Hello Nicholas,
Thank you for sending in your pocket watch to mearto.com for an appraisal. I shall try to help you with that today.
TITLE:
Gent’s 14k gold, 16-size, pendant wound and pendant/lever set, savonette, hunting case pocket watch, Grade: P.S. Bartlett, made by the Waltham Watch Company, Waltham, Massachusetts, circa 1908.
DESCRIPTION:
Case: Size 16, solid 14k gold, four leaf, keyless, hunting case pocket watch with engine turned covers, machined in a circular overlapping pattern, one side with a foliate shield shaped engraving for the owner’s initials (left blank). There is a fluted gold suppressed ball-shaped pendant and round gold bow placed at the three position (savonette) opposite the case hinge. The inside of the cover is marked 14k gold with a case number of 5537424. The barrel around the circumference of the gold case is coin edged.
Dial: A triple sunk, white enameled dial with Roman hours, open bar minute track with red Arabic markers placed every five minutes around the periphery, subsidiary seconds’ dial @6, steel American type Spade hands and the upper sunken dial center marked ‘Waltham’. There is a chipped crystal overlying the dial.
Movement: This is a size 16, damascened nickel, split three-quarter plate movement, the Grade ‘P.S. Bartlett’, model 1908, made by the Waltham Watch Company, Waltham, Massachusetts in a run of 850 such movements, each with 17 jewels. The movement serial number is 22037344, indicating production in the year 1908. This movement was made specifically to fit into Waltham hunting cases, and is wound from the pendant and was made to be set either by a lever at the right side of the dial or using the pendant (it was produced both ways). The movement had a patent regulator with bimetallic temperature compensating balance wheel and Breguet hairspring. The movement is signed, ‘PS Bartlett, Waltham, Mass. and is properly numbered.
CONDITION:
Case – Moderate amount of scratches and wear to the outer case. Several tiny dings are noted on the inside of one of the covers. Case is in fair condition.
Dial – Crystal is chipped. The dial appears to be in excellent condition with no hairline fractures and good coloring and original throughout.
Movement – Not seen but assumed genuine, original to this case and hopefully functional.
HISTORY:
Waltham Watch Company - This American Company was the first to produce watches by the machined use of interchangeable parts. This was the vision of the founders of the company; Aaron Dennison, David Davis and Edward Howard. The initial company was located at Roxbury, Mass. in 1851, and was called the Warren Manufacturing Company. The business moved to Waltham, Ma in 1854 and the name had just been changed to the Boston Watch Company. That business failed in 1857 and was sold at a sheriff's sale, reorganized and called Appleton, Tracy and Company. In 1859 the Waltham Improvement Company merged with Appleton, Tracy to form the American Watch Company. Between 1859 and 1885 the firm operated under that corporate name. These early watches were key wound. Stem winding was introduced in 1870. The last key wound watches were produced in 1919. In 1885 the name was changed to the American Waltham Watch Company. In 1906 it became the Waltham Watch Company and in 1923 the Waltham Watch and Clock Company. Production ceased in 1950.
**P. S. Bartlett,” a watch grade named for Patten Sargeant Bartlett, the foreman of the plate and screw department at Waltham until 1864.
COMPARABLES:
https://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/91213915_a-heavy-gold-waltham-model-1888-pocket-watch-with (heavy gold case in same size sold for $2000 in 2020)
https://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/90062605_waltham-a-16-size-14-karat-gold-hunting-case-pocket (Sold in 2020 for $900)
https://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/90062598_waltham-a-14-karat-gold-model-1899-pocket-watch (Sold for $1100 in 2020)
https://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/79836357_1902-waltham-14k-gold-hunting-case-pocket-watch (sold for $825 in 2020)
https://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/72275956_waltham-14k-gold-pocket-watch-size-16-s-sn-6516723 (sold for $900 in 2019)
https://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/86777393_waltham-14k-ps-bartlett-17j-16s-pocket-watch-ps-brg (P.S. Bartlett size 16, 14k gold sold for $950 in 2020)
https://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/85396703_14k-gold-waltham-psbartlett-hc-pocket-watch-circa (P.S. BARLETT size 16, 14k gold sold for $1000 in 2020)
PRICING:
Although the outside of the case does detract from the overall value of this watch, the PS Bartlett size 16 remains a very popular pocket watch. In pristine condition it tends to sell today in the fair market range between $900 and $1500 depending on condition. I would estimate the fair market value of your example is in the range of
$1000-$1250 in its current condition. Retail prices are about twice that amount.
I hope you find this appraisal informative. I enjoyed helping you with it.
Thank you for choosing mearto.com
My best,
David

Dear Nicholas,
Thank you for contacting Mearto with your appraisal inquiry.
Since I am not pricing this watch for sale into the gold market but how it would do if sold on the watch market,
could you please send me a clear photo of the movement with the serial number on the movement.
The case number is 5537424 which does not have much relevance by itself.
Thanks,
David