Fresh from the estate of a retired Swiss-trained watchmaker, a genuine American-Made Waltham Vanguard (Grade 1623) Railroad-grade pocket watch. If you are looking at this watch, you know the Vanguard was the pinnacle of Waltham's watchmaking skills and showcased their superior engineering and artistic skills. The Vanguard line actually began in 1902, a year before Hamilton debuted their grade 992 (produced 1903-1930) followed by their 992E or "Elinvar", made from 1931-1941. The 992B began in late 1940, and was intended to compete with this Vanguard model!
While the Hamilton is more sought after (and we have a few for sale), the Vanguard at the time was considered a higher grade with its' 23 Jewels to the 992Bs 21 Jewels. However, both ad micro-regulator adjustments and were the best the companies had to offer.
Our variant was serviced in Nov of 2021 and remains a perfect timekeeper. It is a Stem Wind-Lever Set watch cased in a 10K Gold Filled Case. The dial is exceptional, and the original acrylic crystal has been polished to near-new condition. The blued hands are likewise in very good condition with the exception of the seconds hand that has slight marks. Nevertheless, this watch was obviously looked after because despite 84 years young, aside from minor surface scratches on the case, she looks similar to how she did when she was in the showroom.
A beautiful example of a fine historic timepiece!
Watch was found in a padded pocket watch box (last photo) and will be shipped in this same box for security.