Watch case help wanted

[Guest mzaetta]

Hi everyone,

I collect antique horse drawn carriages and I bought an original watch case from an old collection that is covered in leather. The previous owner believed that it mounted on the dash of a carriage. As I look at it, I just can't determine if it truly was carriage or if from an early car - maybe pre-war and mounted to the dashboard. The leather wings on the sides with the screw holes are covered in leather indicating to me - they these were exposed, compared to hidden under upholstery or fabric. I can see the piece mounted to the dash of an early car. What are your thoughts?

The watch I have put in it, is not original to the case. The watch is a true carriage artifact marked "Brewster & Co. New York" and a very true and honest antique.

Last point, because the leather covering is brown, it most likely would have gone with a natural wood carriage, and it is my belief that if you mounted this piece to a natural wood dash, the look would not be appropiate.

As a young collector trying to build a very honest and true collection, it is important to me to make sure I have only carriage items.

Mike

mzaetta@yahoo.com

703-304-6745

[Layden B]

While some early items were sold for use in either horse drawn carriages or horseless carriages, I would say by the style that this one is horse drawn.

"Last point, because the leather covering is brown, it most likely would have gone with a natural wood carriage, and it is my belief that if you mounted this piece to a natural wood dash, the look would not be appropiate." I do not understand this sentence. In the second half , if you mean by " natural wood dash" the firewall of a horseless carriage, we must remember that the body work of an early car was done by workers who were accustomed to making carriages and the finish is quite similar if not identical.

The size and mounting method of this are impractical for the firewall of a car as most have control items there. If used in a car it would be a rear compartment item.

[West Peterson]

Too small for dashboard, too, in my opinion, but I'm not extremely familiar with the brass era cars. The dashboards were way down by the driver's feat, so something this small would be impossible to read.

[Terry Bond]

Most certain it's carriage. The leather cover makes me believe it is not automobile. Automobile clocks were generally encased in brass and the case was made to mount on a flat dash so it would be angled up so the driver or navigator could see it. There were some clocks mounted in passenger compartments of early cars and Brewster did make a lot of bodies for chauffeur driven vehicles. Generally though the were really fancy and the clocks were mounted as a part of a vanity set that might include a place for cigarettes, matches, a note pad or even a small flask. This clock and mount were probably for a fancy carriage with a rear passenger enclosure. Brewster was making coaches and buggies long before they got into the automobile related business.

Terry

[TheMoneyPit]

Might be a good idea to google the watch company and come up with a serial number list - most watches can be dated and the winder there looks too early to be auto.

I think the leather suggests carriage - most early auto ones I've seen are brass cased, but you see new things daily.

[Guest cben09]

Can you open the watch case to see who the maker is,??

Waltham and Chelsea would have been common hi end movements,,

Chelsea can tell you who the movement was delivered to,,,,AND the date !!!

Cheers,,,Ben

OOOps,,,Chelsea is in Chelsea Massachusetts,,,Third Ave I think

Nice old brick building,,survived a fire or three,,

Fires that took out several firehouses,,and a good part of the city

Edited June 28, 2013 by cben09 (see edit history)

[West Peterson]

His OP says the watch itself is not original to the case.