In 1869, Charles Vander Woerd designed the 18-Size movement that would eventually be known as the "Model 1870" from the "Nashua Department" at the American Watch Company in Waltham. The first movements were keyset from the back, a unique feature for an American full-plate movement. When the watch was introduced in March 1870, it represented the finest full-plate movement ever delivered from the Waltham factory. Advertisements boasted of the new regulator, ratchet click, patent safety pinion, and dust ring... Continue Reading

by Nathan Moore, 4 days ago

The American Watch Company debuted the first "Crescent Street" movement in March 1870 as a watch designed for railway service and advertised as the "American Railroad Watch." The "Crescent Street" represented the grand ambitions of the watch company, aiming to dominate the growing need for precise railroad watches. Advertisement Promoting the New "American Watch Co. Crescent St." Railroad WatchThe Locomotive Engineers' Monthly Journal, June 1870 When the company attempted to find a name for the new railroad watch, inspiration was found just beyond the front door. The factory of the American Watch Company in Waltham was located on Crescent Street, aptly named for the moon-shaped curve directed by the banks of the Charles River... Continue Reading

by Nathan Moore, 1 week ago

The power that allows a pocket watch to operate is provided by the mainspring. This large spring is coiled tightly inside the mainspring barrel as the watch is wound. Once the watch is running, the power is slowly expelled by the escapement, located at the end of the wheel train. With each "tick" a small amount of force from the mainspring is released, and the wheels rotate slightly... Continue Reading

by Nathan Moore, 2 weeks ago