mr. Abbe invite me to post pictures? Sir, you are a gentleman! I don't carry the Vanguard unless my friend shows up with his 992. Very mature,eh? But I love big chunky hunters. And anything with a Montgomery dial. Put Monty in a WGF case and I'm on it.

A first for my posting to a P.W. forum, but today I at last finished an 0-size Burlington.

The movement was in poor condition and now consists of Burlington, plus parts from two similar Illinois. Eventually it will get an open face case.

Terrific Burlington. I have a couple of OF's, neither as stunning as your hunter. I am expecting a box from a midwest collector. There is supposed to be a 0s with a bad movement. If the case is worthwhile I'll repost. And I should have this 992 in a couple of days, and quite possibly another 940 as well. I am blaming the irresistible forces of IHC185 for this.

Mr. Abbe, I seem to recall you showing a Seth Thomas awhile back. I have one that is definitely my favorite to wear. People are taken aback by a Seth Thomas pocket watch. Seems like only clocks are in the general public memory bank.

Don Evans

Dial Seth Thomas 18s

Hunter Case Seth Thomas

Enjoyed what you all have to show. I like alot of my pocket watches and always carry one. For my every day watch I keep coming back to this one. It was well carried before I became its' keeper. I can understand why, it keeps great time...

The movement

A very recent acquisition, this 18s Hampden is very difficult to put away.

Its in its original and beautiful Primus case.

Maybe the most enjoyable watch I own.

Like I've said elsewhere, I'm the luckiest guy I know.

Many Thanks, Marty & Lindell. Maybe we'll see a 12s Elgin up here soon. The owner has some great pics, maybe I'll ask to use them.

My beautiful and prized 1923 23jewel bunn special is my favorite by far. I have a few others but this is the most reliable and accurate timepiece I've ever owned. several years ago I took it on a 5 week cross country road trip. It was wound and worn every day. When I returned home I checked it with WWV on my short-wave and found an error of +15 seconds!

Here's the movement.

William,

From a "Bunn" guy I must say, that is one spectacular movement. Very nice item. I tend to wear what ever I just bought and then find a spt in the display case. I wear jeans most of the time and keep the watch in the little watch pocket. I am always worried I will drop it when I take it out and I refuse to put a chain on the bow so I don't carry them a lot. They are really more for show.

Welcome aboard,

Steve

I continue carrying my 2 favorite watches each at least 1 day a week. With my many posts on both of these, they are becoming an "old saw", so I posted them as a double-collage. One is a beautiful running 17 Jewel Bunn "Loaner", and the other is a 60 year RR veteran Elgin BWR Invar. Other than some dial patches and cleaning the only part these two beautifully maintained and well-used watches needed was a new Crown on the BWR, as the original was worn smooth as a Billiard Ball!