DESCRIPTION:
APW - Waltham, Improved Sporting Watch (Chronodrometer), Appleton Tracy & Co mvt with stop/start function displayed on dial with sweep-seconds outer chapter of 4-minute interval, upper register for 12-hour timekeeping, and lower register for 4-second timing via 1/4-second jump, Model 1857, 15J, 18S, silver OF original A.T. & Co. (Appleton Tracy & Co.) case with American Indian engraving to rear, stop/start function controlled by button at lower right of case band, slide at bottom of band to allow or prevent stop/start function, "Improved Sporting Watch. Jas Appleton Jr. Waltham. Mass." signed white enamel dial, KWKS from rear, diamond endstone, gilt mvt, s#13796. An excellent original example of Waltham's first "complicated" watch; this is also one of the most distinctive and visually striking examples of this watch type we've seen due to its unusual American Indian bust engraving in large size to its case rear. This example also notably features a slide to the lower portion of its case band which allows the user to prevent its stop/start function; although this slide feature is very useful to this watch type (which has the impractical characteristic that the watch stops running when the stop/start button is pressed, necessitating resetting of its timekeeping after use of the timer function), a case slide was for some reason not typically incorporated among their production. These watches were recorded as "Sporting Watch" in Waltham factory records and in total 400 were produced with this production being at serial number ranges 13701 to 13900, 14501 to 14600, and 14701 to 14800. Dials of the earlier production examples were marked "Improved Sporting Watch" as on the present watch, while dials of later production examples were signed instead with the "Chronodrometer" name; and of these two signatures types the "Improved Sporting Watch" is scarcer. The present example is from the initial production run of 100 which was made in October of 1858, while the remainder of Sporting Watch production is listed with finish dates between 1859 and 1865. This small total production spread over a period of seven years indicates that these watches found limited commercial success, presumably in large part as from 1861 to 1865 the United States was busy fighting a Civil War which no doubt limited its citizens' opportunities and enthusiasm for horse or dog racing!
CONDITION:
Mvt: Running and was serviced September, 2020, good stop/start function, right side of barrel bridge with previous owner's "J.W. Ford, Cohoes NY" very lightly scribed into surface, otherwise nearly mint cosmetic mvt condition overall with excellent gilt tone, few micro-fine scratches, some small bits of oxide to setting arbor and hairspring stud; excellent dial with some scattered extremely faint hls; excellent hands, sweep-seconds-hand is blue, other hands are plum colored; case shows light wear, an attractive moderate exterior patina, mild small ding and few small nicks at upper left perimeter of rear, mild small ding at right side of band, few small nicks elsewhere to band and to bezel, cuvette with previous owner's "J.W. Ford, Cohoes NY" lightly scribed into surface left of setting aperture, some fine to micro-fine scratches around winding and setting apertures; tight bow; good glass crystal.
ESTIMATE:
$3000
-
$6000
"
"
"
"
"
"
"
"
"