Waltham Riverside Model 1908 pocket watch

Technical characteristics

Type

Open-face watch

Maker

Waltham Watch Company

Jewel Count

21 Jewels

Case Diameter

49.3 mm

Case Material

10K Rolled Gold Plate

Movement Grade

Grade No. 1621

Place recorded

United States

Case Serial Number

4220824

Maker / attribution

American Waltham Watch Company

Movement Serial Number

30489979

Design

Dial and Hands

The open-face pocket watch features a white dial detailed with black Arabic hour numerals, a black minute track, and a central concentric circular chapter line. Positioned at 6 o'clock is a subsidiary seconds register marked with Arabic numerals at ten-second intervals. Time is indicated by blued steel spade hour and minute hands, along with a matching blued sub-seconds hand. Below the 12 o'clock position, the dial is signed 'Waltham' and '21 Jewels'. The seller claims the dial is original, though movement or dial authenticity cannot be independently verified from the single listing photograph.

Visible features

• White dial with bold black Arabic hour numerals and a central concentric circular chapter line • Blued steel spade hour and minute hands with a matching blued sub-seconds hand • Engraved scroll pattern along the bezel rim and a decorative relief bow atop the crown • Subsidiary seconds register at 6 o'clock with Arabic numerals marked at ten-second intervals

Case Construction and Ornamentation

The watch is housed in a round open-face case constructed from 10K rolled gold plate. Recorded dimensions state a diameter of 49.3 mm, a width of 54.8 mm including the crown, and a case thickness of 13.2 mm. Visual observation confirms an engraved pattern along the outer bezel edge and an ornate relief bow mounted above the crown. Case back markings are listed in the seller's data table as 'KEYSTONE 10K Rolled Gold Plate' alongside serial number '4220824'. These internal or reverse case markings are not visible in the provided front-facing photograph.

Reported Movement and Source Discrepancies

The movement is not visible in the provided photograph. According to the seller's documentation, the movement is a 16s manual-winding Grade No. 1621 Model 1908 mechanism with 21 jewels, adjusted for positions and temperature, and fitted with a lever-set mechanism. Movement markings are transcribed in the listing as 'Riverside Waltham U.S.A. 21 Jewels Adjusted 30489979'. The seller's description exhibits major internal contradictions. The product title and movement table classify the piece as a '1908 WALTHAM Riverside', but the narrative text also asserts it is 'a vintage Waltham Vanguard pocket watch from 1940'. These conflicting grade classifications (Riverside versus Vanguard) and date designations (1908 versus 1940) cannot be evaluated without direct inspection of the movement plate engravings.

Identification

Reference

Grade No. 1621

Serial number

30489979

Source note

Facts transcribed from the linked source listing or collection record. Attribution and specifications are source-reported and have not been independently authenticated.

Catalogue references

No catalogue numbers recorded. Numbers are only published once transcribed from a verified edition of a standard catalogue — they are never inferred.