9 Kt Gold Waltham USA Birmingham 1920 Pocket Watch
You are bidding on a 9 Kt gold 0.375 Waltham USA pocket watch, hallmarked for Birmingham 1920 with an A.L.D. case. This pocket watch has been made in USA and cased in England.
DIAL: The white enamel dial has black Arabic numerals with outer minute divisions. The dial has blued hands and a subsidiary seconds dial at the six. The dial is signed in the upper centre: "Waltham U.S.A."
MOVEMENT: The anchor lever movement has 15 jewels and is in very good working order, however we cannot guarantee accuracy for an antique pocket watch. The movement is signed: "A.W.W. C°, Waltham Mass, 15 Jewels, U.S.A." and numbered: 26859159.
CASE: The watch lies in a 9 Kt gold case with a smooth finish. The inner side of the case is hallmarked for Birmingham 1920 and gold .375 and numbered: 207716. The cuvette is signed: "Presented to G.H. Stangroom, Treasurer, by the members Central Ward Liberal Club 1934". The inner side of the cuvette is numbered the same and is signed: "Dennison Watch Case C° " and has again the 9 Kt gold stamp (.375).
Signed: Waltham - Diameter: 50 mm
Made in USA - Cased in England - 1920
A.L.D, stands for Aaron Lufkin Dennison. He was born in 1812 in Freeport Me, U.S.A. He was the first one ever to manufacture watches by machinery. He was trained as a watch repairer and together with associate Edward Howard a practical clockmaker, he built a factory at Roxbury Mass in 1853. Later the business moved to Waltham, near Boston. In 1857 because of financial difficulties he sold the property to Royal E. Robbins of New York who took the firm, the Waltham Watch Co. on to international success.
A.L. Dennison moved to England in the meantime where he started to manufacture watch cases. His original premises, 24 Villa Road, Handsworth in Birmingham were later extended to Nos 24-32 and the business became known as Dennison, Wigley %26 co. A.L. Dennison died in 1895. The business continued till the surviving members Franklin (ALD’s son) and Alfred Wigley dissolved their partnership on 31st August 1905, Afterwards Franklin Dennison continued the business as The Dennison Watch Case Co until it was converted into a limited liability company, registered on 23rd July 1919.
In 1911 the Dennison Watch Case Co’s range had made watches from 18, 15, and 9 ct gold, silver and gold-filled cases, the latter with 25 (sun), 20 (moon) and 10 (star) years guarantees. It also had sovereign purses in 22,18,15 and 9 ct gold, silver, 20 year gold filled and nickel. The company was a regular exhibitor, including the Jewellers’ exhibitions of 1912, 1913 and 1914 and at the British Industries Fair of 1915 and again throughout the 1920’s and 30’s.
Maker : Waltham, Birmingham
Materials : Gold
Origin : English, American
Manufacture Date : 1920
