This Glossary explains many of the common terms and abbreviations used in the database. Many of the
abbreviations are those used by Waltham in the original handwritten records. The
glossary document file can be downloaded here.
You might also find it convenient to open this glossary in a separate window
when working with the database.
| Start and End |
dates between which a particular run of movements were
delivered. |
| First and Last |
serial number range assigned to a given run of movements. |
| Model |
refers to the overall design of the watch movement. Waltham's model numbers
generally correspond to the year in which the watch was designed or first introduced
(e.g., "77" refers to the "Model 1877," which was first introduced in 1877; "83" refers
to the"Model 1883," which was first introduced in that year, etc.). |
| Name |
(or "Grade") is the name typically
engraved on the movement, and generally can be used to identify the
quality of a watch. Many are simply designated by number. Numeric grades are not usually engraved on the movement except for later railroad
grades. Name and Grade abbreviations used in the database include the following: |
| |
| ATCo. or A.T.& C. |
Appleton, Tracy & Co. |
| AWCo. |
American Watch Co |
| Am.W. Co. |
Am. Grade |
| Amn W Co. |
Am'n Grade |
| AWWCo. |
American Waltham Watch Co. |
| Bd.St. |
Bond Street |
| B. & K. |
Bigelow, Kennard & Co. (Marked
for a large customer) |
| Chron. |
Chronograph |
| C.T.P. |
Charles T. Parker (Marked C. T. Parker
or Chas. T. Parker) |
| Col Max. |
Colonial Maximus |
| Comm. Std. |
Commercial Standard (made for Ball Watch Co.) |
| C.P.R. |
Canadian Pacific Railway |
| Cres. Gar. |
Crescent Garden |
| Cres.St. |
Crescent Street |
| C.R.T.S. |
Canadian Railway Time Service |
| D. H. & D. |
Dennison, Howard & Davis |
| Dia |
Diamond (jewel series 6/0) |
| Home W. Co H.W.Co. H.W.C. or Home |
Home Watch Co. |
| Off. Std. |
Official Rail Road Standard (made for Ball Watch Co.) |
| P.S.B. |
P.S. Bartlett |
| Prem. |
Premier |
| Pre. Max. |
Premier Maximus |
| R.E.R. |
R. E. Robbins |
| Riv. |
Riverside |
| Riv. Col. |
Riverside Colonial |
| Riv. Max. |
Riverside Maximus |
| Roy |
Royal |
| Ruby |
Ruby (jewel series 6/0) |
| Sap. |
Sapphire (jewel series 6/0) |
| W. W. Co. . |
Waltham Watch Co |
| Watson |
J.W. Watson |
| Wm.E. |
William Ellery |
|
| Material |
refers to grades of Waltham material, generally reflecting the grade of the
watch. The following is a general description, and as with most generalizations there will
be exceptions: |
| |
U |
"U" stands for "Unadjusted." These include most 7-15 jewel watches. These are usually not adjusted for positions or temperature (other than that provided by the bi-metallic compensation balance). Timing screws are
brass and there are usually no
mean-time screws. A "U"-grade balance staff has no oil grooves and the coarsest
pivots. Wheel pivots are the coarsest used in the model. |
| A |
"A" stands for "Adjusted." These watches, usually with 15-17 jewels, are usually adjusted to temperature and perhaps 3 positions. They may have a gold center wheel.
The balance wheel may have one pair of gold mean-time screws, but the other
balance screws are usually still brass. An "A"-grade balance staff may have one oil
groove and intermediate pivots. Wheel pivots are intermediate in size. |
| P |
"P" stands for "Positions." These are usually 17-23 jewel watches
adjusted to 5 or 6
positions. They almost always have a gold center wheel and the highest grades have
an entirely gold train. Usually they also have gold jewel settings. The balance wheel
usually has gold balance screws, and often has two pair of gold mean-time screws. A
"P"-grade balance staff may have two oil grooves and has the finest pivots. The wheel
pivots are the finest used on the model. |
| |
AWCo |
This material grade is not marked in the database but
does appear in the material catalogs. P grade material will function in an
American Watch Co. grade watch, but does not have the appropriate finish
in the earlier models. In particular for the 1872 model, the AWCo grade
material is unique (and was much more expensive). |
| Size |
"Size" refers to the size of the movement, using the "Lancashire Gauge" system for
measuring watch sizes. In this system, a "0" size is 1 and 5/30 inches across, a
"6" size is 1 11/30 inches across, a "12" size is 1 17/30 inches, an "18" size is
1 23/30 inches, etc. |
| Plate |
"Plate" refers to the design of the top plate. |
| |
3/4 |
"3/4" stands for "3/4 Plate" (the top plate is "cut away" with the balance wheel sunk
down to the same level as the other gears, portions of which will be visible). |
| FP |
"FP" stands for "Full Plate" (only the balance wheel and balance cock are visible and
located above the top plate, which fully covers the gears). |
| Jewelling |
"Jewels" or "Jewelling" refer to the number of jewels used in the watch to reduce friction on the bearing points. 7 jewels are found in the escapement, and additional jewels – if used – would typically be found on the plates for jewelling the gear train. Notations found in the database are as follows: |
| |
Plain |
7 jewels |
| |
4 holes |
11 jewels all in top plate (looks like 15J) |
| |
2 pairs |
11 jewels |
| |
3 pairs |
13 jewels |
| |
4 pairs |
15 jewels except that on AWCo grade there are usually
additional cap jewels |
| |
4 ½ pairs |
16 jewels except AWCo and sometimes Am'n have cap jewels in addition to hole jewels |
| |
5 pairs |
17 jewels. Essentially all of these are AWCo grade
and have cap jewels in addition to hole jewels. This results in 19
and sometimes 21 jewels. |
| |
7 to 23 |
Later runs have the actual jewel count listed rather than
jewel pairs |
| Balance |
"Balance" refers to the type of balance (material and design): |
| |
Exp |
"Ex" or "exp." stands for "expansion balance," which is made of steel on the
inside of the balance wheel and brass on the outside, with a split rim, to
compensate for the decrease in hairspring elasticity as the temperature increases. |
| |
Steel |
or Gold or Nickel refer to the material from which the balance is
made. This implies a plain balance without screws or a cut rim. |
| |
Chrono |
"Chrono." is short for "chronometer" balance, and is an early term used by
Waltham for a higher grade expansion balance. |
| Style |
refers to the type of case for which the movement was designed. |
| |
Htg |
"Htg" refers to a "hunting" or "hunter" case movement, which has the winding
pendant at the 3 o'clock position, and is designed for a case with a cover that
closes over the face. The pendant is at 90 degrees from the 4th wheel. Various
dials can put the dial numbers at other positions |
| |
OF |
"OF" refers to an "open face" case movement, which has the winding pendant at
the 12 o'clock position, and does not have a cover that closes over the face. The
pendant is 180 degrees from the 4th wheel and seconds indication. |
| |
Rect |
"Rect." refers to a "rectangular" shaped movement, with the winding pendant at 3
o'clock (for smaller wristwatch-sized movements). Almost all rectangular movements have the hunting or 90 degree
configuration |
| Comment |
Contains anything that did not fit in with the
standard fields. Sometimes this is commentary by the transcribers.
Sometimes it is material that was distributed across the columns in the
original manuscript. For serial numbers above 7,555,000 The comment field
contains the page number from the printed serial number list. The "Comment" field uses the following abbreviations: |
| |
BH |
BH or Breg. means Breguet hairspring |
| |
big N |
The manuscript contains a large script N for New model (I
believe this notation is used to refer to the "new" 1877 model) |
| |
Church |
The "Church" or 1883 model watch. Sometimes just
"CH" |
| |
Pat Reg. |
Patent Regulator |
| |
Eng |
Made for the English market |
| |
Htg |
Hunting style. Sometimes appears here instead of Style
column |
| |
KW |
Key wind |
| |
LS |
Lever set |
| |
Ladies |
Ladies watch (can be determined from the model but most
often 10 size.) |
| |
OF |
Open Face style |
| |
PS |
Pendant Setting |
| |
SW |
Stem winding |
| |
QT |
Quick Train |
| Source |
Initials of the volunteer who transcribed the
manuscript material. For observations, the initials of the individual
contributing the observation |
| Date |
Date material was transcribed. For
observations, the date the observation was entered. |
| When the Source and date fields are blank for a
run, the material was contributed by Jim Schneider who transcribed the
Waltham printed serial number list. |
NL means "None Listed" or no information provided in any of our
information sources.
