Pocket Watch Database
Hampden Lafayette
Serial #206806
Movement Image
Dial Image
Case Image
| Manufacturer | Hampden |
| Grade | Lafayette |
| Serial Number | 206806 |
| Size | 18s |
| Model | 1 |
| Jewel Count | 11j |
| Setting | Key |
| Finish | Nickel |
| Case Material | Silver |
| Case Manufacturer | American Waltham Watch Co. |
| Case Grade/Model | |
| Case Serial # | |
| Case Details | Alfred Bedford, Waltham, Birmingham 1899 / 1900 Hallmarks British made case Bedford Birmingham 1899 / 1900 Hallmarks These hallmarks are in the case of a watch by the American Watch Co. of Waltham, MA, USA. The movement was of course made in America, but the case was made in Britain by Dennison in Birmingham, although their trademarks don't appear on this case. One can't be so certain about all Waltham watch cases with British hallmarks, because Bedford for Waltham had watch cases made in Britain, Switzerland and America, all of which they had hallmarked in Britain before the 1888 Merchandise Marks Act put a stop to that practice. In evidence to the Select Committee on hallmarking in 1878 Alfred Bedford, the manager of Waltham UK, said that they could not get enough watch cases made in England and that in 1877 Waltham UK had imported 5,000 watch cases from the USA and 18,000 from Switzerland. Bedford said that these were mostly hallmarked at Chester. To the Select Committee on the Merchandise Marks Amendment Act, which sat in 1887, Bedford said "At our case factory at Birmingham we turn out something like 50,000 cases a year for our watches." This factory is almost certainly what became the Dennison watch case factory. As I discuss on my page about assay and hallmarking, the 1887 Merchandise Marks Amendment Act made it illegal for foreign watch cases to be marked with British hallmarks like this from 1888 onwards, so this case was British made and given the relationship and history between Waltham and Dennison, this case was certainly made by the Dennison company. It appears that Waltham wanted Bedford's sponsors mark rather than Dennison's to appear on their watches. Reading from the top and then left to right the marks are: The lion passant or walking lion, the mark for sterling silver. The anchor: the town mark of the Birmingham Assay Office. The date letter "Z": the date letter of the Birmingham hallmarking year 1899 to 1900. The sponsor's mark "A·B" in a rectangular shield, the registered mark of Alfred Bedford, director of Waltham UK. Note that the shields in this hallmark around the Birmingham Assay Office town mark and the date letter cameos are not the same shape as shown in the published tables but instead have a point at the base and cut top corners. This was a shape that the Birmingham Assay Office reserved for watch cases. |
| Dial Material | Enamel |
| Dial Type | Single-Sunk |
| Dial Style | Roman |
| Dial Signing Name | Hampden Watch Co |
| Dial Details | HAS A NEAR PERFECT EARLY PORCELAIN DIAL WITH ROMAN NUMERAL HOUR MARKERS. THE WATCH HAS THE ORIGINAL BLUE STEEL HANDS IN EXCELLENT CONDITION |
| Movement Markings | E.P. Fisher Pat, Pinion Adams, Mass. 206806 |
Contributed to the database by Cfraser on October 19, 2017.
This collection record was most recently edited on October 19, 2017.
This collection record was most recently edited on October 19, 2017.