American Watch Co. 19J KW18 with Fitt's Patent
This is a 19 jewel KW18
American Watch Co. grade movement produced in 1859. Stratton designed this
movement at Waltham in an attempt to shift the emphasis toward producing a very
high grade product. He also produced several experimental movements based on the
general design of this watch. His frustration with Robbin's focus on higher
production low cost watches and the lure of his friend Belding Dart Bingham and
his backers in Nashua led Stratton to leave Waltham and found the Nashua Watch
Co.
The 1859 Model has Fitt's patent clutch mechanism fitted to the center pinion to allow the center wheel to spin freely in the event of breakage of the mainspring and the backlash from that event.
This watch was purchased in a silver case that appeared to be a recase. The Robbins & Appleton case was found on an Appleton Tracey grade movement from a nearby serial number run.
The dial is the correct double sunk American Watch Co. dial. The name American Watch Co. probably first appears on these watches.
The serial number is 40,144.
Front, Front Mark, Dial, Back, Case Mark, Cuvette, Cuvette Mark, Movement, Movement View 2
