1953 Waltham Vanguard 16s 23j Railroad Watch

Updated September 15, 2026

Vintage 1953 American Waltham Watch Co. grade No. 1623 Vanguard model 1908 mechanical open-face pocket watch presented in exceptionally clean mint condition. The 16-size base metal utility railroad case features a screw-down ribbed bezel and a polished screw-off caseback stamped internally with the signature "KEYSTONE BASE METAL" crown trademark crest and production serial number 085656. The pristine white melamine railroad dial showcases bold black block Arabic numeral hour tracks, an outer minutes track ring with diamond hour plots, heavy black heavy spade hands, a sunken sub-seconds register above the 6 o'clock position, and explicit dial text reading "WALTHAM VANGUARD 23 JEWELS". The watch houses a spectacular high-grade mechanical manual-wind movement carrying movement serial number 33769326, a top-tier 23 jewels layout in friction-set rubies, a nickel finish with refined damaskeened parallel waves, a lever-setting configuration, a bridge-plate layout, a micrometric regulator assembly, a Breguet hairspring, a Double Roller assembly, and explicit plates engraving reading "VANGUARD WALTHAM U.S.A. 23 JEWELS 8 ADJUSTMENTS".This railroad grade watch is fully functional and running with strong amplitude and minimal daily deviation tested on a digital timegrapher machine at the time of listing, though a professional service is recommended for precision timekeeping calibration.

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