Waltham was unique among the American Watch Makers in producing an extensive line of complicated watches. While some chronographs were produced by other makers, Waltham produced a wide range of chronographs, repeaters and watches with multiple complications. This comparison page shows all the standard chronographs together.

Possibly all of this work was carried out in the New York office where the gold case department was located until a disastrous fire in 1887. The building was immediately rebuilt, but it is widely believed that the disruption led to the discontinuation of the complicated watches. 

Lugrin was the inventor on the chronograph mechanisms. Aubert and Meylan provided the inventive force behind the repeaters. Some later chronographs also are of Meylan's design, but none of the ones in this group.

These watches are all difficult to find in the higher complications. The simple chronographs were produced in fairly large numbers in both nickel and gilt. Even the simple chronographs in the Am'n grade with the fish scale damascening are difficult to find. The 18K chronograph is a nice example.

The center seconds chronograph is really a separate beast from the rest of the complications and seems to have been a misguided attempt to produce a watch to compete with the English center seconds chronograph. This watch may have been Stratton's idea since he was the English agent for Waltham at the time they were produced. He returned to America shortly thereafter due to ill health, so he can certainly be forgiven this one error in an illustrious career.