Hi, I have just got hold of a Vanguard model 1892, 21J S18 beautiful movement and interesting plate layout diamond end stones.
My question is that the Numeral 21 Jewels is in a gold circle, Why?,

Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe I read that Waltham upjeweled 17j watches when 21j became the railroad standard, and when they did, they would place a plug with the new jeweling number in the place where the 17j engraving used to be.

Regards! Mark

Thw Waltham serial number list indicates that this movement is from a mixed run of 21 and 23 jeweled Vanguard movements. Waltham may have plugged these 21 jewel examples from 23 jewel plates for some marketing program, or for some other unknown reason. It is unusual to see plugged movements where the plug indicates a lower jewel count than the rest of the run.

So would this plate have been stamped 23J originally?, factory ground out in-filled and re-stamped? , any idea of how common are these?,
Have you seen this on other Waltham models?.

I hope no one minds if I drag up a number of old topics...the jewel plug Vanguards are interesting. This is my example 21 plug It occurs in both 21 and 23 jewel varieties. Determining a production figure for either one is difficult-they appear at random throughout any of the serial number runs where they have been reported. The current research would suggest that the "21" plug is more scarce than the "23" plug. Although my example and the above example are gilt in color, they have also been reported in nickel. If I remember correctly (the watch is in the bank), the hole for the plug does not go all the way through the plate-it is just milled out deep enough for the plug.

Jim