Waltham 14Kt. Gold Campaign Style Watch from 1915 with Original Enamel Dial 1929
By Waltham
Located in Long Beach, CA
FACTORY / HOUSE: Waltham Watch Company
STYLE / REFERENCE: Round / Campaign Style
METAL / MATERIAL: 14Kt Solid Yellow Gold
CIRCA / YEAR: 1929
DIMENSIONS / SIZE: Length 38mm X Diameter 31mm
MOVEMENT / CALIBER: Manual Winding / 15 Jewels / Caliber 3/0
DIAL / HANDS: Original Kiln Fired with Luminous Arabic Numerals / Original Blued Steel Luminous Hands
ATTACHMENT / LENGTH: Leather, 14mm / Regular Length
WARRANTY: 18 months on the movement
LIFETIME SERVICE COMMITMENT
Just around the corner from the global stock market crash, this watch came to be. What a great and original Waltham Watch this is. We seldom see watches from this era in such fine condition. Imagine navigating your modern day with a nearly 100 year old device (I wear a watch from 1919 every day and it always gets me there on time). This piece is fitted with a solid gold case by America's finest case maker, Depollier. They made custom cases for all the finest American watch companies, including those renowned Swiss houses imported to America. The watch is also fitted with its original and flawless Kiln Fired Enamel Dial and it still has its original Blued Steel Luminous Hands as well. Lastly, it appears to have its original crown as well. The watch keeps dependable time and can be worn all the time as well. You will likely never see another truly vintage American Watch in finer condition than this one.
Through the American civil war and two World Wars, and beyond, Waltham's legacy and spirit lives on in this wonderful vintage watch. It is truly a representation of the idea of American Exceptionalism. The wonderfully crafted design is timeless. Even after 100 years or more, this watch can dependably be worn, used and counted on to get you there on time, every time. It is versatile enough to be worn for all types of occasions and various clothes. Wear it with a suit or even for more casual occasions but, certainly, feel confident that you are wearing a piece of history.
The Waltham Watch Company was an American watch manufacturing house founded in 1850 in Roxbury, Massachusetts. It was the first American company to mass-produce watches using interchangeable parts. The company's watches were known for their quality and affordability, and they quickly became popular with consumers. Waltham played a major role in the development of the American watch industry as well as establishing the concept of “mass produced” products.
By the way, Henry Ford was a watchmaker, and he was inspired to build cars the same way Waltham Watches were produced, for the masses with interchangeable parts.
Waltham’s success helped to make the United States a major player in the global watch market as well as promote the idea of “industrialization.” Before the Waltham Watch Company, watches were generally produced by hand, in “cottage” industries. They were owned by the wealthier class or the “working class” that needed to know the time. The company's affordable watches made them accessible to a wider range of people and helped to change the way people thought about time. Prior to this, people used their local Church bells to direct them in their daily lives.
The Company continued to grow and prosper throughout the 19th century. During the American Civil War, they supplied watches to the military, and of course they grew because of this association.
In 1885, they moved their headquarters to Waltham, Massachusetts, and changed their name to the American Waltham Watch Company.
Waltham was a major exhibitor at the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago. The company's exhibit at the exposition was housed in a large pavilion that was designed to resemble a factory. The pavilion was filled with watches of all shapes and sizes, as well as machinery used in the manufacturing process. The exhibit was a major success, and it helped to raise the profile of Waltham watches around the world.
Amongst the visitors at the exhibition was a contingent from Switzerland. When they realized what Waltham was doing, they quickly understood that their methods were outdated and soon enough they would be a country unable to compete. They also went to the Waltham factory for a visit after the exhibition. It is said that they purchased a few of Waltham’s higher grade movements. The director of factory said he would have them “adjusted” before they left, but they said, it was not necessary. When they arrived back in Switzerland, they checked them and were shocked at the level of quality and accuracy. This prompted them to buy some of the equipment that Waltham was using so they could start building better watches that were less expensive and more accurate.
Some of that machinery ended up in the small town of Schaffhausen and became The International Watch Company. They are still in business today making exceptional watches.
The military, for any nation, is a powerful source of revenue for industrial contracts. So, any industry would prosper during war and Waltham continued to be a supplier to the military for over 100 years. Through WW 1...
Category
Vintage 1910s American Art Deco Wrist Watches
