This is my favourite, out of our Waltham Memorial Collection. Has any one of you a survey of how many of those movements have been produced and their respective serial numbers and whereabouts?

Best regards

Hi, Claude . . . Thanks, for the very interesting photo.

What is the serial number for this watch, please ?

The serial number No. 11 is just below the balance.

Claude there was an article by Gerit Nijssen last year about the crystal plate Walthams.

There are also a pair of them in the upcoming Sotheby's auction of the time museum collection.

these crystal plate watches are very interesting and i think show the beautiful work that was done at the waltham factory.

What was the material used for the plates on these stone mountain movements ,was it rock crystal or just a crystal plate like is used to make vases etc..

Dear Tom,
Appreciating your precious information about Sotheby's sale. Wow, what an auction! I just wonder why the Time Museum has to part with all those treasures?

Best regards
Claude

The Atwood family retired from the museum business several years ago and had arranged a transfer of the collection to the city of Chicago. The fund raising for tne new Chicago Time Museum fell apart and the material is all being disposed of.

One needs the catalogs of the collection to appreciate what is actually being sold in the American watch lots. The book by Donald Hoke provides both the basic information and a lot of condition information as well that is missing from the Sotheby's catalog.

Hoke's book also has many errors and in particular he is confused about American gold case marks and calls many wonderful gold cases gold filled. Apparently when he was working on the book he had read the Dueber misinformation on the subject and believed it. He was not given an opportunity to have external review or a final edit pass of the book (which he deeply regrets).

What a pitty that this historical treasure is going to be scattered.

I assume that Hoke's book you refer to is: "American Pocket Watches". That's where I read that a "Olathe Watch Co" was sold to an Osaka Watch Company at the turn of the previous Century, which later was merged with Seiko. I would like to obtain more information on part of Mr. Hoke. Can you please tell me how I can reach him?

Appreciation your kind assistance.

I gave Claude Don Hoke's contact information.

For the benefit of the confused, it was the Otay Watch Co. that was sold to the Japanese and became the Osaka Watch Co.

Tom, appreciating your correcting my confusion and your further indication. I am interested in establishing the links between Waltham and the Japanese as well as the Swiss watch industries in those days, where all that had to be invented for its industrialisation came from U.S.A.