Hello Christine,
Thank you for sending in your Waltham pocket watch to mearto.com for an appraisal. I shall try to help you with that today.
TITLE:
Gent’s, 16s, Art Deco, pendant wound and lever set, railroad grade, open face pocket watch in a chrome-plated base metal case, Vanguard grade movement made by the Waltham Watch Company, Waltham, Ma. USA circa 1931.
DESCRIPTION:
Case – 50 mm diameter, size 16, two leaf, chrome plated base metal open face pocket watch with the back cover engraved with a steam locomotive pulling a railroad car at a signal light. Parts of the locomotive are gilded. There is a fluted coin pendant and shaped embossed bow placed at the twelve position. The inside of the back cover has the case number ‘633776’, and the mark of a “Crown, Emperor, Base Metal”. This is the ‘Emperor’ model case, a chrome plated base metal case with the edges of the case embossed with chain and link ornaments. The ‘Emperor’ was manufactured by the Star Watch Case Company of Ludington, Michigan (see History).
Dial - White enameled dial with bold black Arabic hours, open bar minute track, sunken subsidiary seconds’ ring @6, power reserve indicator @12, steel Spade hour hand and steel Breguet minute hand (replaced) with the upper dial signed “Waltham, Vanguard 23 jewels”. . .
Movement – Size 16, a split three-quarter damascened plate movement, made by the Waltham Watch Company of Waltham, Massachusetts. This is their Vanguard Grade, model 1908, made in a production run of 2000 such railroad grade movements, Serial Number 2753770, made in 1931, 23 jewels, pendant wound and lever set, bimetallic balance wheel, movement adjusted to 6 positions and temperature, with wind or power reserve indicator (same model was also made without the reserve indicator), Lossier inner terminal hairspring, Railroad Grade and top quality rating.
CONDITION:
Case – Very good condition with some losses to the chrome plating on the back of the case.
Dial – Replaced minute hand or at least the tip of the minute hand is replaced. There is a single small scratch in the center of the dial.
Movement – A genuine, original, top of the line Railroad Grade movement in clean and functioning condition.
HISTORY:
The Star Watch Case Company was founded by Otto Starke and Fred Herman in 1897 in Elgin, Illinois. In 1905 the operation was moved to Ludington, Michigan where they remained into the last quarter of the 20th century. About 150+ workers manufactured only pocket watches prior to WW l. These were open face, hunting cases, snap and screw on back cover types. They used all types of metal cases from solid gold down to nickel. In the 1920's they used 10k, 14k, gold filled cases and 10k RGP (rolled gold plate). In the Twenties they added a chrome plated case. They used multiple trademarks, at least 20 that I was able to find. And they issued at least two patents on case styles. Their ‘Emperor’ Model case was the lowest grade case in their line-up. They made primarily gold filled- cases, solid silver cases and the chrome plated base metal case. They rarely made solid gold cases.
COMPARABLES:
~https://jewelry.ha.com/itm/timepieces/waltham-vanguard-23-jewel-up-down-indicator-pocket-watch/a/171206-74075.s?ic10=FeaturedPastSalePrices-Thumbnail-052317
(Sold for $531 in 2012)
~https://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/18223318_waltham-railroad-pocket-watch
(Sold for $550 in 2013)
~https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot/waltham-vanguard-watch-with-wind-indicator-wal-0204933b99 (sold in 2016 for $425)
~https://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/67892410_waltham-vangaurd-23-jewel-open-face-pocket-watch (same watch without the wind indicator, sold in 2019 for $325)
~https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot/waltham-vanguard-railroad-grade-pocket-watch-af444baa50 (Sold for $1000 in 2018 but in a 14k gold case.)
~https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot/a-gold-filled-open-face-vanguard-railroad-pocke-3714c87b19 (sold for $313 in 2019 in chrome plated case with no wind indicator, nor locomotive.)
Determining price in today’s market, I believe, if there were no locomotive on the watch case it would sell in the $300-$350 range. Most of the examples, almost all I show you (above) DO NOT have the steam engine engraved. I think the presence of the old engine on a railroad grade watch is important and I believe we should add $200 to the overall value which will bring it up to $500-$550 for the fair market value of this fine watch. Retail values of course would be higher.
I hope that helps you understand the quality of this watch.
Thanks you again for using mearto.com.
My best,
David