Pocket Watches · Pocket watch
Waltham 45mm 18k Gold White Dial Hand Wound Pocket Watch
- Maker / attribution
- Waltham (maker)
- Date
- 20th century
- Historical period
- Golden Age of Mechanical Watchmaking (1900 – 1945)
- Country of origin
- United States
- Object type
- Pocket watch
- Materials / technique
- gold
- Dealer
- WatchMuseum.org shop
- Stock no.
- Product 3487
- Credit line
- Dealer listing, WatchMuseum.org shop (product 3487)
- Catalogue title (original)
- Waltham 45mm 18k Gold White Dial Hand Wound Pocket Watch (English)
View the source record (dealer listing) ↗ (opens another website in a new tab)Suggest a correction
Record summary
Catalogued by WatchMuseum.org shop (stock number Product 3487), this is a pocket watch by Waltham, made in United States, dated 20th century. The Atlas places it in the Golden Age of Mechanical Watchmaking period (1900 – 1945) of its Pocket Watches collection. Materials and techniques recorded by the source: gold. The record is illustrated with 4 photographs.
Assembled from the source record's structured fields. Dates and attributions are given as the source states them; where a field is missing the Atlas leaves it blank rather than estimating.
Catalogue description
Dealer description — WatchMuseum.org shop
Step into the elegance of a bygone era with the Waltham 45mm 18k Gold White Dial Hand Wound Pocket Watch, a quintessential timepiece from the 20th century that exudes timeless sophistication. This exquisite men’s pocket watch, crafted with an 18k yellow gold casing, showcases a pristine white dial adorned with easy-to-read Arabic numerals and a small seconds subdial, ensuring both style and functionality. The watch, featuring 15 jewels, a fixed bezel, and a push/pull crown, is a vintage Waltham 976053 model proudly made in the United States. While it does not come with its original packaging, booklets, or papers, it is accompanied by a 1-year seller warranty, attesting to its enduring quality. Weighing 64 grams and in good condition, this pocket watch is a remarkable piece of horological history that will undoubtedly enhance any collection. This classic men’s pocket watch is a stunning piece with 18k yellow gold casing and features a white dial with easy-to-read Arabic numerals and a small seconds subdial. The watch contains 15 jewels and has a fixed bezel and push/pull crown. The vintage Waltham 976053 model is made in the United States and comes with a 1-year seller warranty. The watch does not come with original packaging, booklets, or papers, but it is a timeless piece that will make a stunning addition to any collection. Creator: Waltham Case Material: 18k Gold Weight: 64 g Place of Origin: Switzerland Period: 20th Century Date of Manufacture: unknown Condition: Good
Historical context
Golden Age of Mechanical Watchmaking (1900 – 1945)
The wristwatch displaces the pocket watch; waterproof cases, self-winding and grand complications.
The pocket watch reached technical maturity and then began to give way to the wristwatch after the First World War. Complicated watches for collectors such as Henry Graves Jr. and James Ward Packard, railroad watches, and slim Art Deco dress watches are characteristic.
Read the period in the timelineMore pocket watches from this periodEarlier: Industrial Revolution
Atlas type guide
Pocket watches
The pocket watch was the dominant personal timekeeper from the late seventeenth century until the First World War. Its development tracks the history of the escapement: verge watches with fusees until the late eighteenth century; Thomas Mudge's lever escapement (c. 1755) and the cylinder escapement popularised by George Graham and later by Swiss makers; and the Swiss and English lever watches of the nineteenth century. Lépine's bar-bridge calibre and keyless winding made watches thinner and easier to use.
Industrialisation transformed the trade: American factories such as Waltham (from 1850) and Elgin produced interchangeable parts by machine, and Swiss makers responded with their own mechanisation after the 1876 Philadelphia Exhibition. By 1900 a reliable watch was affordable to millions; the finest makers continued to produce complications and precision watches.
What to look for
- The escapement: verge (crown wheel), cylinder, duplex, English or Swiss lever.
- Key winding (a square arbor in dial or back) or keyless crown winding.
- Signatures and serial numbers on the movement, dial and inside case back.
- Hallmarks, case maker's marks and gold or silver standards stamped in the case.
- Dial material: enamel, silver, gold, later printed metal.
Dating clues
- Verge watches dominate before c. 1800; cylinder watches c. 1770–1900; lever watches after c. 1820.
- Keyless winding: increasingly common after c. 1860.
- Manufacturer serial number lists exist for Waltham, Elgin, Longines, Omega, Patek Philippe and others.
General guidance written by the Atlas editors about this kind of object. It is not a statement about this particular piece; for that, rely on the source record above and on physical examination.
Read next:Verge escapementDetached lever escapementFuseeIdentification Centre
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