SCARCE EARLY CIVIL WAR PERIOD MODEL 1857 POCKET WATCH. RARE 8 SIDED OCTAGONAL 5 OUNCE COIN SILVER HUNTER CASE.
GOLD GILTED WALTHAM WATCH MOVEMENT KEY WIND & KEY SET. 7 - 11 JEWEL MOVEMENT RETAILED AND SIGNED BY P. This Civil War Period, key wind & key set, early watch movement is made by the Waltham Watch Co. 45 mm, 7-11 jewels, Model 1857, serial #163264, that dates to 1864. Note these early period watches have small variations over the time of manufacturing that only occurred within certain time frames that advanced watch dealers with extensive libraries use to pinpoint the year of manufacture, vs.Taking the serial number table as being accurate. The stem is solid and does not wind the watch; it just houses the release pin for the front hunter case cover.
The watch is wound from the back side with the small key, and the time is set from the front using the same key on the center square pin that manually adjusts the hour and minute dials. This size 18 watch is heavy for it's size and weighs 6.6 ounces or 188 grams.
The 17 hallmarked sterling chain has 2 different sizes of links; 6 lengths of smaller flat links that are connected by larger sized links. The T bar is marked "STERLING SIL", "A & BRo", and weighs 1.4 ounces or 39 grams. Total weight is 8.0 ounces or 227 grams The round top of the patented original key swivels for easy winding, and is marked " PATENTED " on one side, and SEPT. This watch has 4 cover hinged plates 2 on the front & back.
The outside silver front of the hallmarked Hunter case and the inside glass cover with a silver border; and the back side hallmarked silver cover plate of the watch case with an inside silver domed cover for the mechanism with a cross hatched border and hole for the watch key to wind the watch. The front cover is released by pressing down on the top knob to release the internal latch that secures the front cover tightly.
When putting the front cover back into it's closed position, press down on the top button first, close the front lid, the release the top button that secures the front lid without undue wear to the cover's silver lip. The off white colored glass fired enamel dial is clean, and appears to be free of lines, cracks and chips with Roman numeral hour markers, an outside border with second increments, black hour and minute hands with small silver spots, and a small minute sub dial with a charcoal bright blue hand.
The dial face is signed AMERICAN WATCH Co. This is a key wind, key set early watch movement. The 5 ounce coin silver case is heavy duty , with double box hinges on different flats of the bottom; one for the hunter case cover of the dial on the front of the case, and the other on the back side of the case to protect the movement. The inside glass cover for the dial is set in a round frame the lifts up to allow access to set the watch.This metal ring has a nail slot to the right of the stem that allows the glass cover and rim to open. The time is set from the front using the same wind key on the center square pin that manually adjusts the hour and minute dials. This back cover has a small lip adjacent to the stem to easily access the internal mechanism to wind it with the key attached to the chain.
Once the back hinged cover is open, it reveals the hole in the inside cover plate that protects the movement, but allows access to the watch spring for winding the watch with the key. This inside back cover plate has a cross hatched outside border, but opens via a small recess to the plate adjacent to the stem that creates a nail slot to access the movement and adjust the F(ast) & S(low) lever that has a tiny panel attached with 2 screws that has hand engraved increments for adjustment.This movement has full gold plating and the early style flat post that secures the Master fly wheel pin, and is beautifully hand engraved in 3 different styles in 3 separate panels, with fine attention to detail. Both the inside of the hunter cast top hinged cover and the back side hinged cover have identical marking, and are stamped, "F M", "WARRENTED", "COIN SILVER", and the number "4400". The inside movement is hand engraved with the movement number 163264, and Waltham, Mass. Along with large Old English Script lettering, P. I have been told that the 7 minimum - 11 maximum jewels in this watch refer to the actual number that varies over time during the life of a watch manufacturing; and that can only be determined by removing the movement from the watch case to inspect.
The front cover of the hunter case has hand engraved Victorian style basket of flowers design. This fine engraving on a soft silver cover still shows, but as expected, has wear from removing and replacing the watch in a vest pocket over a period of many years. Remarkably, the front cover has no dings or dents, just one minuscule pin prick and a light outline at the top where the attachment ring left a mark from storage. The back side has a couple of tiny dinks and a surface that reflects in the light from almost invisible, extremely light surface reflections. There are two tiny marks where the attachment ring made a shallow impression on the cover. Note it is very difficult to photograph a curved shiny object that reflects light and acts as a mirror. I had to take dozens of images to get the ones in the listing. Included is a small string tie black velvet pouch with gold lettering marked "WALTHAM" and P. BARTLETT with a small piece of paper with all the above pertinent information that came with the watch. This handsome, eye appealing, rare 8 sided coin silver hunter case Civil War Period pocket watch is 100% original, with a matching silver chain, is in fine condition for it's extreme 155 year, runs and keeps excellent, accurate time, and can still be used today. I wound the watch about 4 turns of the key, set the watch, and 12 hours later, the watch showed the exact correct time. BANK DRAFTS DRAWN ON A U. BANK CONSIDERED WITH PRIOR APPROVAL. Due to a myriad of International and U. DO NOT DUPLICATE OR COPY!The item "FINE CIVIL WAR PERIOD RARE 8 SIDED COIN SILVER HUNTER CASE POCKET WATCH & CHAIN" is in sale since Sunday, October 6, 2019. This item is in the category "Jewelry & Watches\Watches, Parts & Accessories\Pocket Watches\Antique". The seller is "1knifeguy1" and is located in Fairfield, California. This item can be shipped to United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Mexico, Germany, Japan, France, Australia, Denmark, Romania, Slovakia, Bulgaria, Czech republic, Finland, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Estonia, Greece, Portugal, Cyprus, Slovenia, Sweden, South Korea, Indonesia, Taiwan, South africa, Thailand, Belgium, Hong Kong, Ireland, Netherlands, Poland, Spain, Italy, Austria, Bahamas, Israel, New Zealand, Singapore, Switzerland, Norway, Saudi arabia, Ukraine, United arab emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Croatia, Malaysia, Chile, Colombia, Panama, Jamaica, Barbados, Bangladesh, Bermuda, Brunei darussalam, Bolivia, Egypt, French guiana, Guernsey, Gibraltar, Guadeloupe, Iceland, Jersey, Jordan, Cambodia, Cayman islands, Liechtenstein, Sri lanka, Luxembourg, Monaco, Macao, Martinique, Maldives, Nicaragua, Oman, Pakistan, Paraguay, Reunion, Uruguay.