How To Identify My Waltham Pocket Watch

If for example your waltham pocket watch is engraved with a serial number between 10 200 000 and 11 099 999 it was manufactured in 1901.

How to identify my waltham pocket watch. The caliber of movement could be used over several years or even decades. For example a waltham pocket watch with serial numbers between 29 100 000 and 29 399 000 was manufactured in 1936. Don t touch the movement with your fingers. Never use the serial number from the case or any other part.

Use a jeweler s loupe to examine the movement. If the manufacturer is not listed on the site you may have a private label watch or it may not be american made. Always input the serial number from the pocket watch movement the mechanism of the watch. Many watch repairpersons keep pocket watch data to order parts.

Digits in the serial number will range from two to eight depending on the year of production. Let s say you have a waltham watch with serial number 21 607 210 as shown in the photo below. Waltham pocket watch serial numbers use this table to look up your waltham pocket watch serial number of and hence the year of manufacture. At or near the edge of the movement will be a serial number.

A waltham pocket watch will have a w w co and waltham mass on the movement which is the inner workings of the pocket watch. This will also include the grade of the watch. If the serial number includes a letter enter it along with the. Lists from many pocket watch manufacturers even those no longer existing are published online.

Looking at the table of waltham serial numbers see example below you can see that number 20 900 000 was made in 1917 and 21 800 000 was made in 1918 marked in red in the table below. Record the number and compare it to the waltham pocket watch serial number list posted on numerous online pocket watch sites. When looking for the number on your watch you should be looking at the serial number on the movement not the case. Identifying pocket watches and pocket watch case types while we can t make you into an antique watch expert with just a few web pages we hope we can share a little of our knowledge in order to help you learn more about your vintage or antique watch.

Expert pocket watch repairpersons and watchmakers also carry the list. Here are a few tips to find information about your pocket watch. Open the back cover of the watch with your fingernail and look for identifying names a magnifying glass or loupe may be necessary.