Seth Thomas carries a unique heritage, founded by a clockmaker who was born just after the Revolutionary War. His company began making high-grade pocket watches in 1885, the only American clockmaker to attempt it, producing some of the most gorgeous designs of our railroad era, spanning nearly thirty years until the outbreak of World War I.
The most desirable of all Model 5 grades after the Maiden Lane is the Grade 182, which first appeared around SN 200301, almost at the start of the 20-year-run of the Model 5 somewhere in 1893, because the number of available patterns, especially early on, was truly remarkable. There are well over sixty known damask patterns, which could and did change at random in the middle of the run. In the second SN block the patterns became repetitive, shrinking to just a few standards, including this one, just the second pattern to come with the conical screw package. This 17-jewel Grade 182 (there is no Grade 182 "Special", as the PWDB claims) is in exceptional shape with gold jewel settings and an intact regulator assembly on very clean plates. It fronts the lightest of three factory Arabic pressed dials behind correct blued light spade hands, and it's housed in a shiny nickel swing case that was converted to display to show off this beautiful movement with a swedged bow, a tight crown, and NOS beveled glass crystals. Matching lanyard and display stand included.
Manufacturer - Seth Thomas
Serial Number - 229155
Watch Size - 18
Watch Model - 5
Watch Grade - 182
Jewel Count - 17
Winding/Setting - Stem/Lever
Production Year - 1903
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 and lighting packages.
There will come a time when you want or need to sell this watch for one of several reasons. If it's going to a fellow collector or someone who will genuinely appreciate it, then that's fine. On the other hand, if you're consigning it to an auction house or selling it to your local jeweler or gold hog it will almost certainly end up on eBay in pieces with the case melted down.
Instead of the watch being parted out for the bottom feeders to pick over, we will gladly buy the watch back from you, less 10% and the cost of a COA, plus anything else needed to return the piece to the condition in which you originally bought it.
One of the rarest of all Waltham dials - the coveted red guilloche with fancy hands, fronting a Model '88.