Lot 64

Waltham Pocket Watch with 14K Gold and Gold Quartz Case

Previous image preload Next image preload

Waltham Pocket Watch with 14K Gold and Gold Quartz Case

Estimate: $6,500 - $9,500

Starting Bid: $4,750

(0 Bids)

by Rock Island Auction Company
June 27, 2026 5:00 PM CDT
Live Auction
3600 Harwood Road
Bedford, TX, US 76021

Highly Desirable Waltham American Watch Co. Model 1873 Wm. Ellery Pocket Watch with Extraordinary 14K Gold and Gold Quartz Case The story of the American Waltham Watch Co., like so many entrepreneurial and industrial pursuits in this country, is one of struggle, failure, determination, and eventually success. The company was the dream of Aaron Lufkin Dennison, who realized that for most of the early 19th century, pocket watches in the United States were almost entirely imported from Britain and Switzerland, leaving a potential opening for an American manufacturer of fine pocket watches. In 1849, Dennison joined with Edward Howard and David P. Davis to found a watch company, initially called the American Horologe Company, but quickly changed to Warren Manufacturing. Dennison traveled to Britain to purchase equipment and observe techniques, soon learning that even in industrialized Britain the watchmaking industry remained decidedly not mechanized. They built their first plant in Roxbury, Massachusetts, filling it with specialized machinery that was quite revolutionary in the industry, with their first model being a innovative piece that could run for eight days without needing winding. The first model was extremely expensive and failed to sell, though their second model saw some commercial success, being cheaper and running for 36 hours without winding. By 1853, the Roxbury facility was seen as too small, leading the company to change their name to the Boston Watch Company and begin construction of a facility in Waltham, Massachusetts, where operations began in 1854. The cost of construction led to financial struggles for the company, which deepened with the economic crisis towards the end of 1856, eventually leading to foreclosure and the sale of the business in February of 1857 to New York watch importer Royal E. Robbins, with the company being renamed American Watch Co. in 1859 and Dennison staying on as superintendent until 1862. The outbreak of the American Civil War in 1861 led to increased demand for pocket watches among soldiers, leading the American Watch Co. to introduce a relatively inexpensive model they called the "William Ellery". The model became extremely popular with soldiers, with the Wm. Ellery accounting for nearly half the company's sales during the period. After the war, the company became the primary supplier of railroad chronometers as America's rail network expanded farther west, and in 1876 at the Philadelphia Centennial Exposition the company won a gold medal in a watch precision contest. In 1885, just after this particular watch was made, the company officially changed its name to the American Waltham Watch Co., a name which carried on along with American produced watches until around 1952 when the company began importing Swiss-made movements and was eventually divided and sold to various parties through the 1960s to 1980s. From 1850 to 1957, the company is said to have produced approximately 40 million watches, clocks, speedometers, compasses, and other precision instruments, having a very profound impact on American precision manufacturing. This watch was manufactured in late 1882 as a Model 1873 Wm. Ellery grade pocket watch housed in a truly extraordinary 14K gold and gold quartz case. The movement is in hunting configuration, size 8s, 7 jewels, and numbered 1835591. The dial is white with black Roman numerals around the edge, the American Watch Co. monogram at the center, and both "A.W. Co." and "WALTHAM" in black, which are hidden when the front of the case is closed. The hands are finished in nitre blue. The 14K gold case is beautifully machine-turned with checkering on much of the surface, a band of floral engraving around the class panel over the dial, and a stunning circular piece of gold quartz set in the back, showing striking gold flake throughout. The gold quartz setting shows marked similarity to that of the cane in the previous lot and likely indicates that this pocket watch was either owned by, gifted by, or presented to someone involved in the gold mining industry in the American West which all had their beginnings in the California gold rush!

Manufacturer: None

Model: None

Class: Other

  • Provenance: The Al & Carol Cali Collection; A Private Collection
  • Condition: Excellent, with the 14K gold remaining bright throughout, a few very light dings/tool marks, only the slightest handling marks on the glass, and both the engraving and checkering remaining crisp. The gold quartz is excellent. Mechanically excellent. This is an extraordinary, highly attractive pocket watch from arguably America's most innovative and prolific watchmaker!

Accepted Forms of Payment:

American Express, Discover, MasterCard, Money Order / Cashiers Check, Personal Check, Visa, Wire Transfer

Shipping

Rock Island Auction will contact you shortly after the auction has completed. We will arrange for shipping and or pickup.

Rock Island Auction Company

You agree to pay a buyer's premium of 30% and any applicable taxes and shipping.

View full terms and conditions

Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $199 $10
$200 $499 $25
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 $99,999 $5,000
$100,000 $199,999 $10,000
$200,000 + $25,000