If you've arrived on this page, it's probably because you're looking for an easy way to determine the value of your antique watch. 'What's my watch worth?' seems like such a simple question, and I wish we could offer you an Antique Watch Price Guide where all you had to do was type in your watch's serial number and up comes the watch's complete description and value, but it's just not that simple!
- Waltham Pocket Watch Price Guide
- Waltham Vintage Pocket Watch Models
- American Waltham Pocket Watch Value
- Waltham Pocket Watch Value By Serial Number
- Waltham Railroad Pocket Watch Value
Unfortunately, there is no quick and easy way to determine the value of an old watch unless you are a watch expert, and even then it can be tricky! Vintage watches are a unique and relatively complex mechanical antique that can span a range of several hundred years of production, with millions of watches produced and thousands of variations... all of which can affect the value of the watch.
Whether you are a buyer or seller of vintage watches, knowing what you're looking at and having a good understanding of the factors which affect the fair-market value of a watch could make hundreds (or even thousands) of dollars difference in the price you pay or receive. While we are primarily concerned with evaluating vintage pocket watches, these same general rules apply to any antique watch, including vintage wristwatches. We hope that the information we've provided helps you learn more about your watch, and helps you become a more informed buyer or seller of vintage watches.
Info, specs, and value American antique pocket watches, with serial number lookups for manufacturers such as Elgin, Illinois, Waltham, and Hamilton. Value of Waltham model 220 pocket watch. Serial number 23746644. Expert's Assistant: I always love having an appraiser look at my stuff. Sometimes its turned out to be surprisingly valuable. Tell us what else you do know and the Appraiser will be able to better assist you. Open face pocket watch manufactured circa 1920.
Identification:
If you don't know what your watch is, there's no possible way to know what it's worth. If you're buying or selling a car, it's not enough just to know that it's an old Ford. You would need to know the year, model, engine size and type, whether it's an automatic or manual transmission, how many miles it has on it, what kind of condition it's in, what special features it had that made it more or less collectible, etc. The same is true for vintage watches. In order to accurately determine value, you must first determine who made the watch (the manufacturer), and as much information as possible about the model, grade, age, size, quality and unique features of your watch. Click here for our article on watch identification.
Age:
For many American watch brands, the age can be determined using the serial number from the movement (the 'works') of the watch. You must use the serial number from the movement, not the serial number from the watch case! Our Company History Pages have serial number information for most of the more common watch brands.
For some watches, particularly Swiss or European watches, it is much harder to determine the age of the watch because there are no serial numbers. Most Swiss pocket watches did not have a unique serial number which can be used to date the watch, and for those watches the age must be estimated by the style of the movement and the way the watch is constructed. Unfortunately, this requires a fair amount of experience and understanding of how watches were made over the years. Several of the books and vintage watch pricing guides on our Watch Books page can help you learn to identify various movement types and styles.
Quality:
Some watches were very cheaply made, while others used the best materials, and were very finely finished. Determining the overall quality-level of your watch is a key to understanding its value. One general rule-of-thumb is jewel count; the higher the jewel count, the higher the quality. Most antique watches (with a few exceptions) have a minimum of seven jewels, and for standard movements the highest jewel counts were 23 or 24 jewels. Below 15 jewels is considered a lower-grade watch. 15-17 jewels would be considered a fully-jeweled, mid-grade watch, and 19, 21, 23 or 24 jewel movements would be considered higher-grade. Sometimes the number of jewels is clearly marked on the movement, as in '19J', and sometimes it can only be determined by a watchmaker examining the watch. See our article on Watch Jewels if you're interested in learning more about why jewels are used in watches.
Jewel-count is only one indication of quality, but there are many others. The level of movement finish and material is another important consideration. Some watch movements are fairly rough, unadorned, and not very highly finished. Other watches exhibit a high degree of finish and decoration. For example, polished and damaskeened plates, gold jewel settings, diamond end-stones, polished and blued screws, rounded spokes and/or gold-plated wheels, motor-barrels, 'chiseled' teeth on the escape wheel... all are indications of a higher-grade watch where special attention has been paid to the details of construction.
Condition:
As with any antique, condition is an extremely important consideration... many would argue THE most important consideration. Is the watch working or not? A watch is non-working condition is worth substantially less than one that works, because the purchaser must factor the unknown cost of repairs into the purchase price. Every collector can tell you a story about buying a watch that they thought was a real bargain, only to find out that it had serious hidden mechanical problems that rendered it essentially worthless or too expensive to repair.
Hamilton 927. Gold screws, gold regulator,
inlaid gold jewel settings and gold lettering give this
18-size movement great visual appeal. Circa 1907.
Now examine the case and external surfaces of the watch. If the external condition of the watch is rough, with dents and dings in the case, cracked glass, missing hands and cracks or chips in the enamel dial, then it is likely that the watch has been roughly handled and the internal condition will probably reflect that handling. Do the case parts align properly? Are the hinges bent or over-stressed? Is there brass showing through the gold plating around the edges of the case? Is the watch especially dirty? Caked-on dirt or grease in the cracks and crevices indicate a watch that hasn't been properly maintained, which can often be a sign of potential problems.
Now open the back of the case and examine the movement. If you don't know how to open the case, don't force it... get some instructions starting with our article on opening various types of pocket watch cases. If the screws holding the movement in the case are mismatched, or if it appears that parts of the watch have been replaced, then a more thorough examination by a professional watchmaker is in order. If the movement has a lot of scratches around the case screws, or if the movement screws themselves are 'chewed up' then it's possible that the watch has been worked on by individuals who may not have been as careful as they should have been!
Use Your Eyes and Ears:
Waltham Pocket Watch Price Guide
If the watch is in working condition, hold it up to your ear and listen carefully to what you hear. Is the ticking of the watch clean and crisp, with a faint metallic ring (more like a ting-ting-ting than a tick-tock-tick) or does it sound rough, like something is loose or dragging? Also carefully observe the motion of the balance wheel. Does it look straight and true, or is there a wobble in the motion of the balance? Any wobble could be an indication of a bent or broken balance pivot, an 'out of true' balance, or damage to the balance jewels.
If the watch shows any sign of rust or water damage, that could very well be a sign of more serious problems. Nothing destroys a watch movement more quickly than rust! If the hands are rusted, it may well be an indication that more rust would be found on the setting and winding parts underneath the dial. Also look for rust on the movement or steel case parts around the crown of the watch, as this is a likely place for water to get into the case. Any sign of rust or water damage will have a significant impact on the value of a watch.
Appearance:
How the watch looks... its 'visual appeal'... can have a lot to do with its value. Sparkling blue hands on a clean, unblemished white enamel dial give the watch that classic look of quality and craftsmanship that collectors really value. Does that dial have chips or hairline cracks? Is the case straight and handsomely engraved? Does the watch movement have an interesting damaskeening pattern, a two-tone movement, or other especially appealing visual qualities? Does it have a visually interesting or unusual dial, like a Montgomery, a Ferguson or a Canadian-style railroad dial? Sometimes just having a unique or interesting dial (especially in excellent condition) can enhance the value of the watch.
Materials:
Is the case solid gold, gold-plated or made from some other material? With today's high gold prices, a solid gold case can add significantly to the value of a watch. Our article on how to tell whether a watch case is gold or gold plated is a good place to start.
Many high-quality watches had gold-plated train wheels, gold jewel-settings, or other uses of precious metal in the movement itself. Recognizing where these materials were used allows for a more accurate assessment of value.
Authenticity and Originality:
Collectors want pocket watches that are in all-original condition. If the watch is in original condition, as it came from the factory, it will command a higher price than one which is less original. Are all the hands of the same style or has one been replaced with something of a different style? Has the original glass been replaced with a plastic crystal? Also look for extra screw marks on the case rim, indicating that the movement and case may not be an original pair.
Authenticity is also a consideration, though we haven't seen examples of counterfeiting in American pocket watches. Some highly regarded European makers are sometimes copied, so this can be more of a concern if you are collecting early European watches.
Unique Features:
For the avid watch collector, certain unique features can significantly increase the value of the watch. If the watch uses a unique escapement, has a particularly low serial number, or introduced a new technological advancement, that can make the watch more valuable to the collector. For example, does the watch have diamond end-stones on the balance cap-jewels? A wolf's tooth ratchet wheel? An interesting stop-works on the mainspring? These mechanical details, when recognized, can enhance the collectibility and hence the value of the watch.
Rarity:
Not every old watch is rare and not every old watch is valuable. Waltham and Elgin both produced over one million watches per year in their peak-production years! It's imporant to realize that the vast majority of vintage watches, especially in heavily-used or non-working condition, are worth less than $200, and many are worth almost nothing. For example, a heavily-worn 7-jewel Elgin watch in non-working condition has very little value, as the cost of repairs would typically exceed the value of the watch by a significant amount. How many of a particular model of watch were made? Some watches were produced in huge quantities, while for others only a few examples exist. This is another factor which is difficult to determine without a fair amount of knowledge and experience. For some brands, accurate production records exist, while other brands have almost no production information.
Market Awareness - What's 'hot' and what's not:
Market trends can have a lot to do with value. Watches and watch brands come into and out of fashion. Some brands become popular and collectors will pay more for them, while equally beautiful watches of a different brand languish in price. The only way to determine market trends is to be familiar with the watch market. What prices are being obtained at collector's 'marts,' auctions and private sales?
The Complete Price Guide to Watches (listed on our books page) is considered one of the best sources of collector's prices for vintage watches, but it should not be relied upon as a sole source of valuation. A book listing thousands of watches, which is published once per year, simply can't keep up with the daily fluctuations in market value for precious metals. With gold at today's high prices, even small fluctuations can make a significant difference in the value of a gold watch. Based on our experience, collector's book values tend to be slightly higher than 'real-world' market prices being paid at marts and auctions... but they can serve as an excellent starting point.
Some of the best sources of current market prices paid for vintage watches are online auction sites like eBay. There is currently NO larger market for vintage collectibles than eBay, and looking at completed auctions to see what vintage watches have actually sold for is the best real-world indicator of what someone might be willing to pay for a particular watch. Again, proper identification becomes paramount, as it is essential to know whether the watch you're looking at is really the same as yours.
After all that explanation, you probably still want to know the value of your watch. The bottom line on watch value is really quite simple: It doesn't matter what a book or web site says your watch is worth, or what some collector or watch expert tells you your watch is worth. Your watch is only worth what someone is willing to pay you for it, so unless you have a willing buyer with cash in hand, anyone's opinion, including ours, of what your watch is worth is just that... an opinion!
Your choice is to either invest the time and effort to educate yourself so that you can make a determination of value on your own, or find an experienced watch professional who can provide an informed opinion for you. If you decide to seek out the help of a professional it is essential that you find a vintage watch expert. Most jewelry store appraisers are not familiar with the special features of watches and the vintage watch market. They may be able to tell you about the gold case or the gems on the bezel, but most of them know nothing about the watch itself. The result is often either an 'Antique Roadshow' type appraisal that may greatly over-value the watch, or a low-ball that completely misses the mark because the appraiser didn't recognize the special aspects of a particular watch. Pawn shops are usually another bad place to get an 'appraisal' on your watch as their only interest is buying low and selling high, and unless they happen to have a watch expert in-house, they seldom know the real value of a vintage watch.
If you're willing to invest a little time learning more about your vintage pocket watch, you may find that you not only learn its value but also discover the many pleasures and rewards of understanding and collecting vintage American pocket watches.
Professional Market Evaluation Service
If you simply don't want to or don't have time to do your own research and would rather pay someone for a professional identification and evaluation of your antique watch, then we invite you to learn more about our Professional Watch Evaluation Service.
Including Serial Numbers and Production Dates
Waltham, Mass.
1885 - 1905
The U.S. Watch Company of Waltham, Mass. is NOT the American Waltham Watch Company. If you are looking for information on your American Waltham watch, go here.
The U.S. Watch Company of Waltham, Mass. should also not be confused with the United States Watch Company which operated in Marion, New Jersey.
The U.S. Watch Company of Waltham, Mass. began business as the Waltham Watch Tool Company in 1879, and was reorganized as the U.S. Watch Company in 1885. The founders of the company were Charles V. Woerd (Woerd's patent), formerly of the American Waltham Watch Company, and the Nutting Brothers, owners of a watch tool and machinery company in Waltham. Financial backers E. C. Hammer and T. B. Eaton became Treasurer and President of the company respectively.
An example of a late production US Watch Co. movement
A new factory was constructed, with a planned production of 50 watches per day. The directors of the new company wanted to name the company the Waltham Watch Company, but a suit was filed by the American Waltham Watch Company and the use of the Waltham name was prohibited in 1899.
The first watches produced were 16-size, 3/4 plate and were made in 3 grades. These early watches are called 'Dome Watches' because they used a wide mainspring barrel, the top of which was domed upward in the center to accommodate the balance wheel. The pallet fork was made of aluminum alloy and used a square ruby impulse jewel. The Dome Watch movement required a special case, which proved unpopular, and in 1888 a new watch was produced which would fit into a standard American case. The top grade watch produced by the company was 'The President,' an 18-size, double-roller watch which an 1894 advertisement claimed was accurate to within 6 seconds a month!
Waltham Vintage Pocket Watch Models
The U.S. Watch Company was purchased by the Philadelphia Watch Case Company in 1901, which subsequently merged with the Keystone Watch Case Company in 1904. It was through this acquisition that Keystone gained control of the factory, wherein they began production of their Keystone-Howard watches in 1905. Even though watches were produced with serial numbers up through about 850,000 it is believed that the total production of watches from the U.S. Watch Company of Waltham, Mass. was significantly less than this number.
American Waltham Pocket Watch Value
U.S. Watch Company of Waltham, Mass
Total Production: Approx. 800,000 Watches
| Year | S/N |
|---|---|
| 1887 | 3000 |
| 1888 | 6500 |
| 1889 | 10,000 |
| 1890 | 30,000 |
| 1891 | 60,000 |
| 1892 | 90,000 |
| 1893 | 150,000 |
| 1894 | 200,000 |
| 1895 | 250,000 |
| Year | S/N |
|---|---|
| 1896 | 300,000 |
| 1897 | 350,000 |
| 1898 | 400,000 |
| 1899 | 500,000 |
| 1900 | 600,000 |
| 1901 | 700,000 |
| 1902 | 750,000 |
| 1903 | 800,000 |
| - | - |
Be sure to use the serial number on the movement (the works) of the watch. Do not use the serial number from the watch case.
Waltham Pocket Watch Value By Serial Number
Can’t find your serial number in the table? Click here for an explanation and example of how to use our serial number tables.
Waltham Railroad Pocket Watch Value
Need help finding the serial number on your watch? Click here for instructions on how to identify and open most common case types.