The
Waltham Watch Company, also known as the
American Waltham Watch Co. and the
American Watch Co., produced about 40 million high quality watches, clocks, speedometers, compasses, time fuses and other precision instruments between 1850 and 1957. The company's historic manufacturing facilities in
Waltham, MassachusettsWaltham is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, was an early center for the labor movement, and major contributor to the American Industrial Revolution. The original home of the Boston Manufacturing Company, the city was a prototype for 19th century industrial city planning,...
have been preserved as the
American Waltham Watch Company Historic District.
History
In 1850,
Roxbury, MassachusettsRoxbury is a dissolved municipality and current neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, United States. It was one of the first towns founded in the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1630, and became a city in 1846 until annexed to Boston on January 5, 1868...
, David Davis, Edward Howard and
Aaron Lufkin DennisonAaron Lufkin Dennison .-Early life:Aaron Dennison was born in Freeport, Maine, after which the family moved to Brunswick, Maine. He was the son of Andrew Dennison, a boot and shoemaker who was also a music teacher. As a child Aaron earned pocket money by carrying a builder’s hod, working as a...
formed together the company that would later become the
Waltham Watch Company. The revolutionary business plan was to manufacture the movement parts so precisely that they would become fully interchangeable. Based upon the experience of earlier failed trials, Howard and Dennison would eventually perfect and patent their precision watch making machines and create the
American System of Watch ManufacturingIn the mid 19th century Aaron Lufkin Dennison became inspired by the manufacturing techniques of the United States Armory at Springfield, Mass. The "armory practice" was mainly based on a strict system of organization, the extensive use of the machine shop and a control system based on gauges...
.
American Horologe Company (Warren Manufacturing Company)
In 1851, according to some sources, the company took the name "American Horologe Company" and production started in the new factory building. However, in October 1886, Waltham co-founder, Aaron Lufkin Dennison, in a letter to author Crossman, refuted the name and stated that the first Company name was the Warren Manufacturing Company, named for General Warren of Roxbury, a famous soldier of the War of Independence.The word "watch" was specifically omitted to retain secrecy of the novel operation.
Late 1852, the first watches were complete. The first 17 watches, which ran for 8 days, marked "Howard, Davis & Dennison" were distributed among company officials. Number-1 given to Edward Howard resides in the Smithsonian Collection. Numbers 18 to 100 were named "Warren, Boston" and the following 800 "Samuel Curtis", after the financial backer. A few, marked "Fellows & Schell", sold for $40. January 1853 saw the introduction of the "P.S. Bartlett" watch (named for Patten Sargeant Bartlett, an early employee).
Boston Watch Company
The company was renamed
Boston Watch Co. in September 1853. A new factory was built in
Waltham, MassachusettsWaltham is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, was an early center for the labor movement, and major contributor to the American Industrial Revolution. The original home of the Boston Manufacturing Company, the city was a prototype for 19th century industrial city planning,...
, on the banks of the
Charles RiverThe Charles River is an long river that flows in an overall northeasterly direction in eastern Massachusetts, USA. From its source in Hopkinton, the river travels through 22 cities and towns until reaching the Atlantic Ocean at Boston...
, which grew over the years to its present size. In October 1854 the company moved into the new factory. These buildings still stand, and were added to the United States
National Register of Historic PlacesThe National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 1989.
The next movements manufactured (1001-5000) were marked "Dennison, Howard, & Davis", "P.S.Bartlett", and "C.T. Parker". The company had financial difficulties and Edward Howard left to form
E. Howard & Co.thumb|Street clock by E. Howard & Co.The E. Howard & Co. clock and watch company was formed by Edward Howard and Charles Rice in 1858 after the demise of the Boston Watch Company...
Appleton Tracy & Company
Upon bankruptcy, the company was sold at auction to Royal E. Robbins, who reorganized it under the new name
Appleton Tracy & Co. (ATCo) in May 1857. Bearing this name, the next movements produced,
Waltham Model 1857The Waltham Model 1857 is a watch made by the American Watch Company, later called the Waltham Watch Companyin the City of Waltham, Massachusetts in the United States of America...
was the 1st pocket watch produced in America of standard parts. Serial numbers 5001 to 14,000. The "C.T. Parker" was introduced as the 1857 model. 399 units were made. Also 598 chronometers were manufactured.
American Watch Company
The
Waltham Improvement Co. merged in January 1859 with the
Appleton, Tracy & Co. forming the
American Watch Co. (AWCo). In 1860, as President
Abraham LincolnAbraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States, serving from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. He successfully led his country through a great constitutional, military and moral crisis – the American Civil War – preserving the Union, while ending slavery, and...
was elected, the country was in Civil War. Production ground to a halt. However, the company decided to downsize to the lowest possible level to keep the factory open. It worked: Upon his
Gettysburg AddressThe Gettysburg Address is a speech by U.S. President Abraham Lincoln and is one of the most well-known speeches in United States history. It was delivered by Lincoln during the American Civil War, on the afternoon of Thursday, November 19, 1863, at the dedication of the Soldiers' National Cemetery...
, President Lincoln became the proud owner of a Waltham watch: Model 1857, grade "Wm. Ellery",
serial numberA serial number is a unique number assigned for identification which varies from its successor or predecessor by a fixed discrete integer value...
no 67613. A.W.Co.
made unusual 14 size watch with "Push button" at 1 o'clock position to set the time. Serial No.2875426 Name: Bond St.
Waltham became the main supplier of Railroad chronometers to the various
railroadsRail transport is a means of conveyance of passengers and goods by way of wheeled vehicles running on rail tracks. In contrast to road transport, where vehicles merely run on a prepared surface, rail vehicles are also directionally guided by the tracks they run on...
in North America and in as many as 52 other countries of the world. In 1876, Waltham disclosed the first automatic screw making machinery and obtained the first Gold Medal in a watch precision contest at the Philadelphia
Centennial ExpositionThe Centennial International Exhibition of 1876, the first official World's Fair in the United States, was held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, from May 10 to November 10, 1876, to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence in Philadelphia. It was officially...
. Not only the American
HorologyHorology is the art or science of measuring time. Clocks, watches, clockwork, sundials, clepsydras, timers, time recorders and marine chronometers are all examples of instruments used to measure time.People interested in horology are called horologists...
but also the world owes much to the early members of the Waltham Watch entity, such as Bacon, Church, Dennison, Fogg, H. Marsh, Webster and Woerd for their technical inventions and developments.
American Waltham Watch Company
In 1885, after 26 years, the company name changed to
American Waltham Watch Co. (AWWCo) where it was to remain for the next 32 years. Most widely known under this name, the company would produce some of the finest examples of pocket watches ever created.
Waltham Watch Company
In 1907 the name changed to
Waltham Watch Co. (WWCo), in 1923 briefly to
Waltham Watch and Clock Company and finally in 1925 to
Waltham Watch Company (WWC).
Two high-quality groups of watches were produced by
Waltham as direct result of orders placed by the
Canadian Pacific RailwayThe Canadian Pacific Railway , formerly also known as CP Rail between 1968 and 1996, is a historic Canadian Class I railway founded in 1881 and now operated by Canadian Pacific Railway Limited, which began operations as legal owner in a corporate restructuring in 2001...
. One large group has the shield and beaver emblem
of the Railway engraved on the movements, and is known as the "CPR" type. The second group has "Canadian Railway Time Service" engraved on the movements, and is known as the "CRTS" type. They are both highly prized by collectors.
Serial Numbers
Every watch
movementIn horology, a movement is the internal mechanism of a clock or watch, as opposed to the case, which encloses and protects the movement, and the face which displays the time. The term originated with mechanical timepieces, whose movements are made of many moving parts...
was engraved with an individual
serial numberA serial number is a unique number assigned for identification which varies from its successor or predecessor by a fixed discrete integer value...
which can be used to estimate the date of production. Volunteers have created a database of Waltham serial numbers, models and grades, and descriptions of observed watches.
Waltham Precision Instruments Company
Waltham closed its factory doors and declared bankruptcy in 1949, although the factory briefly reopened a few times (primarily to finish and case existing watch inventory for sale). Several different plans were presented to restart the business, but all failed for various reasons. In 1958, the company decided to get out of the consumer watch business completely, and reorganized into the Waltham Precision Instruments Company. All remaining watch inventory had been sold to the Hallmark Watch Company the previous year, and rights to the "Waltham" trademark were sold to a new Waltham Watch Company incorporated in Delaware in exchange for stock.
However, specialized clocks and
chronographA chronograph is a timepiece or watch with both timekeeping and stopwatch functions as well as other functions. Pocket watch chronographs were produced as early as the 18th century but did not become popular until the 1820s...
s for use in aircraft control panels continued to be made in the Waltham factory under the name of Waltham Precision Instruments Company until the company was sold in 1994. The company is now based in
AlabamaAlabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
as the
Waltham Aircraft Clock CorporationWaltham Aircraft Clock Corporation is a company specializing in the manufacturing and maintenance of mechanical aircraft clocks, established in 1994 in Ozark, Alabama.-History:...
.
Waltham International SA Switzerland
The Waltham Watch Company went out of business in 1957, but had founded a subsidiary in
SwitzerlandSwitzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
in 1954,
Waltham International SAWaltham International SA was founded in 1954 in Lausanne, Switzerland, by the American Waltham Watch Company, Waltham, Massachusetts, to provide the necessary watch and movement parts, which were not readily available in U.S.A....
. Waltham International SA retains the right to the Waltham trade name outside of North America, and continues to produce mechanical wrist watches and mechanical pocket watches under the "Waltham" brand. It is a full-fledged member of the
Federation of the Swiss Watch Industry FHThe Federation of the Swiss Watch Industry FH is the Swiss watch industry's leading trade association.-History:...
.
Hallmark Watch Company
During their restructuring efforts in the 50's, Waltham opened an office in New York for the purposes of importing Swiss watch movements and cases. Due to restrictions placed on the company by their main creditor (the Restructuring Finance Corporation, they couldn't sell these watches directly, so they were sold through an independent company; the Hallmark Watch Company.
Waltham Watch Company (Delaware)
The Waltham Watch Company (later known as Waltham of Chicago) was founded by one of the executives of the Hallmark Watch Company to carry on the Waltham trade name in the watch business. In exchange for rights to the name, existing Waltham Watch Company (Mass) shareholders received 1 share of the new company for every 5 shares of the original company.
In 1959, the Waltham Watch Company merged with the Hallmark Watch Company, giving the new company access to replacement parts to service existing Waltham watch owners. Notwithstanding their efforts to present a seamless transition, the company came under much scrutiny by the
FTCFTC may refer to:- Organizations :* Federal Trade Commission, a US agency for consumer protection* Ferencvárosi TC, a Hungarian sports club* Financial Training Center Limited, a training institution in Tanzania...
throughout the 60's, and ultimately was forced to change their advertising and branding policies to clearly indicate that they weren't directly related to the original Waltham company, and that their products were not made in America.
US & Canada Business
The United States & Canada businesses of Waltham are now owned by MZ Berger and Company manufacturing cheap watches in China for distribution solely in U.S.A. and Canada, outside of the watch industry dealerships.
Japan & Rest of the World Business
Waltham International SAWaltham International SA was founded in 1954 in Lausanne, Switzerland, by the American Waltham Watch Company, Waltham, Massachusetts, to provide the necessary watch and movement parts, which were not readily available in U.S.A....
, is owned and operated by its Japanese
Main Distributor: Heiwado & Co, Japan, manfacturing and distributing Waltham
Swiss MadeSwiss Made is a label used to indicate that a product was made in Switzerland.-Overview:The wording was formally adopted in the late 19th century and is unique in that most other countries use the phrase "Made in ". The most obvious place where the label is found is on Swiss watches...
watches in the higher end of the luxury watch making.
Abraham Lincoln's Watch
In tribute, upon the Gettysburg Address, Abraham Lincoln was presented with a
William Ellery, key wind watch
Waltham Model 1857The Waltham Model 1857 is a watch made by the American Watch Company, later called the Waltham Watch Companyin the City of Waltham, Massachusetts in the United States of America...
, serial number
67613. This watch is now in the collection of the
National Museum of American HistoryThe National Museum of American History: Kenneth E. Behring Center collects, preserves and displays the heritage of the United States in the areas of social, political, cultural, scientific and military history. Among the items on display are the original Star-Spangled Banner and Archie Bunker's...
at
the
Smithsonian InstitutionThe Smithsonian Institution is an educational and research institute and associated museum complex, administered and funded by the government of the United States and by funds from its endowment, contributions, and profits from its retail operations, concessions, licensing activities, and magazines...
in Washington, DC.
Waltham watch on the moon
Astronaut
David ScottDavid Randolph Scott is an American engineer, test pilot, retired U.S. Air Force officer, and former NASA astronaut and engineer, who was one of the third group of astronauts selected by NASA in October 1963...
, commander of the
Apollo 15Apollo 15 was the ninth manned mission in the American Apollo space program, the fourth to land on the Moon and the eighth successful manned mission. It was the first of what were termed "J missions", long duration stays on the Moon with a greater focus on science than had been possible on previous...
mission in 1971, wore a Waltham watch on his third lunar EVA when his standard Omega Speedmaster Professional chronograph became damaged. This was a Waltham branded
Swiss MadeSwiss Made is a label used to indicate that a product was made in Switzerland.-Overview:The wording was formally adopted in the late 19th century and is unique in that most other countries use the phrase "Made in ". The most obvious place where the label is found is on Swiss watches...
watch.
Waltham speedometer in a Ford
Reputedly the only speedometer in a Ford, to bear the manufacturers name. The 1937 Ford sedans (at least), had Waltham speedometers. A testor at the time was quoted to say that accuracy had to be "plus or minus 10 MPH".
See also
- Elgin Watch Company
The Elgin National Watch Company, most commonly known as just the Elgin Watch company was a major US watch company.-History:The Elgin National Watch Company, was founded in August 1864 as the National Watch Company. A number of former associates of the Waltham Watch Company and Chicago watchmaker J.C...
- Gruen Watch Co.
The Gruen Watch Company was formerly one of the largest watch manufacturers in the United States. It was in business from about 1894 to 1958 and was based in Cincinnati, Ohio.- Dietrich Gruen :...
- Hamilton Watch Company
The Hamilton Watch Company was originally formed to produce high quality pocket watches and wristwatches mid-range and luxury. Hamilton would become a corporate conglomerate diversified in other operations...
- Illinois Watch Company
The Illinois Watch Company was founded on December 23, 1870, in Springfield, Illinois by John C. Adams, John Whitfield Bunn and various additional financiers. Twenty years later, Jacob Bunn, Jr. took over and ran the company until his death in 1926...
External links