The American Waltham Watch Company (later Waltham) is one of America's oldest watchmakers. They held forth in Roxbury and later Waltham, Mass. and were one of the giants of the American watch industry. They made millions of pocket watches, but not so many wristwatches, due to the fact that they only made wristwatches until 1949. They were in business at the factory until 1957, but only in order to re-case and sell inventory on-hand. As the wristwatch rose in its ascendancy, Waltham was on the decline and, consequently, there are not many extant from this period. This Waltham, however, was made circa 1943, when they were in stiff competition for the hearts of Americans, and were happy to help with the World War II effort. It is a handsome piece to behold, housed in a stainless steel, screw-back, case with bold Lume-filled Arabic numerals and hands. The Lume no longer glows, but it is all original. It has that perfect patination of an original dial and hands. This shows the mellow color that only time can create. If you look carefully at the 10 o'clock position on the dial (in one of the photos), you can see where the radium (when it was still active) has etched its shadow on the dial surface. This means that it sat for quite a while with the hands in that position and was unused. This is great news for us today. The less a watch was used, the more life it will have in future years. This watch also has its period-appropriate white gold filled chain link band that looks fantastic. The stainless steel case measures 30mm wide (not including the crown), by 36mm from lug to lug, by 12mm thick (including the crystal). The back of the case is marked with the ORD Corps USA designation. The movement is a spotless 9 jewel engine that our watchmakers have fully restored to like-new condition mechanically. You could own this scarce watch and be the pride of the neighborhood. Remember all of our timepieces come with our famous one-year warranty, for parts and labor, so that you may buy with confidence.
The National Watch Company was the beginning of the famed Elgin Watch Company (the world's largest) in Elgin Illinois. Between 1864 and 1874, they operated under the National name and, only after that time, became the Elgin National Watch Company and then, finally, just Elgin. They were a giant in the industry and their legacy looms large. Since they were only operating under the National name for ten years, the watches from that era are getting scarce. This particular one is a beauty. It is an 18 size, measuring 54mm in diameter, by 77mm from top of the bow to the bottom of the case by 19mm thick. It is a 15 jewel, key-wind, key-set, full-plate watch with a gilded movement and a porcelain dial. The hands are very fancy for that day and age. Made from blued steel they are executed in a "Butterfly" form hour hand. The dial displays Roman numerals and a very large seconds bit just below the watch center. It is quite dramatic and running like all good Elgins should. Don't let this scarce early National evade you. Our one-year warranty for parts and labor will allow you to buy with confidence!
Talk about an unusual watch... this is it. Many ladies' pendant watches were enameled but very few in a form that represents another object. This 18K Gold and Enamel "Jockey's Cap-Form Watch" is exquisite. To gild the lily, it also has its original "Jockey's Riding Crop Pin" that completes the entire theme of the piece. The Riding Crop lays across the "Lucky Horse Shoe" that sports 5 tiny rubies. From the horseshoe hangs a short length of gold mesh chain that ends in a clip used to secure the Jockey's Cap, but is removable. The overall length of the pin from the top of the horseshoe to the crown is roughly 90mm (3.6").
The cap is decorated with 3 sections of red enamel with a delicate scalloped pattern underneath. In the gold sections of the cap, the looped and dot design is executed in blue enamel. All of the enamel is in immaculate condition. Lines of texture engraved in the gold delineate the sections of the cap, as well as around the circumference of the brim/lids. It measures 27mm wide by roughly 32mm long (not including the crown or loop on the brim) by 17.5mm thick.
The top of the hat is a lid that opens to reveal the inner cover that is engraved with initials and "Dec. 3rd, 1892" which dates the piece exactly! The underside of the lid is stamped with the "18K" mark. It's a fabulous Victorian-era piece whose style still translates to today!
It was very gently treated over the hundred plus years of its existence and it has come down to us today in magnificent condition. It is worn with the underside of the cap resting against the chest, making it look like a very elegant gold & enamel pin. Once you lift it up, the dial is revealed and the object declares itself as a wonderful timepiece. The face features Louis XIV gold hands and a porcelain dial with ornate designs fired into it. The minute track features pyramidal markers in two tones: silver at the chapters and gold for the minutes. The black Arabic numerals are clear and easy to read, and an additional gold dot design in between the numerals ornaments them. Finally, a small gold radiating design around the center shaft adds some interest to the middle of the dial.
The only restoration that it required was a thorough cleaning, oiling, and regulating. It has a Swiss 10 jewel, cylinder escapement movement that is as beautiful as the day it was made. It is a "pin-set" mechanism and the crown sits at the back of the cap for easy winding. Our head watchmaker has it running like the proverbial top! Wow! This is one for the ages... don't miss it.
Tissot has been a luxury brand since its founding in 1853 in Le Locle, Switzerland. They have been revered for their quality since day one and have been a brand that has stood the test of time. This watch is one of the nicest condition Tissots that we have ever had! Not only is it pristine, but it is also beautifully styled. The silvered dial just gleams with an elegance you rarely see today. The stainless steel case measures 34 mm in diameter (not including the crown), by 40.5 mm in lug to lug, by 9.5 mm in thick (including the crystal) which is as smooth as a baby's behind. This Tissot "Seastar" has a 17 jewel movement that winds, sets, and performs like the day it was made. When you strap this one on your wrist it really becomes a handsome addition to a real male's wardrobe. What makes this particular watch a stand out is the elegant sleek design of the case and dial. This is not only a graceful watch, but very handsome one as well. Like all Father Time watches, it has been completely restored and is running just like new! Look at the case back - it's virtually devoid of wear! When you see a chewed up back on a watch you know what you'll find on the inside! Not this one! This one has been carefully worn and serviced over the years. With continued care and maintenance you can have this elegant timepiece for a lifetime.
This Bulova is one of the watches that became so popular with the American public due to their rectangular elegance and great reliability starting in the 1940s and enduring throughout the '50s. The yellow gold-filled case measures 37 mm lug-to-lug by, 21 mm in width, and 9 mm thick. It is a twenty-one jewel (8AC), Swiss movement that runs, sets, and keeps time beautifully. This particular model has what are called "Hooded Lugs" where the band disappears under a hood that connects over the tops of the lugs. It is a size that can be easily worn by either a man or a woman, although it was originally a man's watch. This smaller configuration was perfect for wearing under a dress shirt for your office job. The creamy silvered dial has applied Arabic numerals at the even positions with markers at the others.
There is a nice seconds bit just above the six o'clock position. We have fitted it with a dark brown croco grain band for the ultimate in elegant accessories. Our one year warranty for parts and labor will allow you to buy with confidence that this watch will perform just as it should!
Rotary is a lesser-known brand in the US, but it traces its roots back to Switzerland, like so many brands of the time and is better known in Europe. The Rotary watch brand was founded in 1895 by Moise Dreyfuss in the Swiss town of La Chaux de Fonds. But, in the 1920s, Rotary began exporting watches to England and their popularity was such that they even became the official watch supplier for the British Army in 1940.
Rotary's founder was dedicated to creating beautiful watches with timeless elegance. His attention to detail and insistence on first class personal service ensured the business grew quickly. Their logo, the "winged wheel", was introduced in 1925, and is what you see on the dial of this watch.
And what a dial it is! It has been perfectly preserved, with the lume on the Arabic Numerals and in the blued-steel skeletonized hands having aged to that mellow yellow color we search for, but rarely find. The dial center is a matte silver and the chapter ring is a matte white, creating the striking "two tone" design. A gold ring encompasses the numerals and seconds bit, with a delineated minute track at the outside. At the 6 o'clock position sits the good sized seconds bit, above which is the designation "17 jewels". The combination and originality is just spectacular!
This particular Rotary watch is in such nice condition and our head watch maker has pointed out that the movement in this model features a solid gold escape wheel and fork -- a rarely seen combination! It is a manual wind, 17 jewel movement, with incabloc shock protection (as designated on the case back).
The stainless steel case measures 30.5 mm in diameter (not including the crown), by 37 mm lug to lug, by 9 mm thick (including the crystal). It is in great condition, showing only very minor handling wear. The case back is engraved with its other claims of "waterproof" and "non magnetic". It is a screw-down back that seals beautifully.
This is the only Rotary watch we currently have, and it is a rare piece to find in such great condition. The 30's style is something to marvel at, and with our one year warranty you can be assured that it keeps time just like it did over 90 years ago!
Stunning and rare are two terms you might use to describe this Hamilton, 10K yellow gold-filled, "Seckron" Duo Dial Doctor's Wristwatch. This design was made for doctors with an extra large second hand that made it easy to read and take a pulse, for example, as opposed to a conventional subsidiary second hands. Because it had a limited target market, it was sold in small numbers and therefore is quite scarce today.
This particular watch is in excellent original condition, something that is rarely found in today's market. Two case styles were introduced, one in 1936 that had a rigidly rectangular case that was prone to wear at the corners and then this one in 1941, with a slightly curved case and a more streamlined shape that was right on target for fashion of the time. This version is actually scarcer of the two due to the start of WWII, which curtailed its production. The 10K yellow gold-filled case is in great condition overall, measuring 21 mm wide (not including the crown) by 42mm lug to lug, by 9mm thick (including the crystal). The subtle lines of the stepped case draw the eye and emphasize the length of the piece.
The gorgeous original dial shows a great patina, giving the watch a sophisticated appeal. The stylized Arabic numerals are easy to read, and pair nicely with the blued steel hands. The seconds bit below is in a circle design, with a "railroad track" ring to mark each second and the 10s of seconds distinguished with Arabic numerals. Radiating lines extend from the numbers to fill the rest of the rectangular space. This is an unusual look that you certainly won't find on other watches of the era!
Inside, the manual wind, 17 jewel movement is running strong and keeping excellent time. This watch employs the caliber 980 A movement, which features special gearing for the dial train. Hamilton was widely considered the best American watchmaker, so this is a high-quality piece that will still give you reliable service for years to come. Like everything else in the vintage and antique world, condition is everything!!!
This one is the nicest original Hamilton "Seckron" we have had in over 40 years. I think that the original condition of the dial is what seduces you on first glance. It has the patina of the age and speaks to what this watch must have seen during its life here since 1940. If it could only speak!
The Omega "Chronostop" is a very interesting landmark in Omega's long lineage of fantastic chronographs. They were introduced in the 1960s and had a great run through the 1970s. It is a very unusual chronograph, in that it only has one pusher and there is no recorded minutes, recorded hours, or constant seconds. This makes it a very utilitarian tool watch at a very attractive price point. Chronostops offered a 60-second stopwatch feature that is activated by a single pusher, located just above the crown. The first push starts the sweep hand. The second push stops it and resets it to 12 (once released). This makes it extremely simple to time an event and get an instant read-out, while then reseting for the next competitor, race car, horse, or pulse. These watches are very useful tools for athletes, drivers, and medical professionals, and sold well during their production run.
A Chronostop can be easily worn by all but the largest wrists. The stainless steel case is in great condition and measures 35 mm in width (not including the crown), by 39 mm lug to lug, by 12 mm thick (including the crystal). Our head watchmaker has the manually-wound Omega Calibre 865 movement, developed specifically for this model, working just as it did back 1969. This Chronostop is in the best condition for one of these awesome watches that we have ever had the pleasure to own... don't miss it!
Eterna has a long history, starting back in 1856, when Dr. Joseph Girard and Urs Schild founded an ebauche factory (one that makes basic movements for other companies to brand) in Grenchen. They were known for luxury watches and forward-looking innovation in the industry. By the 1900s, wristwatches were appearing on the wrists of early adopters and the fashion started to take off. Schild Freres, as they were then known, were producing wristwatches from the adaptation of smaller pocket watches for the wrist. This was a fairly new idea that would start to gain ground after "Johnny" came marching home from WWI. By 1905. they had changed their name to Eterna and by 1908. had patented the very first "Wrist Alarm". It was launched in 1914, at the Swiss National Exhibition in Bern, Switzerland and they were off to the races.
This killer Eterna we are offering has the most marvelous charcoal dial and is a great contrast against the rose gold filled case. It also has a screw-down, stainless steel back for wearing longevity and hypo-allergenic properties. It is one of the most interesting "Bumper" Automatics (winding while on your wrist) and is running like the day it came from Switzerland. The case measures 34 mm in diameter (without the crown), by 44 mm lug to lug, by 11 mm thick (including the crystal). What really makes it different is that the dial markings are Roman numerals at the cardinal points and "diamond" markers at all the other chapters. There is also a delineated minute track just outside of the chapter ring. The "skeletonized", lumed, "blued steel" hands no longer glow but, they are all intact and original. The central sweep hand is also "blued steel." The screw-down steel back shows the "Anti-Magnetic", "Shock-Absorber," and "Waterproof" designations. Yes, this one has it all! Our one-year warranty, for parts and labor, will allow you to put this one on your wrist with complete confidence.
Many manufacturers were involved in the war effort during WWII and, while Gruen did not have a military contract for watches, they did supply pilot's watches with 24-hour dials for Pan American World Airways. This production was initiated circa 1943. During the war, Pan Am stopped all commercial operations and flew only for the U.S. Military. They had overseas bases and a network of airports that was highly valued in the war effort. In the early 1940s, a wristwatch with a central sweep second hand was a rarity, and one with a 24 hour dial was also unusual, but Gruen's reasoning was that men were coming home from the war and they had been used to referencing the 24-hour day for military purposes. Pilots also were used to this form of reference so they decided to introduce this Pan Am model which has a central sweep second hand, Arabic numerals from 1 to 12, and an inner chapter ring that referenced hours 13 to 24. Air travel was not common at this time and it held a certain glamorous allure for the common man. Gruen decided to feature advertisements with photos of the Pan Am set against a background of the famous Pan Am Clipper which was a flying-boat type of aircraft. This was hot stuff back in the day. Many manufacturers used the appeal of the military timepiece to tickle the fancy of the American public and Gruen was no exception. They planned to carrot-dangle the unobtainable Pan Am while it was still something the public could not purchase, knowing that after the war there would be considerable demand once it was released to everyone.
It wasn't until October of 1945 that they finally offered the watch for public sale. Airline travel was just becoming something that was within the reach of those adventurous travelers and Gruen wanted to provide just the right accessory for that airline customer. They reasoned that once folks were used to using military time that this would be a no-brainer. Jewelers were advised to stock-up on these wonderful timepieces in order to meet the demand as "Johnny came marching home". Their prescience was rewarded with vigorous sales and this provides us today with watches, that once restored, can live on as a piece of history.
The watch we are presenting for your approval here is one that our watch makers have lovingly restored to fully functional condition. It is one of the early models, and we think, one of the most desirable configurations for any of the Pan Am Series. It is housed in a rose gold filled case that measures 32 mm in diameter (without the crown), by 39 mm lug to lug, by 10 mm thick (including the crystal).
It sports a stainless steel back, for wearing longevity, with a hypo-allergenic surface against the wrist. The 17 jewel movement is Gruen's legendary 420s that is ticking along just as it did when crossing the Atlantic during the war. Now, take a look at the wonderful, original dial, its condition speaks of what it has endured and yet still looks great today. Many of these dials have been refinished over their lifetime but not this one... it is all original. Don't miss it!
This is a very interesting hunting case pocket watch made by Reuge, who was famous for the manufacture of Swiss music boxes. This pocket watch has a Swiss movement for timekeeping and a Swiss musical movement that plays anytime the front lid is opened. You thereby have a lovely tune to view the time by. Musical pocket watches are few and far between and this is one that won't break the bank. This is due to the fact that it is much more modern (circa 1970's) than many of the much older watches. $30,000.00 is not an exorbitant price to pay for an antique one. So, ours is a good compromise. The case, which measures 52mm in diameter, by 73mm (from the case bottom to the top of the bow), by 15mm thick (with both lids closed). It is yellow gold plated and the back sports an external key for winding the music box. The 17 jewel Swiss movement is wound by means of the conventional crown. As an extra, added attraction, there is an oval window that allows the owner to view the gears of the music box when it is in operation. Our head watchmaker has it running perfectly and sounding like it did the day it arrived on our shores from Switzerland. It is quite unusual... don't miss it.
If you would like a really elegant, solid gold, dress watch then take a look at this spectacular Longines from the early 1950s. Longines was at the top of their game and was highly respected in the US, as well as the rest of the world. They have a sterling reputation for quality and excellence. The "Hourglass" shape of the case is stunning, as is the domed, highly curved crystal. The silvered dial has stylized Roman numerals at the cardinal positions, while the other chapters exhibit elongated "arrowhead" markers... all in gold. There is a seconds bit just above the six o'clock position, with a recess that mimics the overall shape of the case. The 17 jewel movement is running like it did decades ago. The 14k solid gold case measures 20-25mm wide (at its widest) by 39mm lug to lug, by 11mm thick (including the crystal). We have fitted it with a classy, black, patent leather band that completes the tuxedo look. You can't go wrong with this one because our one-year warranty for parts and labor, will allow you to buy with confidence. Don't miss it!