14K GOLD WALTHAM P.S. BARTLETT OCTAGON POCKET WATCH, 1924, 19 JEWEL

An Exceptional and Impressive 14K White Gold Waltham P.S. Bartlett Octagonal Open Face Pocket Watch, circa 1924 with a 19 jewel movement, ref#24672641, case #049353, a nice signed silver dial with fancy Arabic numeral hour and minute designations, subsidiary seconds, blued steel full moon hands, stunning floral engraving throughout featuring a spread wing sparrow with flowers in bloom garland and an un-monogrammed open shield crest. This timepiece was just serviced and is in good running condition and would make a breathtaking and impressive addition to any fine collection.

DETAILS:
- SIZE: 43.35mm (case diameter) / 36.28mm (movement diameter) / Size 12s
- WEIGHT: 55.4 Grams.
- CONDITION: Just serviced, Light normal surface wear commensurate age and well cared for use, overall in excellent working condition.

BACKGROUND:
Waltham’s factory was almost as impressive as its products. By the end of the 1860s, the giant facility employed hundreds of men and women, numbers unheard of in the watch industry. But when the Civil War broke out, business dropped to almost nothing. Factory managers quickly downsized the plant by cutting hours, encouraging employees to join the military, and shuffling jobs to make sure everyone had something to do, even if it was only one task. Thankfully, soldiers needed watches, and Waltham survived the war by meeting this demand with its relatively cheap timepieces. Movements from this period are extremely rare today.

Like Hamilton and other watchmakers, Waltham made railroad watches. In order for a watch to qualify as railroad-grade it had to be large (size 16 or 18), have at least 17 jewels in its movement, feature easy-to-read Arabic numerals, and meet a number of other technical requirements.

Some of the most famous Waltham models of the 19th century included the 1857 line, the high-end Vanguard (it had 23 jewels in its movement), the Crescent Street, and the Wm. Ellery, which was reportedly carried in the pocket of Abraham Lincoln. Other Waltham lines included the Santa Fe, whose railroad-grade movement self-adjusted to maintain accuracy even in extreme temperatures, and the Lady Waltham, a smaller watch built specifically for women. The Lady Waltham was the first of its kind, and other companies like Elgin quickly jumped on the ladies’ pocket-watch bandwagon.

At the beginning of the 20th century, Waltham movements were considered so reliable that the Canadian Pacific Railway commissioned special, railroad-grade movements. Some of these pieces were marked on the movement with the railroad’s emblem (a shield and a beaver). Other movements bore the words 'Canadian Railway Time Service.' They’re difficult to find today, and are great examples of post-1900 pocket-watch movements.

In the 1920s and 1930s, Waltham didn’t embrace Art Deco as much as other watchmakers, focusing instead on railroad-grade chronometers. The venerable Vanguard brand was a notable exception, selling consistently throughout the 1930s, despite the drop in pocket-watch sales caused by the popularity of the wristwatch.

During World War II, Waltham was contracted by the U.S. Army to make speedometers, tachometers, chronographs, and other military equipment. After the war, pocket-watch production came to a virtual standstill in favor of wristwatches and other domestic items. Like other American watch companies, Waltham could not compete with cheaper imported movements, and the firm closed its doors in 1957.

Just Serviced, excellent working condition, some pitting to the dial (see images).