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ghce
路I like the suspense !!
So did I!
I couldn't get the back off when it arrived and not wanting to glue a suitable lever on the back to turn it I left it to my much more professional watchmaker, who glued a lever on the back so he could unscrew it.
The next day he called me to tell me he had success and I should go down and look at it and my Titoni Cosmo King that I had also dropped off for service.
The previous owner or watchmaker ( Damn their eyes) had put a spot of glue in the thread area, thankfully only a small spot but enough to cause all this agro, maybe it had a problem with self unscrewing? who knows why.
Unfortunately the movement was only a 7 jewel movement and I neglected to take a photo of it to research it how ever the movement looks like it just left Elgins factory floor so spotless and guilt gleamy ( is that even a word?) absolutely looks new, my watchmaker was also similarly enthused with it.
I don't bother servicing PW's very much and certainly not 7 Jewel ones however I am tempted, the dial also is like new plus the Nickel case will come up to new with a bit of spit and polish ( no buffing required).
I left it at my watchmakers for him to see if he can find a new glass for it as really that is the only thing that lets it down with a scratch on it.
I might get it serviced I am up in the air about it.
The Titoni is a bit of a different story, absolutely love it but when I tested it found the movement was running at 18,000 bpm which had me very worried as all my reading had indicated they used either an ETA (2 different ones) or an AS1895 for early models running at either 28800 or 21600.
I opened it to find an AS1709, Franken my animal brain was screaming especially when the oscillating weight didn't say Titoni and had 21 Jewels written on it and not 25 as it should be.
After more looking and research the AS1907 has a diameter of about 26.4 mm and all of the other calibres used were either 29 or 30mm however the movement holder was the exact required size and is the same as Titoni used in the other calibre watches, surely there would be a gap in the movement holder but their was none, a perfect fit.
Many hours of searching google I finally found some examples of the AS1907 being used in this exact (identical in all respects) model so my fears were allayed.
My watchmaker confirmed that the movement itself was indeed a 25 Jewel movement, confirming my previously held suspicion that a previous watchmaker must have swapped out the original worn oscillating rotor for this 21 Jewel marked one.
In an uncanny twist of fate my watchmaker has a new correct 25 Jewel and Titoni marked rotor and winding assembly for this movement! but lots of other things need attention as there is evidence of corrosion and damaged screws but I am certain once he has worked his magic it will come back as new.
He was concerned that the dial has very slight corrosion marks ( but no discoloration at all) but as I said its 60 years old so I wasn't going to worry, the chance of finding a NOS black dial would be close to zilch I suspect.
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