H.A. Wadsworth & Co.
14K/20YR

Image Provided by Dueber Hampden Guy

Note: Case manufacturers modified markings over time. As a result, the image above is simply a representation of one particular marking used by the company. Your case marking may differ based on the production era and other parameters.

14K/20YR

Prior to reorganizing as the Wadsworth Watch Case Company in 1892, the Wadsworth company was referred to as "Wadsworth & Co." and was officially named "H.A. Wadsworth & Co.," as shown in advertisements from the period.

The primary argument against the mark being attributed to Wadsworth is the lack of "H.A." in the monogram and general discounting due to it not matching to well-known Wadsworth monogram mark. However, we know the company was manufacturing cases at the time, they reportedly were popular in the trade, and yet, we have no known surviving examples to represent this period of production.

A study of serial numbers is rather convincing. I have logged observations of the "W&Co." mark up to the 102,000 range. Then, I logged observations of the "WWCo" monogram mark (a known mark of Wadsworth) all the way down to the 105,000 range - appearing to suggest a convergence around 103,000 or 104,000. Analyzing the estimated dates of movements within these cases suggests this convergence occurred in the early 1890s - coinciding with the reorganization of the H.A. Wadsworth & Co. company to the Wadsworth Watch Case Company. Logically, a change in the monogram mark from "W&Co." to "WWCCo." would have been warranted.

Additionally, the movements that appear in cases marked with the "W&Co." monogram all date to the late 1880s and early 1890s - exactly when this mark would have been logically utilized by "H.A. Wadsworth & Co."

So, the timeline seems to match, but then we evaluate the marking styles and habits. This is a study that can quickly discredit theories like this or, in contrast, provide additional support. The serial digits on the "W&Co." cases are marked in the same style as the early "WWCCo." monogrammed cases by Wadsworth. The matching assembly number around the rim is also in the same location and in the same style.

Another interesting fact to note is that when the Wadsworth Watch Case Company registered the monogram trademark in 1914, the company claimed usage since December 15, 1889. This would have preceeded the organization of the Wadsworth Watch Case Company by three years, ruling out the possibility of the logical usage of a "WWCCo" monogram. This suggests that the company likely utilized a similar monogram since the formation of the earlier company - "W&Co."

All this evidence leaves little doubt in my mind that the "W&Co." mark should be attributed to the "H.A. Wadsworth & Co.," dating to the late 1880s and early 1890s before the company was reorganized as the Wadsworth Watch Case Company.