Key Features
A 1970’s WALTHAM, DELEMONT WATCH CO manufactory produced pocket watch with true Railroad dial design with a numeration of every minute, perfectly-readable numeral fonts and contrasting large black hands. There is a detailed train design on the dial and caseback. This is a very photogenic piece – it appears lovely in the provided images, but it in flesh it’s even better.
Although the “Waltham” signature is visible on the dial, THE DELEMONT WATCH CO is the manufacturer. Waltham is a super-popular mass production watch brand in the USA.
This timepiece has a reliable, shockproof movement, with a famous Unitas caliber (a later version of it is widely used by Panerai).
About the Waltham Watch Company and The Delemont Watch Company
The Waltham Watch Company, also known as the American Waltham Watch Co. and the American Watch Co., produced about 40 million watches, clocks, speedometers, compasses, time fuses, and other precision instruments between 1850 and 1957. The idea for the Waltham Watch Company came from watchmaker Aaron Lufkin Dennison who studied under Tubal Hone, considered the best watchmaker in America at the time.
The company changed names a number of times. In 1854, known as The Boston Watch Company, the firm moved to Waltham, Massachusetts. This is when the company became known as the Waltham Improvement Company, as investors needed to use this name to purchase the land and buildings in Waltham to manufacture the watches. In 1854, the manufactory produced five watches per day and employed 90 people, and was the first factory in the world to produce a pocket ready watch in the same factory. The 1937 Ford sedans had Waltham speedometers, reputedly the only speedometer in a Ford to display the name of its manufacturers. A tester at the time was quoted as saying that accuracy had to be “plus or minus 10 MPH”.
The company closed its factory doors and declared bankruptcy in 1949, although the factory briefly reopened a few times, primarily to finish and case existing watch inventory for sale. They finally went under for good in 1981 due to the quartz crisis.
Information about The Delemont Watch Company is illusive, and the history of the firm has been lost to the past. The company may have been Swiss, due to the city in Switzerland – Delémont. However, there is evidence that the company was based in Farmington, Ohio, USA. Perhaps there were two companies of the same name, or perhaps the shared named with the Swiss city, Delémont is merely a coincidence.
Servicing and Guarantee
This timepiece has been serviced with full disassembly in our Bristol workshop. There is a 12-month guarantee, subject to the usage and care guidelines.
Overview
Case
- Original, circular shaped case with engraved rounded edges.
- Chrome plated case.
- Domed mineral crystal.
- Screw caseback with train engraving.
- Modern looking crown with domed, polished top.
Dimensions:
- Width 50 mm.
- Height 62 mm.
Dial and Hands
- Original, white dial, metal base with print.
- Strong, geometric style Arabic numerals.
- “Waltham” signature in script style print.
- Detailed train emblem below signature.
- Small seconds subdial going up by tens.
- 60 minute/hourly counter around outer edge 1-60 in black and red.
- Large, black ‘lozenge’ style hands.
- Small black seconds hand with tail.
Movement
- Swiss-made movement.
- Unitas 6431 / 6445 caliber.
- 17 jewels.
- Manual.
- Shockproof.
- Power reserve 40+ hours.
- Polished wheels and screws.
- Unusual fish-scale / beehive finishing of plates and bridges.
Testing Results
- Testing duration: 2 weeks face up.
- Average timekeeping range: 15-30 sec/day.
Servicing and Guarantee
- Fully serviced with disassembly in our Bristol shop.
- Mechanics in full working order.
- 12-month warranty.
- Guarantee Terms and Conditions.
Links and Resources:
