Men’s1917 Waltham British Trench Watch in 18k Gold

As hard as it is to believe, there was no men's wristwatch market prior to WWI. Wristwatches, or "wristlets" were primarily ladies' novelties — small, altered pocket watches worn on ribbon straps around the wrist or hooked to bracelet chains. While men's wristwatches were produced in very limited numbers for certain military applications as early as the turn of the century, men of the day considered these pieces to be effeminate and undesirable. World War I changed these views, as intensified warfare made fishing around in one's pocket for a watch a bit too time-consuming. While America was the leader in the world's watch production until WWII, some American companies, such as Hamilton and South Bend, didn't see the wisdom in chasing such a foolhardy fad.

Waltham, however, did participate in the war effort of WWI, producing what have come to be known as some of the first men's wristwatches to be put into production. Considered by many to be superior to most Swiss movements of the day, Waltham's 7 jewel nickel workhorse even has clear advantages over high-end Swiss movements: It's beefier and more resilient and has an overcoil hairspring: Other Swiss timepieces of the day, with their comparably fragile flat hairsprings lost the edge. With the Waltham's overcoil hairspring, force differential of the mainspring is maintained when fully wound and partially wound. With inferior designs, such equilibrium is not maintained and watches run faster when fully wound and slower as the mainspring winds down. This is called Isocronism.

This 1917 example of the Waltham trench watch is quite exceptional, from its MINT, original flawless midnight black "Waltham/U.S.A." marked porcelain dial to its factory solid 18k case "Dennison" marked case. Measuring approximately 40mm by 33mm in diameter(!), this timepiece is a fine example of the "birth" of the modern wristwatch. These "doughboy wristlets" became essential during WWI, and soon caught on around the world. Despite its rugged application, the watch was a triumph in Arts and Crafts simplicity, with correct gold skeleton hands and matching sub-seconds register.

Also, please take a moment to regard our correctly re-created two-piece strap with matching 18k yellow gold buckle. We faithfully render these in our own shop of exquisite cordovan leather, matched with a rendering of a period 18k buckle. These straps have the look of the original item without the age, which allows one to wear his or her timepiece without worrying about a fragile museum strap. Only available from Strickland Vintage Watches and only on one of our timepieces, these straps are the perfect way to wear an early wire-lug work of wrist art!