There was no higher status symbol of finance and business before the advent of Rolls-Royce and Pierce-Arrow automobiles than a heavy key-wind gold watch. On a quiet night this 150-year-old survivor can tell you of times past, before the days of Alexander Graham Bell's talking telephone and Marconi's new wireless. Don't miss this heavy and handsome reminder of the days when the phrase "Made in America" still meant something.
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After the failure of the Boston Watch Co, the venture would be renamed twice more before merging with the real-estate-holding Waltham Improvement Co to form the American Watch Co in 1859. One of those early incarnations was the Appleton, Tracy & Co, named for one-time owner James Appleton and Philadelphia creditor Elias Tracy, and it's for that pairing that this Model 1857 was marked. Running at the "slow" gear train speed of 16,200 beats-per-hour, this delightfully untouched example carries the full jewel count of fifteen and was just thoroughly restored with a new alloy mainspring to power it through the next half-century. It fronts a correct American Watch dial and matching blued hands, and is housed in a gold-filled G W Ladd case with tight hinges and very little wear. Simply owning this piece makes you time traveler, harkening back to the days of President Ulysses S Grant's second term in office nearly 150 years ago. Imagine all of the history contained in this piece as you carry it, occasionally pulling it out to show envious friends and family. Period key included!
Manufacturer - American Waltham
Serial Number - 499337
Watch Size - 18
Watch Model - 1857
Watch Grade - Appleton, Tracy & Co
Jewel Count - 15
Winding/Setting - Key/Key
Production Year - Around 1872
Straps are an alternative to chains, which don't grind up the metal bows. Prevent drops with these supple straps, hand-braided from top-grain leather in your choice of colors.
Safely store or display your favorite pieces in a custom wooden cabinet, designed and built to your specifications in your choice of domestic species, finishes, hardware lighting packages.
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