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American Waltham Watch Co. was in operation from 1852-1957 and was an American pocket watch manufacturer. Manufacturing of Waltham watches took place at their facility in Waltham, Massachusetts.
This Waltham Royal from 1897 is an exceptionally rare example, with only 4,980 produced in Waltham, Massachusetts, during the late nineteenth century. Making this piece even more unusual is its original American Waltham Watch Co. dial. At the time, Waltham was already moving toward the simplified “Waltham” branding that would become standard in the early twentieth century, making full company signatures on the dial increasingly uncommon on watches from this period. The dial itself is a classic late nineteenth-century design, with bold Roman numerals surrounded by a clean outer minute track and prominent diamond markers every fifteen minutes. The original heat-blued spade hands were mirror polished to remove corrosion and then thermally colored over an alcohol lamp using the same traditional process employed by Waltham at the time of manufacture. The result are near-flawless iridescent blue hands that provides incredible contrast against the white of the dial. On the movement side, the piece retains its original golden jewel screws as finished by Waltham at the time of manufacture. We complemented those original details with our signature hand thermal coloring, carefully bluing select steel components over an alcohol lamp (read more here). The result is a striking contrast between the original golden accents and deep blue hardware. The jewel settings, gear train, balance, and balance weights were individually hand polished to restore their original golden tone. Together, the low production numbers, early American Waltham Watch Co. dial, and combination of original and restored finishing make this an exceptional example of late nineteenth-century American watchmaking.
The movement is set in our custom 40 mm conversion case crafted from solid bronze. This size offers a balanced fit on the wrist, making it one of the most versatile proportions available in any conversion. The case is built with crown and caseback gaskets, tested to 50 meters of water resistance, though removal before swimming or showering is recommended. Fully serviced and regulated, this watch is ready for years of reliable wear and appreciation.
Watch Performance
Accuracy: +/- 10 seconds per day
Amplitude: 275 degrees
Beat Error: 1.5 ms
Frequency: 18,000 (5 beats per second)
Power Reserve: 24-30 hours
Complication: Sub second hand
Watch Specifications
Manufacture: Waltham
Location: Waltham, Massachusetts
Year Manufactured: 1897
Dial Material: Porcelain-enamel
Jewels: 16 jewels
Case Diameter: 40 mm
Front Crystal: Domed sapphire
Back Crystal: Flat sapphire
Case Material: Heritage Bronze (will patina)
Lug width: 20 mm
Lug to Lug: 48 mm
Height: 13 mm
Serial Number: 6553911
Water Resistance: 5 meters
Warranty: Full 1-Year Warranty
All Frett & Co. Clockworks watches come with a full 1-year warranty unless otherwise stated.