Greetings everyone,

You know you're going into the deep end when you start buying parts lots for projects. Ahem.

So as part of a lot I now have what could either be a 23M or a 27M caliber (from the best I can read it's 23M), which I have no use for and whose balance is shot. Essentially the part of the balance which attaches to the hairspring is broken off and miserably dangling to the side with the hairspring unravelling...sad as the movement is otherwise beautiful and seems quite clean.

Does this caliber hold any value ? I'm debating what to do with it...

Thanks for your thoughts and best regards,
Sylvie

 

Who knows what future damage lurks in your Longines box? Only the Shadow knows.......

...... so post a picture of said caliber, we'll identify it, and then hold on to it just in case. It's not like a spare parts movement takes up your whole garage or you have to mow around it in the back yard.

 

Here is pictures of one of mine cal 23M.
You can see where the cal type is marked under the balance.

 

Thanks gents, I'll take a picture when there's proper light. Unfortunately I don't have the equipment to remove the balance.
having taken a half day "watchmaking for dummies" workshop, I did try to lift the balance very gently with a sharp knife point and that's how I think it's 23M, but I don't want to damage anything beyond what's already broken.

 

Take a measure of the diameter of the movement. If it's 23.8mm it's s 23M. If it's 27mm it's a 27M.

 

Okay, so definitely 27M, on which I'm reading on a French blog (w English translation) that production was started in 1944, that the M stands for "mince" (thin) and that it's a 18.000bph movement.
The author of the blog shows a nice 33mm 1945 sei tacche equipped with this thing, so this does qualify it for my nascent parts box...
http://chronovintage.over-blog.com/article-longines-63091228.html

Thanks to all for your help,
Best regards,
S