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The Encyclopedia of Horology

Philadelphia, United States

J. E. Caldwell & Co.

Partially verified

Jewelry retailer, watchmaker, and silversmith

History

The firm was established in 1839 by watchmaker James Emmot Caldwell in Philadelphia.

After a partnership known as Bennett & Caldwell, the business adopted the name J.E. Caldwell & Co. in 1848. The company operated as a major retailer and producer of silverware, china, and crystal, earning a reputation for its silver services for the US Navy. Following the founder's death in 1881, leadership passed to his son, James Albert Caldwell.

In the 20th century, the firm was purchased by Henry Birks & Sons and later by Carlyle & Co. before closing its branches in 2009.

The extended history summarises the open references listed under Sources; each statement was checked against the cited passage. Confirm key dates in period documents before relying on them.

Current watchmaking & later fate

  • As of 2019, the J. E. Caldwell name was revived with a single store on Jewelers' Row in Philadelphia, though its website went offline in 2022.

As stated in the references listed under Sources, retrieved 2026-11-03. Ownership and collections change; check the maker's own announcements for the latest position.

Serial numbers

No serial-number system for this maker is recorded in the cited references.

Collecting significance

The catalogued pieces listed on this page show the kinds of objects auction houses, dealers and museums attribute to this maker; each attribution is the source's own.

In the object catalogue

2 catalogued objects are recorded under J. E. Caldwell & Co.. Attributions are as given by each source and are not independent authentication.

Diagram

cap jewel (endstone)bridgeplatepivot running in a hole jewel
Schematic: jewelled bearing at a pivot. An outline schematic drawn to show the arrangement of the parts discussed here. It is not a dimensioned working drawing and does not depict a particular maker's calibre.

Sources & references

  1. J.E. Caldwell & Co., Wikipedia (English), retrieved 2026-11-03 (text CC BY-SA 4.0)
  2. James Emmot Caldwell, Wikipedia (English), retrieved 2026-11-03 (text CC BY-SA 4.0)
  3. J. E. Caldwell & Co., Watch-Wiki, retrieved 2026-11-03

Where sources disagree, the disagreement is stated rather than resolved silently.