New York Watch Co
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The New York Watch Company began with the Mozart Watch Company of Providence, R.I. When Don Mozart and the original operations were unable to produce a reliable commercial watch, the investors moved the operation to Springfield, MA.* The company initially did well commercially, but a series of fires and the Long Depression (1873-1896) eventually led to a reorganization as the Hampden Watch Co. Subsequently the Hampden Watch Co. was moved to Canton Ohio and Merged with John C. Dueber's Dueber Watch Case Company to become the Dueber - Hampden Watch Co. The early high grade products of the New York Watch Co. are especially interesting and there were high grade highlights from the Hampden and Dueber-Hampden companies also. Dueber-Hampden was an early promoter of railroad watches and the primary force behind the 17J and higher style of jewelling. The major problem with Dueber-Hampden for collectors today is the lack of integrity in the two tone damaskeened models. These are often found with the two tone mostly washed away. Hampden also produced high jeweled watches of relatively low overall quality.
*Mozart moved to Michigan and eventually produced a small number of his 3 wheel watches. |
