Need Info on PS Bartlett Grade Pocket Watch

[jdrichard]

Guys, I am about to repair a Waltham 1902 P.S. Bartlett Pocket Watch and would like to know the history behind that grade of watch. I currently understand that PS Bartlett ran the plate department for Waltham and left in 1865 to start and work for Elgin. The PS Bartlett Grades started at Waltham in 1883 ish so I am interested in why this grade started? Or any other interesting information.

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[oldhippy]

There's some info here you might like to read. Just google his name and you will find a few results.

https://community.ebay.com/t5/Archive-Watches-Clocks-and/waltham-ps-bartlett-question/td-p/1341365

 

Edited May 31, 2016 by oldhippy

[ramrod]

There is a website that will give you info on the movement when you type in the serial number. I can't think of it right now, but when I get home I'll post it.

As a side note, I just can't get past the look of a full bridge pocket watch. I'm not  sure why they were made. The open style is so beautiful. The full bridge is like.....well......the ugly step sister. I like seeing the perlage on the parts. 

[oldhippy]

Full bridge pocket watches are popular in the early days of watch making.

[ramrod]

this might help:

The Pocket Watch Database: Hamilton, South Bend, Illinois, Rockford, Waltham, & Elgin Pocket Watch Serial Number Lookup

select
"waltham" and type in your serial number

[jdrichard]

I have looked up the watch and was really wondering specifically about the Bartlett? Origin, etc. I do know it is an 1883 Model

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[jdrichard]

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[Bimroy]

One of the early employees of the Boston Watch Company, a precursor to the Waltham Company, was a man named Patten Sargeant Bartlett.  From Henry G. Abbot’s “History of the Watch Factories of America" we learn that Bartlett’s family was one of the oldest and most famous puritan families in Massachusetts and that his great uncle, Josiah Bartlett was one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence.  P.S. Bartlett left Waltham to assist in the organization of the National Watch Company at Elgin Illinois.  He eventually wound up working for Waltham again as a salesman and then ran his own wholesale business.

 

Abbott tells us that some of the early Waltham movements were engraved “P.S. Bartlett”.  Waltham will continue to use the name “P.S. Bartlett” on movement for many, many years, even through the time Bartlett worked for Elgin and well past his death in 1902.   The author has no concrete proof but feels that more American watch movements were marked “P.S. Bartlett” than any other single indication of grade. There were over 400 runs of the Model 1883 alone with this marking. The competition in this area might come from Elgin's B.W. Raymond.

[jdrichard]

One of the early employees of the Boston Watch Company, a precursor to the Waltham Company, was a man named Patten Sargeant Bartlett.  From Henry G. Abbot’s “History of the Watch Factories of America" we learn that Bartlett’s family was one of the oldest and most famous puritan families in Massachusetts and that his great uncle, Josiah Bartlett was one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence.  P.S. Bartlett left Waltham to assist in the organization of the National Watch Company at Elgin Illinois.  He eventually wound up working for Waltham again as a salesman and then ran his own wholesale business.

 

Abbott tells us that some of the early Waltham movements were engraved “P.S. Bartlett”.  Waltham will continue to use the name “P.S. Bartlett” on movement for many, many years, even through the time Bartlett worked for Elgin and well past his death in 1902.   The author has no concrete proof but feels that more American watch movements were marked “P.S. Bartlett” than any other single indication of grade. There were over 400 runs of the Model 1883 alone with this marking. The competition in this area might come from Elgin's B.W. Raymond.

A big "Thank You". for taking the time to respond. The gentleman who owns this watch says that his great grandfather was a Bartlett and that this watch comes from him! I am going to restore it for him as he will pass it down to his kids and so on. Funny how the PS Bartlett name was on these movements where the man himself did not seem to be an executive in the company?

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[digginstony]

The serial No dates the movement to circa 1902. The Bartle name appears on the higher grade movement, usually 17 jewel. I have an example from 1915 (model1908) which keeps excellent time.

Tony

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[digginstony]

The Model 1883 is a very nice movement to work on. The only tricky bit is sliding the bridge plate over the English Lever.

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[jdrichard]

The Model 1883 is a very nice movement to work on. The only tricky bit is sliding the bridge plate over the English Lever.

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I will pay attention to that.

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