1436

CT, Hartford County--Civil War Era Colts Armory Presentation Watch

Currency:USD Category:Collectibles / Western Americana Start Price:1,250.00 USD Estimated At:2,500.00 - 5,000.00 USD
CT, Hartford County--Civil War Era Colts Armory Presentation Watch
Preview
Holabird-Kagin Americana Office
3555 Airway Drive Suite#309
Reno, NV 89511
Thursday April 11, 10am-6pm
* Preview also available by appointment

Live Auction
Friday & Saturday
April 12-13, 2012
9am PDT starting time, both days

Location
Atlantis Casino & Resort
Grand Ballroom #4
3800 S. Virginia Street
Reno, NV 89502

Lot Pick Up
Holabird-Kagin Americana Office
3555 Airway Drive Suite #309
Reno, NV 89511
Sunday April 14th, 10am-1pm

This size 18s watch is housed in a standard hunter case, with the lid hinge at the 9 o`clock position, and the stem, crown, and bow at the 3 o`clock position. The crystal is hinged at the 12 o`clock position, and the single sunk dial counts seconds at the 6 o`clock position. Blued hands. White enamel dial with black roman numerals. Key wind, key set. Marked National Watch Co. The interior of the dust cover is marked Am. Watch Co/ Waltham/ c51. The Waltham Improvement Co. merged in January 1859 with the Appleton, Tracy Co. forming the American Watch Co. The rear cuvet is engraved Presented/ to/ Daniel Bowdoin/ by his fellow workmen/ at Colts Armory/ January 15th 1864. The Elgin mechanism is marked M.D. Ogden and bears the serial number 100292, which indicates that the mechanism was produced c1871. 1000 of the M.D. Ogden model, 7 jewel, gilt finish, size 18s, full plate mechanisms were made by the company. Due to the mismatching of dates, it is very unlikely that this case and mechanism are original to each other. The exterior of the case is dinged and stained, and the key is missing. The Elgin National Watch Company was created in the fall of 1864. Hartford Connecticut directories list Daniel (or D.H.) Bowdoin as a Machinist on 38 Woodbridge St. from 1859 to 1866. In the late 1860s, Bowdoin moved on from being a machinist and clerk at that address to being part of a company called Hoxie, Bowdoin Co, located at 11 Hicks Street, where he was also a machinist and clerk until 1868. No directories from 1869 or 1870 were available with his name. In the 1860 census, Bowdoin listed Maine as his birthplace. The Colt Armory was built in 1855 in Hartford Connecticut, and the original property, which was almost entirely destroyed by fire in 1864, was located over 13 miles from Woodbridge St in Manchester CT. The Hicks Street address is just over a mile south of the armory, so it is indeed possible that Bowdoin would have known or worked for the Colt Armory workers. As a machinist, perhaps he was involved with the development of the equipment for the armory, of which the west wing was built in 1861 and the east wing was rebuilt in 1867. HKA#63275