Antique Hartford Watch Co Full Hunter Pocket Watch

Antique Hartford Watch Co full hunter pocket watch.

Interestingly watches such as this are classed as “Swiss fakes” (it is still very much an antique, not a fake in the conventional sense). This is to say that Swiss made watches were made to resemble the medium to high grade American watches of the time, around the era of the rail road watch. The watch that we have here appears very typically American with the ornate case, the American sounding name and the large size, but it was actually made in Switzerland. There were several American sounding names that the Swiss used such as Trans Pacific and Rock Island Express.

Taking all the above into account however, the “Swiss fakes” are considered collectable by some as they illustrate a stage in horological history and often they are actually attractive pieces.

The watch that we have here has a stem-winding movement which is working nicely. The plates are nicely patterned and there is nice detailing to the balance cock. The movement is protected by an inner hinged cover.

The watch measures 54mm diameter excluding the winding stem and the loop so slightly larger than a standard 50mm poket watch. The gold filled case is beautifully detailed on both the front and the back... the front has a vacant cartouche while the back has an image of a hunting dog, probably a working spaniel.

The winding crown pushes in to open the front cover. Inside there is a glass lens which is in lovely condition.

The dial is beautiful and it is in lovely condition. The ornate hands are lever set, again in line with the American railroads.

The watch comes in a new presentation box.

ALL PRICES INCLUDE UK POSTAGE (because of GPSR legislation, we no longer post items less than 100 years old to Europe, including Northern Ireland).

Please contact us regarding international shipping.

All of our watches are checked over before listing, and are also checked for accuracy which is usually within around +/- two to three minutes over 24 hours (unless otherwise stated), which is considered respectable for a vintage watch.

We are a VAT registered company and all purchases are covered by Consumer Regulations.

Credit / debit card purchases up to £300 can be made over the telephone on 01386 750238 or you can proceed via the 'Purchase Antique' button on each listing page. Alternatively, there is a Paypal payment link if you scroll down the page and we also accept bank transfers.

We are an on-line only business and do not have facilities for callers. Our offices are open from Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm.

With regards to appraisals / valuations, we receive a huge number of information requests each day and unfortunately do not have the manpower to deal with them all individually. Our advice would be to contact a local auctioneer for a full appraisal.