The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-04-21
COLLECTING OLD TIMEPIECEs.
A New Fad Tint Hns Taken Possess
sion of Boston.
(From the Brooklyn Eagle.)


Boston has a new fad. 1t Is the collec-
| ton of old watches
BostOnian antiquarianism has always
been somewhat dissmilar to New York S
taste for relics. While the market in this
city for pictures, china, and pottery has
been a lucrative one for dealers, it seems
that the collecting of old watches is
confined almost to Boston. The Hub and
Richmond, Va. have always been head
quarters for antique furniture. The finest
collections of Colonial furniture are
centred about Boston. while most of the
valuable furniture from the old Southern
estates has been gathered at Richmond
Mr.. Talbot, manager of a watch COM
pany in Manhattan. has been doing
land Office business in supplying the Bos
ton demand for ancient timepieces since
the available supply of that city became
exhausted. He will buy any watch. re-
gardlesS of its value as time keeper.
provided it possesses the desired anti
quarian merits. Some very fancy prices
have been paid by him for old watches
that are absolutely worthless aside from
their untqueness of design and rarity of
make, but the larger part of antique
timepieces are worth to the dealer or
collector from s25 to $50. Even this price
may be obtained If the case and works
have not so cents worth of intrinsic val
ue- A collection of watches is one of the
most difficult to gather from the fact that
it has always been the custom of jewel
ers and pawnbrOkers to melt the cases
and diSintegrate the works, using such
parts as possessed value in the construc-
tiOn of new watches. Mr.. Talbot says
that he himself followed this course for
years before he discovered the extrinsic
value of old watches. and that he has
melted bushels of cases that he would be
very glad to have in his possession at
present.
1t is essential that the dealer in. or the
collector Of old timepieces should be ia
miliar with the history of watches and the
different early makers in order TO protect
himself in buying and selling specimens.
4. IL .Ts.sN.w
acquire from the fact that nearly all early
watchmakers used a different model. and
a specimen of their handicraft is easily de-
tected by one who is accustomed to exam
inc old watches. A knowledge of the diff
ferent dates of inventions is also valuable
to the collector. for in this way he can
readily determine the age of timepiece
For instance, "A watch containing a bal
ance spring must have been made subse-
quently to 1858. for this is the date of the
invention of that device. There are very
few, if any. American watches that pos.
sess value for the collector. The begin
ming of the watch industry in this country
was nearly Identical with the manufacture
of timepieces by machinery, and in this
way so many Of each kind were made that
none have any eXtrinSic worth.
The collector of watches, If he is
familiar with the makes and the history
of matchmaking. runs little risk of being
imposed upon by limitations or counter
feits. Nearly every early European
matchmaker used model peculiar to him
self. and his inscription will invariably
be found on the inside of the back cover.
This was done so that the maker could
identify his own watches, but especially
SD that none but himself could repair
them. AS all the respective parts were
made differently by each maker. it was
impossible to substitute the wheel OF one
make for a similar wheel In another
make. In this way the maker was as
sured of a large business in repairing as
soon as he had Il few watches in use.
When repairs were made the facts regard
ing the work was inscribed in detail on
the inside of the case. and these inscrip-
Matches for collectors In many instances
the inscriptions of the repairs made to
the timepiece form very good history
of it's travels and owners
1t was the great expense of repairing
that first suggested the idea to Aaron l..
Dennison. of Boston. of making watches |
by machinery. thus producing a great /
many parts alike. and so cheapening re- |
pairing through the interchangeable parts.
1t was not until 1919 that this idea was !
perfected. and year later factory was |
built at a point near what is now known |
as Boston Highlands. The business and |
the factory continued to grow. and when |
il had been in operation about three years |
ii was moved to Waltham. about ten |
miles from Boston. on the Charles River |
From this small beginning has grown the
American Waltham Watch Company. /
which in 1885 made I,OO.Uh watch move
ments Perhaps IL is this proximity to |
Boston OF SO large a matchmaking in
dustry and the fact that the idea of the
American movement was first conceived /
in that city that suggested the idea of |
watch collecting to the modern Athenians
In passing 1t may be remarked that every
5rm. without exception. that has gone
into the watch making business in this
has met with financial difficulties
The finest collection OF watches in the
world is owned by Evan Roberts of Eng
and. part of whose collection was eX-
hibited at the Columbian Exposition by
he Waltham Watch Company. There is
also very fine collection owned in Ger
many by Carl Marfels