American Waltham

This is an 18 size, 11 jewel, American Waltham pocketwatch, made about 1879.  

It is a lever-set Wm. Ellery model.

Like other American makers they marked major parts with the serial numbers of the movements, or at least the last few digits of the numbers.

This is the lever mechanism, assembled. But there was a problem.

An intermediary winding wheel on this Waltham pocketwatch had two broken teeth. I searched high and low and amazingly found another of the exact part! Unfortunately the one I found also had a couple broken teeth (not a good sign, maybe it's prone to that). Searching deeper in the older boxes, I found another remarkable gear that is as close to exactly the same as I could hope for, except, strangely, the diameter of the hole in the middle was too small.

It's an odd coincidence, it seems the same part otherwise. Watch parts do not mix and match. They have to be exactly right. The one I found must be a later Waltham part.

It didn't take long to change the hole in the lathe.

I avoid watch case repair, but I'm making an exception in this, uh, case...  Too bad the photo is blurry, for some reason.  I would have taken another one but I had already put the watch back together.

The stem had pushed though the thing it is supposed to push on to move the latch spring.  The latch had to come out to get at that small brass part, which also holds the stem in from the bottom, as it turned out, in addition to the screw in the neck. It's an old style case.

Earlier Walthams are marked "A. W. Co." on the dial. I am sometimes asked what maker this is.

Here's a detail of the lever, which pulls out to engage setting mode.

American Waltham Ellery 1857 Model

This is an American Waltham movement, 18 size W. Ellery 1857 model.

It was made about 1873.

This movement is key-wind and key-set. The time is set using a key with a square hole in the end to directly turn the hands. Note the square end to the cannon pinion, shown here. It fits the key.

A cannon pinion being too loose is a common problem in vintage watches. The cannon pinion sits fiction-fit on the center shaft. It need to be loose enough to slip when the time is being set. But it also must be tight enough to grip the center staff and turn as the watch runs.

When the cannon pinion is too loose, it slips and the hands do not move even though the watch is ticking away just fine, and the center wheel is turning. The fix for this problem is to tighten the cannon pinion, in most cases. Later cannon pinions, later than this one, are built with a cut-out in the side, like a flap, that can be press in some to tighten the grip. But this old key-set cannon pinion is solid. It can not be tightened in the usual manner. There are a few tricks to work around this, none of them advised. The watchmakers of old would have been trained to replace the part if it was too loose. The problem might actually be wear to the center staff, which perhaps should be replaced.

But replacing an old part like this is often not possible. Newly made parts do not exist. One solution I have seen many times is shown here.

Some prior watchmaker has filed down the wall of the cannon pinion until it was thin enough that it could be indented in with a punch. It then grips the center tightly at that point.

We have to accept in this day and age that this may be the best that can be done. But it is problematic. First, it is tricky to do. Remove too much material and the part is ruined. Secondly, and more importantly, it will not last. This dimple inside the part is not like the spring-like flap later designs use. The fix here, in actual use where the watch is set every day, would quickly wear down and go right back to slipping, and likely cut a groove in the center shaft too, damaging that part.

But this is an antique after all, and should see very infrequent setting.

With he balance cock off, we can see how on these watches the outer end of the hairspring is pinned to an arm anchored to the top plate, rather than pinned to a stud attached to the balance cock.

Here is a close up of the dial and hands. Note again the square end of the cannon pinion.

Setting a watch like this has to be done with great care, as it is very easy to slip and damage the hands.

The watch is wound with the same size key that is used to set it. The winding arbor is in the back. The movement is protected, with this style of case, by an inner dust cover.

Waltham 1879 Model

This is a fantastic American Waltham 1879 model, W. M. Ellery, 18 size, 11 jewels, lever-set, made about 1881.

These first couple of images show the lever-set mechanism on the dial side.

The movement is in a heavy sterling swing-out style case.

Great watch!

William Ellery

William Ellery watches were made by what was to become the American Watch Company, and later the Waltham Watch Company. These are extremely early attempts at mass manufacture and parts interchangeability, dating to the era of the American Civil War.

William Ellery the man was one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence.

Abe Lincoln's Pocket Watch

By now everyone has read the story of the secret message engraved into President Lincoln's pocket watch by a Washington DC watchmaker that happened to be repairing the watch when he heard of the attack at Fort Sumter and the start of the Civil War.

"April 13 — 1861," the first line reads, "Fort Sumpter (sic) was attacked by the rebels on the above date. J Dillon." The second part repeats same date, states the location as Washington and says, "Thank God we have a government."

I was wondering what type of watch Lincoln used. All the articles on this engraving did not say. It turns out that President Lincoln owned a Waltham William Ellery, model 1859. This is an 18 size key-wind watch with 11 jewels and a solid steel balance wheel.

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