Home Watch Co. Waltham Key Wind Pocket Watch c.1873 | 3.5 Oz Coin Silver Hunter Case

Offered here is an impressive early American Home Watch Co. pocket watch manufactured by Waltham and dating to approximately 1873, featuring traditional key-wind and key-set operation and a substantial 3.5 Oz coin silver hunter case.

Details:

MAKE

Manufacturer: Home Watch Co. (Waltham)
Country: USA
Type: Man’s
Serial #: 681160
Circa Date: 1873

CASE

Size: 18 Size.

Style: Hunter Case.

Material: 3.5 OZ Coin Silver Case.

Decorations:  Floral.

Conditions:  C  3  (The case is in Very Good condition)

DIAL

Color: White.

Type: Porcelain.

Numerals: Roman Numerals.

Hands: Spade Hands.

Conditions:  D  3-53  (The dial is in Very Good condition – Very Slightly Chipped)

MOVEMENT

Jewels: 11 Jewels.

Setting: Key Wind / Key Set.

Escapement: Lever Escapement.

Material: Gilt.

Layout: Full Plate Layout.

Signed:  Yes.

Conditions:  M  3-7  (The movement is in Very Good condition – Slightly Oxidized)

CONDITION

The watch will be timed out and refreshed by our watchmaker if needed prior to shipment.

The photographs shown are professionally taken images of the actual item being offered for sale. We do not use stock photos, so the watch you see is the watch you will receive.

Please examine all photographs carefully, as they form an important part of the description and provide the best representation of the unusual square case, dial, movement, and overall condition.

The Home Watch Co. name, Waltham manufacture, circa-1873 date, large 18 Size proportions, substantial coin silver hunter case, and early key-wind/key-set movement combine to make this a particularly interesting example of nineteenth-century American watchmaking.

Home Watch Co. & Waltham

The Home Watch Co. name is one of the more interesting aspects of this early American pocket watch.

Rather than presenting itself simply as another conventional Waltham-signed watch, this example carries the Home Watch Co. identity while being associated with Waltham manufacture.

That relationship gives the watch added interest for collectors who enjoy the numerous grades, trade names, and markings encountered throughout the history of American watch manufacturing.

Dating to approximately 1873, this watch comes from a much earlier period than the Waltham railroad watches that many collectors immediately associate with the company today.

3.5 Oz Coin Silver Hunter Case

The substantial coin silver hunter case is another important feature.

At 18 Size, this is already a large pocket watch. The 3.5 Oz case designation further emphasizes the substantial nature of its silver case construction.

The hunter configuration protects the dial beneath a hinged front cover, while floral decoration adds visual interest to the exterior.

Coin silver cases are particularly evocative of nineteenth-century American pocket watches and make an attractive alternative to the gold-filled cases that became increasingly familiar on later watches.

Key Wind & Key Set

This watch retains the traditional key-wind and key-set system characteristic of earlier pocket-watch construction.

A separate watch key is used to wind the mainspring, while the hands are also adjusted by key.

This is considerably different from the crown-operated winding and setting systems familiar on later American pocket watches and provides a much more tactile connection to nineteenth-century watch ownership.

For collectors of early American watches, key wind and key set are therefore important features worth emphasizing in the listing.

11-Jewel Gilt Full-Plate Movement

Inside is an 11-jewel gilt movement with traditional full-plate architecture.

Full-plate construction largely conceals the wheel train beneath the broad upper plate and gives the movement the substantial appearance associated with many early American watches.

The warm gilt finish is also visually appropriate to its circa-1873 period.

The movement is signed, carries serial No. 681,160, and employs a traditional lever escapement.

Slight oxidation is present and is reflected in the M3-7 condition rating, rather than being concealed or overstated.

Porcelain Roman Numeral Dial

The white porcelain dial presents a traditional nineteenth-century appearance with Roman numerals and spade hands.

The dial remains in Very Good condition overall, with very slight chipping noted and reflected in its D3-53 rating.

Combined with the coin silver hunter case and key-operated movement, the porcelain dial helps preserve the distinctly early character of the watch.

Collector Highlights

This Home Watch Co. Waltham combines an appealing collection of early American features:

• Home Watch Co. / Waltham
• Circa 1873
• Movement No. 681,160
• Large 18 Size
• 3.5 Oz coin silver case
• Hunter-case configuration
• Floral case decoration
• White porcelain dial
• Roman numerals
• Spade hands
• Key wind
• Key set
• 11-jewel movement
• Lever escapement
• Gilt full-plate movement
• Very Good overall condition

For a collection focused on early Waltham watches, Home Watch Co. watches, coin silver pocket watches, hunter-case watches, or key-wind American timepieces, this is an especially appealing nineteenth-century example.