I picked this 21 jewel Vanguard last night..I don't think I have ever seen a 21 jewel 16 sz. Vanguard before..Does anybody know anything about these..

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Looking good Gary.

Nice rare Vanguard, Gary!Those 21J's are pretty hard to come by,according to a Roy Ehrhardt book I have, only about 1500 were made.There are many 19 and 23 jewel Vanguards, but for some reason Waltham never made big numbers of 21J's like yours.I don't remember ever seeing any old ads that listed them,either,only show 19 and 23jewels in 16 size.That's one to hold on to! Best regards, Ted.

This s/n 16027708 model 1899 is in the factory records as being a Model 99 23 jewel with the motor having the extra 2 jewels. That run was actually 16027701-16030700 . . . and was done in 1908, just barely prefacing the Model 08 series.

It must be a very rare variant evidently tacked on to the first few made in that production run. Possibly before the Motor Barrel jewels had been delivered for the rest of the production recorded as 23 jewel movements.

Keep it!

Gary;

Looks like a "plugged" 21, Waltham made these out of 23 jewel watches then changed the 23 to 21 with a round plug put in. A better close up of the 21 should tell. Does it look like a circle around it?

Yes it does look like a 21 in a small circle..I will try to get a better pic today and post...

If this is a plugged 21 jewel watch does that mean that there is a difference between the 21 jewel Vanguards and are these plugged watches included in the 1500 2 star Vanguard count .