Subject: Re: Waltham pocket watch, Elgin case from my great-great-grandfather
Author:
John
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Date Posted:09:55:49 05/27/07 Sun In reply to:
CG Scott
's message, "Waltham pocket watch, Elgin case from my great-great-grandfather" on 00:27:22 05/19/07 Sat
According to the online Waltham serial number look-up site, www.nawcc-info.org/WalthamDB/walsernum.htm , your watch was a "Model 1908" man's watch (1908 referring to the year that it was designed). It was atually made much later, about 1927-28. The Waltham Watch Co. was the first successful to mass-produce quality jeweled watches made by machinery. A short history is here - www.oldwatch.com/waltham.html Waltham lasted into the 1950s before going out of business, and was exceeded in terms of production only by the Elgin Watch Co (which survived into the late 1960s) and in longevity by the Hamilton Watch Co (which turned out its last US-made movement in 1970-71).
The case was made by the Illinois Watch Case Co of Elgin Illinois. Most cases and watches were made by separate companies. It wasn't until much later (starting in the late 1920s) that watches started to come "complete" (that is, with a movement and case). Up until then, they came separately and a customer would pick out one of each that they liked at the jeweler's.
The hand-engraved numbers are "jeweler's marks," a code put there by the jeweler when the watch came in to be serviced.
