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American Waltham Watch Company, founded in 1850, were one of
the largest watch makers of the 19th Century. The company was founded on a
relationship between three men, in Massachusetts USA. Mr David Davis, a Mr
Dension and a Mr Howard. It was based on a dream that they could produce
watches that were of good quality, yet were not made from some of the more
expensive materials usually found on watches of the era. Mr Howard had
originally server as an apprentice to a man called Aaron Willard Junior circa
1829, and a few years later on, in 1842 Mr Howard formed a clock and Balance
Scale Manufacturing company with Mr Davis. Mr Howard and Mr Dennison then
combined there ideas and with some funding, completed there first watch in
1850.
But problems were apparent.
The company was trying new ideas, things like using Jewels, making dials,
and producing steel with a mirrored finish. The problem was as always, that
things like this cost money, and all of it required brand new machinery and thus
put the company under a great deal of financial stress. The other thing
discovered is that although each watch was made in the same press and made in
the same way to the same style, each individual piece had it's own individual
problems and mistakes to be corrected before the time piece could be classed as
complete, and it took months to adjust the watches to the point that they were
better than any other timepieces on the market. During this time Mr Howard
had perfected and patented many different varieties of automatic watch making
machines, that could easily and efficiently make precision watch
components.
By 1851, the trio had there own production house, and the name 'American
Horology Company' was adopted.
In 1852 the company had renamed themselves and watches were being
produced with the signature 'The Warran Mfg. Co.' after a Revolutionary War
Hero. Watches 1 - 17, the first from the production line, were not placed on
the market but were instead given to the company officials, and
executives. From then on the company went through a number of name changes,
with watches #18 - 110 being engraved with "Warren Boston", the next 800 were
marked "Samuel Curtis" (The Main Financial Backer of the Company) and a few were
marked "Fellows and Schel" and were sold for $40.
In September 1853 the name was changed yet again to 'Boston Watch
Company' an d a factory was erected in Waltham, Massachusetts in October 1854.
The movements produced at this building are marked #1,001 to #5,000 and were
marked with the engraving of "Dennison, Howard & Davis,", "C.T.Parker", and
"P.S. Bartlett". Times were hard and the Boston Watch Company failed in 1857,
and was subsequently sold at Auction to Royal E Robbins.
In May 1857, the company was shuffled and became "Appleton, Tracey &
Co.", and the watches produced in this time carried the serial numbers between,
5,001 and 14,000 ,model 1857. The C.T.Parker movement was re-introduced as Model
1857 and was sold for $12, 399 were made. In 1855 brass watches were being sold
for $1. Also at this time 598 chronometers were made, and by January 1858 the
P.S.Bartlet watch was made.
In January 1859, the Waltham Improvement Company and Appleton, Tracey
& Co. merged to form The American watch Company.
As Abraham Lincoln was elected President of the USA, in 1860, and the US
was plunged into Civil War, the Comp nay Had problems, as over the next year
business was at a standstill. As there seemed to be no market for watches,
bankruptcy seemed inevitable, but expenditures were cut to the lowest possible
level thus keeping the factory in operation.
To this day the Waltham name
is synonymous with quality and
craftmanship, and remain to this day, very desirable timepieces.
Also
an interesting fact is that, according to the biography by Carl Sandburg,
Abraham Lincoln himself carried an American Waltham wrist watch, the 'William
Ellory' Model, produced by Waltham, in 1863 and was an 18 size, 1859 ¾ plate
model with steel balance.
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