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Waltham Permaforce, Waltham 65, Waltham 100, Waltham Cyclotron

4K views 8 replies 7 participants last post by  ballucan1999 
#1 ·
I am in search of any available info about several Waltham wrist-watches: Permaforce, 65, 100 and cyclotron. I can't find any detailed info and I have been looking via most search engines and watch collectors sites and could barely get vague info on the high jeweled 65 and 100 but nothing on the Permaforce or cyclotron. Any detailed info on production dates, production numbers and general history data would be greatly appreciated.
 
#2 ·
Well, in the mid 60's, I think, companies started a "jewel war", pretty much a selling point. They stuck a lot of jewels around the rotor, like this. Just google Waltham Cyclotron you will come up with info.

 
#8 ·
Well, in the mid 60's, I think, companies started a "jewel war", pretty much a selling point. They stuck a lot of jewels around the rotor, like this. Just google Waltham Cyclotron you will come up with info.

/QUOTE]Thank you for your info, I found some of the details about the high jeweled (65, 100, 53, 41) but nothing about the Permaforce and it is so frustrating when you try hard to find details on Waltham wrist watches, it is like nobody cared to leave anything about their legacy and imho they made some great ones, I got quite some numbers of the high jeweled ones and some Permaforce ones and the sound of the ticking in the Permaforce is as beautiful as and echoes just like my old Patek and Vacheron ones; I am still going to dig some more and will try to bring any extra info to this Forum; I was so impressed though with the Orient Grand Prix 100 and even 39, beautiful and in house...
 
#3 ·
Well, for general history: The original Waltham Watch Co went bankrupt in 1949, and stopped making watches entirely in 1958. Rights to the Waltham name were sold to a new company which, other then the name, had nothing to do with the original company or it's products. So from 1959 on, "Waltham" watches were simply an import brand. The new Waltham tried to leverage the "history" of the name as much as they could, which is where most of the watches you mention come from. However, they lost a number of cases against the FTC for misleading marketing practices as a result. By the 70's, the value of the brand had mostly been exhausted, and the Quartz Crisis took care of the rest.

You won't find too much on "Waltham" watches from this era; they were common European movements (I have samples with German and French movements, but mostly Swiss) with very little to differentiate them from the millions of other watches flooding into the U.S.
 
#4 ·
I have had a few of those 100 jewel Walthams.. they sell very well! I always thought it was funny that there is one jewel missing on the rotor (the 3:00 position in your photo). I was told that was because it would make it 101 jewels and they only wanted 100... like they couldn't have spaced them out better so there wasn't an empty hole? lol
 
#9 ·
you can't find much about Waltham wrist watches period, was interested to get some detailed data and nada, very frustrating when you get a number of beautiful pieces and can't match them with a timeline, production info and movements; interesting enough, all of them keep time well and look great after so many years of real neglect; I am so happy I was able to get them, thanks for your insight...
 
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