The Art of American Horology Part ll,...

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

LOT 651

Waltham, Model 1908, "Premier Maximus", No. 17000138, circa 1908.Extremely fine,18K gold, 16 size, keyless watch with a 24-hour winding indicator. Accompanied by an original mahogany fitted box and original Contract Notice.

USD 17,000 - 20,000

C. Four-body, triple-hinged "bassine", polished, Jürgensen lips, gold cuvette. D. Quadruple-sunk, hand painted, overglazed white enamel, Breguet numerals, outer rail minute track, sunk center, subsidiary sunk seconds, sunk up-and-down indicator at 12 o'clock with special sunk disk around the hand socket. "Double Swell Spade" hands.M. Nickel-finished, bridge caliber, circular damascening, 23 ruby, sapphire and diamond jewels in gold raised settings, adjusted to temperature, isochronism and 5 positions, escapement with diamond endstones on both sides, copper and beryllium train, straight line lever escapement, cut-bimetallic compensation balance with patented friction balance staff, blued steel patented Breguet balance spring, Ohlson's patented (No. 894,457) micrometric regulator.Signed on dial, case, and movement.Diam. 50mm.


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Grading System
Grade: AAA

Excellent
Case: 3

Good
Movement: 3*

Good

Overhaul recommended, at buyer's expense
Dial: 3 - 6 - 01

Notes

This is the highest Waltham grade ever.Between 1900 and 1910, towards the end of the most prosperous period in American watchmaking, companies began experimenting with extravagant models. Waltham was among the first to experiment. In 1908 they launched the Premier Maximus, which sold for $250. Not long after, the price tag had reached $500, an impressive amount for an American watch at the time.The original price tag of the present example was $300 as listed in the Contract Notice.The present watch is from Waltham's first series of 200 pieces. It is based on the 1908 model, while the later examples were based on the model 99. A similar but later watch, can be found in the Collection of National Time Museum of Chicago, formerly The Time Museum, Rockford, Illinois, inv. No. 239.