Who Made This Watch?

James Russell et Cie, Hartford Conn

#19841 information and pictures provided by Robert Niemeyer

11J with translucent plate jewels and 2-screw fake jewel setting, sprung under hairspring with hidden stud, applied index, steel balance, English style pallet and blunt-end escape wheel. The click and oblong ratchet bridge on pillar plate look like Waltham parts. Not shown, the potance looks like the Waltham part #215. Both movement and dial signed James Russell et Cie., Hartford, Conn, except the dial is misspelled (Hartfort). Note the French abbreviation for company Cie (which sort of kills the idea of English made). The number 19841 is on barrel bridge and on the pillar plate. The sub-assembly number 47 is also stamped on the pillar plate, and on the underside of the balance bridge along with 41; note the pry slot which is not on the Waltham bridge. The number 47 is also stamped on the underside of both the top plate and barrel bridge along with 19841 on both. The gilding is quite good on this movement.

This Russell looks like an AWCo P.S. Bartlett Model 57 with hidden stud, applied index and fake jewel settings. However, the real PSB M57 with hidden stud has three screw fake jewel settings, not two screws as on 19841. Except for the wrong fake jewel settings, everything else looks nearly perfect, including the blunt end escape wheel, potance, 1st series click and oblong ratchet bridge, and long bridge on pillar plate (although the long bridge is a little off). However, I can now tell even from the picture that the long bridge is a little wider, and I bet the other parts won't measure up either (as the case with 20145).

The train speed is 16,200 beats per hour as can be deternmined by the escape wheel (15 teeth and 7 pinion leaves) and 4th wheel (63 teeth and 8 pinion leaves). This is the Model 57 speed, not the earlier English speed of 14,400 beats per hour.

The hunting case #23 housing Russell #19841 looks original and American, but I don't know what to make of the hallmarks. I presume the lion represents sterling silver, but the ladies head? Maybe a duty mark.

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