Antique Way

Watches and Clocks Roundup

by Peter J. Theriault, FGA, GG

The American watch, once part of a monumental industry, no longer exists. Today's watches are primarily Swiss or Japanese imports. There are American watch companies, but they are shadows of their former glory. Hamilton Watch Company, for instance, uses inexpensive imported components and puts its name on the dials.

New England manufacturers once produced some of the best and most well-known watches. These companies included E. Howard of Boston, Massachusetts, American Watch Co., which later became Waltham Watch Co., and Hampden Watch Company of Springfield, Massachusetts. Today, two fine New England-based auction companies, Jones & Horan Auction Team and Bob Schmitt, are keeping the legend alive by making watch collecting fun and sometimes profitable for many enthusiasts.

Jones & Horan Auction Team

On April 20 and 21 the Jones & Horan Auction Team held a successful two-day horological auction at the Holiday Inn in Manchester, New Hampshire. "The Team" has gained near legendary recognition in the watch and clock field.

The firm, led by the husband and wife team of George and Patricia Jones, plus manager Al Window, sold a fabulous collection of clocks, watches, and items of horological interest belonging to several private New England collectors. Among them was the Goldberg collection, a 30-year serious collection of American watches. The sale was an overwhelming success, bringing rec-ord prices, with buyers aggressively competing from as far away as Germany, England, and Canada.

Included in the collection was a stamped silver hunter's case pocket watch made by Charles Fasoldt that brought $19,000 (no buyer's premium charged). Fasoldt's own journal also sold for $19,000. Another rarity was an "experimental" by Hamilton featuring special movement component modifications for $2400.

"The Team" is making big waves in the watch and clock world due to their small but tight and well-organized group.

Manager Al Window explained the formula: "We recognize the need to provide consignors with an outlet for all of their goods, not just the pristine or rare items. We offer diversity, including common wrist and pocket watches and clocks and horological-related items such as watch benches, parts, and tools. We work hard at keeping our costs down while at the same time exposing our sales to the best markets available."

Patty Jones was concerned about the prices realized from this sale. "I hope such high prices will not discourage people from attending our future sales. Our next sale will be held July twentieth and will include over one hundred fifty clocks from a New York estate."

Another large pocket and wristwatch collection from a 30-year Maine collection is scheduled during a two-day horological event in October. For more information, contact The Jones & Horan Auction Team, 453 Mast Road, Goffstown, NH 03045, phone (603) 623-5314, e-mail auctions@xtdl.com.

I also recommend a visit to Jones & Horan's Web page at http://www.xtdl.com/~auctions. It offers information about future sales and lists results from past sales. The site also gives links to other watch- and clock-related pages.

R.O. Schmitt Fine Arts

According to a longtime customer, Bob Schmitt embodies two New England virtues: a fine work ethic and honesty.

Schmitt is known for his attention to detail and forthright representation of his consignors' watches and clocks. His catalog attests to this. I highly recommend using his catalogs for price references because of the thorough listings of the clocks and watches coupled with fine photographs. (Bob produces the whole catalog himself on his computer. Quite impressive.)

April 27 and 28 was Schmitt's largest clock and watch auction to date, with 400 participants in the Salem, New Hampshire, Holiday Inn Ballroom and a hammer total of $439,000 (excluding 10buyer's premium). International interest was strong. Despite the usual array of pillar and scroll and other American wooden works clocks, the stars of the sale were mostly of European origin.

There was excitement in the crowd when a rare French great wheel skeleton clock was offered. The competition between a New York and an Australian collector was fierce. The bidding stopped at $8250.

The highest-priced item of the sale, an English seven-tune musical clock by Barrauds of London, brought $10,230. Modern technology was present as many agents bid for their clients using cellular telephones. Other items of interest included an 1820 French lyre clock selling for $3850, a rare Gem Razor advertising clock for $3850, and a French Industrial series steam hammer for $1870.

The Schmitt sale also featured a number of American and Swiss pocket watches, including watch parts and several mixed lots. Among the popular American watches was a circa 1866 E. Howard & Co. hunting case pocket watch. The finely engraved 18k gold case was original and correct for the period. Originally the watch belonged to a partner in a Rhode Island-based loom and steam engine company. It went at $1540.

Schmitt is gearing up for his next sale, scheduled for October. For sale and catalog information, contact R.O. Schmitt, 85 Lake Street, Salem, NH 03079, phone (603) 893-5915.

Antiquorum

Antiquorum brought together the worlds of fine watches, exotic automobiles, and racing memorabilia with a superb sale on May 17 (during Formula I Grand Prix week) in Monte Carlo, Monaco. The sale, one of the year's premier theme events, featured a spectacular catalog of precision timepieces and rare, highly collectible automobile-related items.

The emphasis of this sale was on watches and timepieces made for race car drivers, including the most famous auto-related watch, the stainless steel Rolex Daytona Cosmograph, the so-called "Paul Newman" model. According to Antiquorum, the original model Rolex Daytona was produced from 1961 to 1988. This watch was named after Paul Newman, an accomplished race car driver, who wore such a watch in the film Carrera Mexicana. A distinguishing feature of the "Paul Newman" model is the unique dial with square points marking out the intermediate hour, minute, and seconds divisions on the main and subsidiary dials. Six such model Rolexes sold here for between $8364 and $16,728 (compared to $3500/4000 the regular model stainless steel Rolex Daytona might fetch on the market). A word to the wise: watch out for fake dials!

Other auto racing-related watches included in the Antiquorum sale were several dashboard watches and rally watches for measuring elapsed time when racing, plus "radiator-grille" watches representing Rolls Royce and Bugatti, fashioned in the shape of the radiators of these autos. The Swiss maker Mido made only 20 of the Bugattis in the '30's, primarily for the Bugatti family and close friends. One such limited-edition Mido Bugatti presentation watch sold for $5723.

For additional information, contact Richard Revesz at Antiquorum's New York office by calling (212) 750-1103.