Pocketwatches

[mrbieler]

This was my grandfathers Waltham. Still keeps good time and the fob and bottle opener (with the home made repair he did many moons before I was born) are great.

 

[Shangas]

Cute watch! 1920s? 1930s? It could probably do with a clean though. Looks pretty grimey. And inside as well, if you're gonna use it.

 

[Talbot]

This was my grandfathers Waltham. Still keeps good time and the fob and bottle opener (with the home made repair he did many moons before I was born) are great.

Very nice. Two big thumbs up!

 

[mrbieler]

Dial is pretty clean, but it's a fair bit of oxidation. Inside is clean. Was serviced about 9 years ago. Serial # puts it around 1926 which makes sense. I was told he bought it shortly after coming to America in 1919.

 

[Shangas]

So I was right. 1920s. Sweet. I didn't expect I would be. But it's a nice, good-quality mid-range pocketwatch. Probably done a bit of jumping around in your grandpa's waistcoat pocket during the Roaring Twenties doing the Charleston. You're very lucky to own it.

Pocketwatches should be serviced every 10 years at the least if they're used regularly, so it may be time for another trip to the watchmaker if you're still wearing it.

That looks like some kind of shell on the handle of the bottle-opener. What is it?

 

[mrbieler]

Abolone.

 

[Don Dahlberg]

Your Waltham movement is a 12 size, model 1894, grade 220. The 1894 is the date the movement was designed. Your specific movement dates about 1926. The case is very much 1920s and was one of many Octagon Cases offered by Waltham.

Nine years is very much the limit of even modern watch oils. We usually recommend that if you are running a vintage watch, that they be cleaned every 3-5 years. They just do not keep dust out and dust is an abrasive. So it is like running a car with 10,000 miles on the oil and filter. Make sure it is serviced by someone who totally disassembles the watch during the overhaul and cleaning. If you do not run the watch, it need not be serviced.

Don

 

[djgo-cat-go]

I'd like to revive the thread with these recent ebay-finds. Not very expensive, but these watches are most probably not in the league of the Hamiltons and Elgins..

 

[Talbot]

Nice. A good pair of working man's timepieces.

Is that a reflection at the 15 sec mark on the radiolite, or an indicator of some sort?

 

[Dennis Young]

Help!

Hi fellas,

I have a problem and I dont know where else to go for answers. So I'm asking you guys for help.

I have inherited a solid gold pocket watch that pre-dates the American Civil War. It has been passed down through my family to the eldest son for generations. I couldnt guess at it's value in dollars, but I wouldnt sell it. It has some history behind it as it was owned by my great Grandfather (a minster) who was in a steamboat accident on the Ohio River back in 1844. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucy_Walker_steamboat_disaster

This was among the deadliest steam boat explosions in history. My great Grandfather was on board and when the boiler exploded, it blew off his thumb. There are scratch marks on the back of the watch indicating where he was trying to hold on to the watch in the aftermath. There are papers filed to corroborate the presence of this watch on board the boat.

So you can understand that my watch is very valuable to me and I dont want to take any risk of it being lost or stolen. I keep it in a safe deposit box in my bank and only take it out a couple of times a year.

Anyway, my problem is that it needs a little bit of repair. It needs a new stem to wind it and also a new crystal front.

I dont want to risk handing this to just any old watch repair service. I need to find a reutable watch repair place that can pretty much insure that I'll get my watch back in excellent condition.

Does anyone know of a place I can take my watch to that fits this criteria? Many thanks in advance for the help!

 

[Talbot]

Pics?

 

[Shangas]

If it's a watch from 1844 (or before), I highly doubt it requires a new winding-crown. To my knowledge, watches of that style didn't show up until the 1850s at least. It may need a new KEY to wind it, though.

Photos are much appreciated.

 

[Dennis Young]

I'll try to get it out of the bank soon and get some pics up for ya'll.

It probably does need a new key. The story goes that my G-grandfather modified it for use with a key because he couldnt wind it without his thumb! But it seems like I remember my dad having it modified so that it would have a winding stem way back when I was a little boy. I dunno...the story gets a little muddled for me. I just want to get it repaired.

 

[Shangas]

A watch as old as 1844 is unlikely to be what was then called a 'keyless' watch. Watches COULD be converted from keywind & set to stem-wind & set, so that may have been done. I've never heard of watches being converted back to key-wind and set, although I suppose if the watch originally had those functions, it would be easy to do so.

 

[Dennis Young]

I bet you're right about this one. I bet it was a key wound watch originally.

 

[Don Dahlberg]

Since you are in the South, I would recommend Ed Ueberall as a good watch restorer. See https://home.comcast.net/~k_singer/Escapement.htm

You can also refer to the AWCI referral page at http://www.watch-clock-makers.org/

Don

 

[Dennis Young]

Ok, I went to the bank today and got the watch. I took some pics and am sorry about the pic quality. But it was the best I could do.

Incidentally, I opened it up, and found out the watch works perfectly still! I wound it a few turns and it keeps good time!

Now...the family story goes that my G-grandfather was a Presbyterian minister aboard the steamship Lucy Walker when that boat blew up in 1844. The owner of that boat was a wealthy Cherokee indian slave owner who was racing his boat on the river with another steamboat. The boiler blew up and killed most everyone aboard. (They found Joe Vann's arm up in a tree I think).

My G-grandfather survived the blast but it blew his thumb off. You can see a deep scratch on the surface of the front lid where he was trying to hold onto the watch at the time of the accident.

Info about Joe Vann: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Vann

Info about the Lucy Walker: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucy_Walker_steamboat_disaster

My watch needs a new crystal. I guess that's all it needs though as it seems to keep time perfectly and works fine!

 

[Shangas]

Now that is a watch! Wowzer. You should service that baby up and wear it.

But yes, it is most definitely a conversion piece. You can tell. The crown doesn't fit exactly onto the stem, because when this watch was made, it didn't HAVE a crown. And you can see the keyhole in the caseback where the winding-key went. The setting arbor (which this watch doesn't appear to have) is always dead center. The winding-arbor is always off-center, near the watch-stem.

I think it's a pity that this is being locked away in a bank-vault. It's not going to appreciate in value in there, you know.

 

[Don Dahlberg]

Stories do get distorted over time. This is a Waltham model 1899, 16 size movement in a hunter style case. A hunter case has the cover over the dial and winds at 3 o'clock. 1899 refers to the year this model was designed. I read the serial number on the movement as 17,027,939. Is that correct? If so, this watch dates about 1909.

Still it is one of the most beautiful movements Waltham ever made.

Don
National Association of Watch and Clock Collectors
www.nawcc.org

 

[Quixote]

This watch belonged to my girlfriend's grandfather. It's probably from the 40s or 50s, and it keeps near perfect time. The manufacturer is an old Finnish company called Leijona which is still in business, although the quality has (unsuprisingly) gone down from what it once was.