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Waltham Regulator Types

This page is an attempt to give insight into the various types of Waltham Regulators.

Please note that the tables have “EA” reference numbers. These numbers, as well as the descriptions, have been borrowed from Roy Ehrhardt & William “Bill” Meggers book “American Pocket Watches Identification and Price Guide Beginning to End…1830-1999”.

Half Whiplash

The Half Whiplash was used early on some higher grade and special order Waltham watches. Later they appeared on many other types as other more advanced regulators came into being. The basic idea uses a simple regulator with a “whiplash” or what is better known as a “swan neck” which provided tension against the spring. The micrometer screw which goes through the base of the spring pushed the regulator against the spring.
Half Whiplash regulator

EA-# Model Size Description
EA 42 1908 16 OF-Nickel-Pendant or Lever Set 3/4 Plate
EA 42A 1944-1947 16 OF-Nickel-Lever Set-3/4 Plate-23 Jewels-8 Adj.

Full Whiplash

The Full Whiplash is based more or less on the same principle as the Half Whiplash but as the name imples the “Whiplash” goes completly around the simple regulator
Full Whiplash

EA-# Model Size Description
none 1883 18 Various Grades such as 836 for example
EA 44 1899 or 1908 16 or 17 HC-Gilt or Nickel-Pendant Set 3/4 Plate
EA 79 1894 12 HC-Nickel-Pendant Set-3/4 Plate-True Center Bridge
EA 83 1924 12 OF-Nickel-Pendant Set-3/4 Plate-Colonial B
none 1900-1907 0 Private Label Watches

Ohlsons / 08 / or 1908 Regulator

Ohlsons Regulator

EA-# Model Size Description
EA 28 1892 18 HC-Gilt or Nickel-Pendant or Lever Set
EA 29 1892 18 OF-Gilt or Nickel-Pendant Set
EA 39A 1899 16 OF-Nickel-Pendant Set 3/4 Plate-Premier Maximus-True Center Bridge
EA 42B 1908 16 OF-Nickel-Lever Set 3/4 Plate-Lossier Inner Terminal Hairspring
EA 43 1912 16 OF-Nickel-Pendant Set-Sweep Second-3/4 Plate-Lossier Inner Terminal Hairspring

Star Wheel Regulator

There where several different types of star wheel regulators all based on the same principle. The majority used a star wheel that engaged a toothed rack on the regulator. When the star wheel, which was center fixed, was turned, it allowed for fine adjustment. Another variation of the star wheel involves a small star wheel that is attached to the regulator arm and rolls along a fixed track. It is easy to say that next to the Simple Regulator the star wheel regulator was the second most common type to be found on Walthams.
Star Wheel Regulator

EA-# Model Size Description
EA 20 1870 18 Keywind-Gilt-Keyset-Full Plate
EA 21 1870 18 Pin Set-Full Plate-Short Ralance Cock Notch
EA 22 1870 18 HC-Gilt-Nail Set-Full Plate-Short Balance Cock Notch
EA 23 1870 18 HC-Gilt-Lever Set-Full Plate-Short Balance Cock Notch
EA 26 1883 18 HC-Gilt or Nickel-Key Set-Full Plate- Long Balance Cock Notch
EA 26A 1883 18 HC-Gilt or Nickel-Pendant or Lever Set-Full Plate- Long Balance Cock Notch
EA 27 1883 18 OF-Gilt or Nickel-Key, Pendant or Lever Set-Full Plate- Long Balance Cock Notch
EA 36 1888 16 HC-Gilt or Nickel-Detent Stem Set-3/4 Plate
EA 37A 1888 16 OF-Gilt or Nickel-Detent Stem or Lever Set-3/4 Plate
EA 38 1899 16 HC-Nickel-Pendant Set-3/4 Plate-True Center Bridge
EA 39 1899 16 OF-Nickel-Pendant Set-3/4 Plate-True Center Bridge
EA 40 1899 or 1908 16 HC-Gilt or Nickel-Pendant or Lever Set
EA 41 1899 or 1908 16 OF-Gilt or Nickel-Pendant or Lever Set
EA 77 1894 12 HC-Nickel-Pendant Set-3/4 Plate
EA 80 1894 12 OF-Nickel-Pendant Set- 3/4 Plate-True Center Bridge
EA 81A 1912 14 OF-Nickel-Pendant Set-Model Colonial
EA 98 1890 6 Keywind-Gilt-Keyset Set- 3/4 Plate

Regulator Cam, Foggs Patent (Short Tadpole)

The basic principle of the “tadpole” type regulators is the use of a cam that fits within a fork found on the regulator arm. Fogg’s regulator uses a round cam whereas the other (Long Tadpole, Heart etc.) uses a heart-shaped cam with a longer tail. Either cam is fixed on an off-center axis so that as it is turned the circumference shifts to one side or the other, moving the forked regulator arm with it. Movement of the pointer, long or short, on the cam results in a very small, controlled movement of the regulator arm.
Short Tadpole

EA-# Model Size Description
EA 14 1862 20 Keywind-1st Series-Gilt-Key Set-3/4 Plate-Nashua
EA 33 1872 16 HC-Gilt or Nickel-Pin or Lever Set-3/4 Plate
EA 34 1872 16 OF-Gilt or Nickel-Pin or Lever Set-3/4 Plate
EA 34A 1872 16 OF-Stone-Crystal Plate-Lever Set-3/4 Plate
EA 35C 1872 16 HC-Nickel-Lever Set-3/4 Plate-Snap on Dial-Unique Case
none 1888 16 any information would be appreciated
none 1884 14 any information would be appreciated

Regulator Cam, Patent, Heart (Long Tadpole)

The basic principle of the “tadpole” type regulators is the use of a cam that fits within a fork found on the regulator arm. Fogg’s regulator uses a round cam whereas the other (Long Tadpole, Heart etc.) uses a heart-shaped cam with a longer tail. Either cam is fixed on an off-center axis so that as it is turned the circumference shifts to one side or the other, moving the forked regulator arm with it. Movement of the pointer, long or short, on the cam results in a very small, controlled movement of the regulator arm.

EA-# Model Size Description
none 1872 16 any information would be appreciated
EA 54 1874 14 HC-Gilt or Nickel-Lever Set-3/4 Plate
EA 55 1874 14 OF-Gilt or Nickel-Lever or Button Set-3/4 Plate

Simple Regulator

The Simple Regulator had no mechanism to allow for precise movement in small increments. At the most it was often (although not always) seen with a somewhat pointed tip which lay over increment notches on the plate or cock so that at least some type of estimate in terms of adjustment could be made. As can be seen this type of regulator appeared on many of Walthams watches.
Simple Regulator

EA-# Model Size Description
EA 1 Model 1 19 Adam & Perry-HC-Gilt or Nickel-Pendant Set-8 Day
EA 5 1907,1910, & 1926 37 OF-Gilt or Nickel-Pendant Set-8 Day
EA 8 12809 TD 12-21 Tank Clock 37 OF-Nickel-Pendant Set-8 Day
EA 11 22809 22 Nickel-Pendant Set-8 Day-Watchmans Clock
EA 12 228XX 22 OF-Nickel-Pendant Set-8 Day-Sweep Second
EA 19 1859 18 Keywind-Gilt-Keyset- 3/4 Plate
EA 24 1877 18 HC or Keywind-Gilt or Nickel-Key or Lever Set-Full Plate-ShortBalance Cock Notch
EA 25 1879 18 OF or Keywind-Gilt or Nickel-Key or Lever Set-Full Plate-ShortBalance Cock Notch
EA 30 1860 16 Keywind-Gilt or Nickel-Keyset- 3/4 Plate
EA 31 1868 16 HC-Gilt or Nickel-Lever Set-3/4 Plate
EA 32 1872 16 OF-Keywind -Gilt-Some with Sweep Second-Slide Stop-Keyset-3/4 Plate
EA 32A 1872 16 HC-Gilt or Nickel-Lever Set-3/4 Plate
EA 46 1899 or 1908 16 or 17 HC-Gilt or Nickel-Pendant or Lever Set-3/4 Plate
EA 47 1899 or 1908 16 or 17 OF-Gilt or Nickel-Pendant or Lever Set-3/4 Plate
EA 48 16-43TA 16 OF-Nickel-Pendant Set-Time-3/4 Plate
EA 49 B16 16 OF-Nickel-Pendant Set
EA 51 1870 14 Keywind-Gilt-Keyset-3/4 Plate
EA 53 1876 14 Keywind-Gilt-Keyset-3/4 Plate
EA 54A 1874 14 Keywind-Gilt-Keyset-3/4 Plate
EA 56 1874 14 OF-Gilt or Nickel-Lever Set-3/4 Plate
EA 57 1884 14 HC-Gilt or Nickel-Pendant or Lever Set
EA 58A 1884 14 OF-Gilt or Nickel-Pendant or Lever Set-3/4 Plate
EA 58B 1884 14 HC-Gilt-Lever Set-3/4 Plate
EA 59 1895 14 HC-Gilt-Pendant Set-3/4 Plate
EA 60 1895 14 OF-Gilt-Pendant Set-3/4 Plate
EA 61 1904 14 HC-Gilt-Pendant Set-3/4 Plate
EA 62 1904 14 OF-Gilt-Pendant Set-3/4 Plate
EA 71 1874 14 HC-Gilt or Nickel-Back Chronograph H.A. Lugrins Patents
EA 76A KW-12 12 Keywind-Gilt or Nickel-Keyset-3/4 Plate
EA 78 1894 12 OF-Nickel-Pendant Set-3/4 Plate

Drop Down Regulator

The Drop Down Regulator is basically the same principle as a Simple Regulator and also has no mechanism to allow for precise movement in small increments. The difference, as the name implies, that instead of laying over the plate it “dropped down” over the balance wheel in the other direction. Here too are increment notches so that at least some type of estimate in terms of adjustment could be made.

EA-# Model Size Description
EA 13 Model 1 20 Howard Davis & Dennison-Keywind-Gilt-Keyset-2 Barrels-8 Day
EA 14A 1862 20 Keywind-2nd. Series-Gilt-Keyset-3/4 Plate
EA 15 1857 18 Keywind-Gilt-Keyset-Full Plate
EA 16 1857B 18 HC-Gilt-Keyset-Full Plate
EA 17 1857C 18 HC-Gilt-Key, Lever or Pendant Set-Full Plate
EA 18 1857D 18 Keywind-Gilt-Chronometer-Keyset-Full Plate
EA 25 1879 18 OF-Keywind-Gilt or Nickel-Key or Lever Set-Full Plate-Short Balance Cock Notch

Odd Regulators

As always there are many variations to a theme. Here are some examples of odd type regulators found on Walthams.

This one is interesting as the adjustment arm is under the balance wheel. This watch dates to 1863.

EA-# Model Size Description
EA 13 1857 18 WM. Ellery-#74011-Full Plate-Steel Balance Wheel

This description has been “stolen” from Tom McIntyre whose site you can link to below American Watch Co. KW16 with Fogg’s Patent Vibrating Hairspring Stud. The vibrating hairspring stud was fitted to a small number of KW16 and KW20 watches. The combination of American Watch Co grade and the vibrating hairspring is quite scarce. The upper pivot of the vibrator is jeweled, but the bottom pivot is not. The watch has a total of 20 active jewels.

The idea behind the vibrating hairspring stud was to give isochronous performance to the hairspring and balance without the need for a Breguet overcoil. When these watches were made, the overcoil was just beginning to be understood and it required considerable skill to make one correctly. By providing a long arc for the attachment point, the form of the hairspring could be maintained during the entire arc of the balance and the balance would be immune to the amount of force driving it on each impulse. Once Eduard Phillips’ work was widely distributed, producing an overcoil became much less of a mystery and the need for devices such as the vibrating hairspring stud disappeared.

Several English makers also experimented with similar mechanisms. In most cases they used a long extension of the hairspring and pinned it to the base of the balance cock. Dent used this on quite a few watches and some chronometers.

Although the balance appears to be free sprung, it actually is not. The arc of the vibrator is controlled by a screw and a cam fitted to the balance cock. When the cam is turned the arc of the vibrator is increased and decreased. Changing the arc of the arm effectively changes the active length of the hairspring just as curb pins normally do.

Author: Louis J. Russo

I would just like to thank everyone at the NAWCC Message Board which you can link to by clicking HERE. A great place to “hang out” and gather the information on the topic we love. In addition a hello and thanks to Jerry Treiman, who provided great amount of information and pictures and Tom McIntyre who also provided great information and whose web site http://www.awco.org/AWCo/ I invaded for information. In addition I would like to thank Jon for their help. – Louis J. Russo

See also  Hallmarks of French Watchmakers



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