Waltham 3-OS 15J grade 315 ladies' pocket watch #22901448, handsome nickel split plate movement with raised jewel settings and a fancy concentric circle damascene pattern, mint single sunk (SS) porcelain enamel dial with fancy Arabic style numbers, red 5 minute markers and a subsidiary seconds register, blue steel spade style hands, smooth polish Sterling silver hinge-back (HB) case with a domed glass crystal, fancy bow on a swivel pendant and a detailed, elaborate-script inscription on the back, possibly reading "Sr. Mary Aquinas Fr. June 12-25-'38", case is showing light event wear overall, measures approx. 31mm in diameter x 40mm in length x 11mm thick (crystal included).
We do not have a detailed provenance for the ownership of this watch, so we are not selling this watch with assurance it was in possession of the renowned
Sr. Mary Aquinas aka. "The Flying Nun", however the watch manufacture date of 1919-1920 does correspond to her lifespan and we feel it is a reasonable possibility that this may have been a watch gifted to her in 1938 as per the inscription. An interesting, vintage watch in excellent+ condition, sure to be an item of curiosity for enthusiasts of early American aviation history!
- Year Made: 1919-1920
- Company:
Waltham
-
Movement Size:
133-0S
- Jewels: 1315J
- Setting/Movement Type:
pendant set
- Model/Grade: 315
- Serial #: 22901448
- Movement Finish: nickel
- Dial Material: porcelain enamel
- Hand Style:
spade
- Case Style:
HB
-
Case Material:
Silver - Sterling/Solid
- Case Details:
swivel-style bow, "Sr. Mary Aquinas" inscription
-
Case Width/Diameter:
31mm (1.22 inches)
-
Case Length, bow included:
40mm (1.57 inches)
-
Case Thickness:
11mm (0.43 inches)
- Crystal Material: glass
- Misc. Info: Mary Aquinas Kinskey
- Condition:
Excellent +
-
Gender:
Ladies'
The Waltham watch company, and the earlier American Waltham Watch Co., which had a variety of locations over the many years it was in operation (including Waltham, Massachusetts), was in business from 1851-1957, and was one of the most prolific of the American watch companies.
As an additional resource, we've posted a
Serial Number Production List which includes information for Waltham serial numbers and dates of manufacture.
The NAWCC also has a
comprehensive article about the company; additional information may also be found on
Wikipedia.
You may browse all of our men's pocket watches from this manufacturer at our
Vintage Men's Waltham Pocket Watches category.
This watch is in good running condition, unless otherwise noted in the description. This means that on receipt, pending any item-specific running conditions noted in the description, you can expect the watch to be winding and setting properly and to run smoothly while keeping reasonable time. We consider "reasonable time" to meet these basic guidelines:
- Railroad Grade Watches will be keeping +/- 5 minutes per day
- Pocket and Wrist Watches with 15 or more jewels will be keeping +/- 10 minutes per day
- All key wind watches and watches with 14 or fewer jewels will be keeping +/- 15 minutes per day
The above guideline is the lowest standard in which we would ship out a watch, however in most cases, you will see much better timekeeping. Most of our watches have been in storage for many years, so if you plan on carrying/wearing them everyday, you should consider having them cleaned and oiled soon, and then once a year thereafter to keep them in top running condition. If the watches will be for occasional use or display, they should be cleaned and serviced every 3 to 5 years depending on use.
As of January 20th, 2025, we are not offering a cleaning and service option through PM Time Service. While we do hope to offer this again in the future, we are unfortunately unable to meet customer requests for watch servicing at this time. Please note that, unless otherwise mentioned within the "Full Description" tab, this watch is being sold in good running condition and is ready to wear or carry on arrival.
This watch comes complete with an appropriate, intact glass crystal; however, on request PM Time Service can replace the current crystal on this pocket watch for you. We offer a number of new and vintage crystal choices for pocket watches; you can select your desired choice from the dropdown menu below.
Please note that the average turnaround time for all pocket watch crystal replacements will be two days from the placement of the order.
Contact us with any further questions or for an estimate on any shipping delays.
Please note: if you add this watch with a crystal and/or band exchange option to your
shopping cart but later change your mind on the crystal and/or band selection type, you'll need to remove the watch from the cart in order to make a new selection. Once that is done, you can return to this page and add that new crystal and/or band combination to the cart. We apologize for the limitations to our system that prevent you from making that change within the shopping cart.
Unlike modern quartz watches, most vintage watches need daily winding in order to keep the watch functioning for timekeeping. Additionally, there are a number of different ways to set the time other than simply pulling the crown away from the watch body. We are happy to provide an overview of each of the different setting types on our
"How To Use" page, where we also provide information on proper winding techniques for each style and some suggestions for the proper long term care and storage of your watch.
For your gift giving convenience, please find a consolidated overview of the information on this item, with no reference to the price, on this
printer-optimized page.
