Help with Fulton and Waltham wrist watches?

[Molly Jones]

Hi, I've just started collecting vintage watches and have very limited knowledge. Can anyone help me identify these two watches? I've tried to look up information on the Fulton Watch Co. and can't find anything more than a couple sentences. The engraving on the back of the case reads: Wadsworth Sterling 3626392. It's 15 jewels, and the movement reads: FULTON WATCH MFY SWISS. It's a lever watch so I know it can't be older than 1927 because that's when Fulton began producing them (correct?).I couldn't get the back off the Waltham and am fearful of damaging it. Thanks!

[Hartmut Richter]

Welcome to the forum. The Waltham looks lile a nice, inter-war watch. As for the Fulton, I would think that it is rather older than 1927. There seem to have been more than one "Fulton" (see Mikrolisk - was Feines für die Tasche... - Das Informationsportal rund um die Taschenuhr!) but none of them are reasonably close matches; they either closed down too early or opened too late. It looks like a Swiss trench watch from around WWI or just thereafter.

Hartmut Richter

[Molly Jones]

Welcome to the forum. The Waltham looks lile a nice, inter-war watch. As for the Fulton, I would think that it is rather older than 1927. There seem to have been more than one "Fulton" (see Mikrolisk - was Feines für die Tasche... - Das Informationsportal rund um die Taschenuhr!) but none of them are reasonably close matches; they either closed down too early or opened too late. It looks like a Swiss trench watch from around WWI or just thereafter.

Hartmut Richter

Thank you! I think I found another, but I'm still new at this. What do you think? boomertime.com/solditems/R3611/R3611.htm

Obviously the hands on mine have been replaced.

[AbslomRob]

The waltham would need to be opened to give you much; the style matches ones produced in the 30's and 40's (which would make it a "true" waltham, and not a "swiss" waltham), but the lack of a sub-second surprises me a bit. Could be earlier even. Waltham was a fairly conservative company, so it can be hard to "date" a plain watch like this on style alone. The movement will have a serial number that will allow it to be dated fairly precisely.

[Molly Jones]

The waltham would need to be opened to give you much; the style matches ones produced in the 30's and 40's (which would make it a "true" waltham, and not a "swiss" waltham), but the lack of a sub-second surprises me a bit. Could be earlier even. Waltham was a fairly conservative company, so it can be hard to "date" a plain watch like this on style alone. The movement will have a serial number that will allow it to be dated fairly precisely.

When I tried to open the Waltam, it pulled out of the casing. The entire movement pulled out without releasing the backing, I'll check with a jeweler.

[AbslomRob]

That's normal for this style; the movement is usually fairly tight in the caseback (and if it's old, it'll be quasi-cemented in place with a paste of old oil, sweat, vertigris and other even less appetizing things. :) ) If it doesn't wiggle out using the crown, definitely go the jeweler; its easy to destroy the dials and hands on these when fiddling with them to get the movement out.