The Art of American Horology Part ll,...

Roosevelt Hotel, Madison Avenue @ 45th Street, Dec 04, 2002

LOT 425

The Islamic WalthamAmerican Waltham, No. 3303787, Model 1883, "Crescent St." Grade, made for the Turkish market between August 1887 and March 1888.Extremely rare, possibly unique, 14K gold, hunting-cased, full box-hinged, railroad-grade watch with a "Turkish" dial and an unusual damascened movement.

USD 3,500 - 4,500

C. Four-body, triple-hinged, drum-style with oval band, covers wholly decorated with Islamic garden with a fountain and small mosque, mountains in the background, vermicelli scrolling on the band, subsidiary seconds. D. White enamel with "Islamic" nume-rals, outer line minute track with five-minute "Islamic" markers, sunk sub-seconds. Blued steel "fleur-de-lis" hands. M. 18 size, nickel, full plate with unusual damascening on matte finish, spotted pillar plate, 15 jewels with flush gold settingslateral counterpoised lever escapement, cut-bimetallic compensation balance with blued steel Breguet balance spring, Church type I patented (No. 312,253) micro-metric regulator, safety pinion,lever-set.Signed on dial and movement, dial signed on the reverse "Turkish dial", case signed by American Watch Case Co.Diam. 54mm.


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Grading System
Grade: AAA

Excellent
Case: 2

Very good
Movement: 3*

Good

Overhaul recommended, at buyer's expense
Dial: 3 - 01

Notes

"Islamic" type dials on American watches are very rare. This exam-ple, signed on the back and mounted on a specially decorated move-ment, indicates that Waltham tried to accommodate foreign markets, even if only to a limited extend. Another possibility is that this watch was ordered by an Islamic immigrant.The movement, which is unusually decorated, employs a very clever winding/setting system invented and patented by Duane H. Church, an employee of Waltham (patent No. 295484 of March 18, 1884) in which the intermediate setting wheel only engages the minute wheel during setting, thus minimalizing friction in the motion train.