Hello - I'm new to NAWCC and this is my first post so please bear with me. Thanks!I've recently started collecting and repairing antique pocket watches and am having a difficult time identifying the pocket watch cases.maker, gold filled, solid gold, base metal.etc.Does anyone have suggestions as to how I may determine what I've got on each pocket watch case?For example, I've attached a photo of a hunters case that has an 1889 Waltham movement in it and is marked Waltham 151894 on the back lid and 151894 on the front lid. I think it might be solid gold but I don't know how to determine that.Please help educate me as to the tricks to the trade in identifying pocket watch casesMany thanks in advance!!!
These hallmarks are seen on Swiss watches with silver or gold cases imported to the UK between 1880 and 1907. From 1 June 1907 Swiss hallmarks are rarely seen on imported watches; British import hallmarks appear instead, sometimes alongside Swiss hallmarks. British import hallmarks, like all British hallmarks since 1478, do include a date letter.
Welcome to the board, Dennis.The trademark in your photo is one of the correct marks for the Waltham Watch Case Co. If there is an accompanying mark (as shown on my first photo below) this would show that the case is 14K solid gold. My second photo shows the 'Waltham' mark only, and I have been assured by knowledgeable people here that this is a 10K solid gold case. So presumably that applies to yours tooAmerican 'hallmarks' are problematic because there was no legally enforced marking system. My practice has been to check specific marks here, and then slowly to learn which marks mean what!I have a book called 'History of the American Watch Case' by Warren Niebling which contains some trademarks, but the book is far from a complete reference (it doesn't even mention Waltham Watch Case Co!!!) and it says nothing about karatage marks, and it's pretty difficult to use for reference. I wouldn't recommend it.There is another book referred to as 'Ehrhardt's Trade Marks' which I believe is rather better, but I have been looking for a copy for two years without success. Both of these books are out of print.My own rule is this.
If the case doesn't contain the words 'Warranted US Assay 14K (or 18K)' I assume it's not gold until an expert tells me otherwise, or until I've had it tested. Hi Dennis:Please add my welcome to Marty's.I can't help you with the specific case you've pictured, but in general, the linked-to list of may be helpful. In many of the articles it lists, the References section at the bottom has a link to a 1904 trade mark book.By the way, strictly speaking, the identifying stampings/engravings in American watch cases are trade marks, not hallmarks. There is a world of difference in their authority of statement of precious metal content (hallmarks are required by government authority generally in Europe - trade mark use is optional and means only what the manufacturer says it means).
My very first post. I would not be here except for finding this site based on this thread. I have poked around the site and all I can say is wow, what a goldmine of information.OK a little background first. My Waltham 14K case with with a Waltham movement serial 4154394 belonged to my great grandmother. She raised my mother and one day a scrap gold dealer came to the door. He offered to buy the watch as it was not working.
My mother asked her grandmother if she could have it because it was so pretty. She gave it to her. When I was 12 my mother passed the watch to me so I have had it for 50 years.Recently my wife's mom passed and we inherited the watches that she had. One of them is the one with just Waltham on the case with a serial and no other markings. It too has a Waltham movement, serial 3439715.
Both movements are size 6.I have had two different jewlers look at the case and neither can determine exactly what it is made from without an acid test, which I will not let them do.I decided that since both are similar movements and the same size I would weigh them. I am not sure if that proves anything but the 14K cased watch weighs 57.8 grams and the other case 55.2 grams.Perhaps one of you experts can extrapolate that into something meaningful.I am attaching some pictures.
If you need more info please ask.Thanks and keep up the great posts! My humble opinion is that both are 14K, the weight difference is that one is a hunter case and one is an open face case. They need to be weighed with all of the intangibles removed, no lift springs, movements, steel parts to really determine the amount of gold in the cases.
Being heirlooms, I hope you don't sell them. The value is definitely in the cases, not the movements but if they were mine, they would never be sold. I recommend writing down as much history as you can on each watch and hand it down to the next generation and hope they appreciate it, defniitely no guarantee there.