American Waltham was the first company to produce a watch entirely by machine, tracing its roots back to 1850 with three Massachusetts businessmen who would apply Honoré Blanc's method of gunsmithing in the late 1700s to the American cottage industry of watchmaking - the concept of interchangeable parts.
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 1883 is named. The Model '83 was the foundation for many of the company's named grades, since it was durable and easy to service, including this 15-jewel example. It comes with gold jewel settings, a star regulator, a full set of domed blued screws, and was just completely restored for its next owner. The delicate blue Arabic fancy dial is perfectly complemented by a matching set of gilt Louis XIV hands and the gold-filled Keystone offset-hinge case is in excellent condition with a blank front shield, a sharp crown, a tight bow, and a new glass crystal.
Manufacturer - American Waltham
Serial Number - 6549913
Watch Size - 18
Watch Model - 1883 (Hunting)
Watch Grade - Appleton, Tracy & Co
Jewel Count - 15
Winding/Setting - Stem/Lever
Production Year - 1894
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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