Calling all Pocket Watch Buffs

Canuck · Dec 26, 2022

SOG53
I don’t think the watch is a premier Vanguard I think it’s an earlier era watch.

I think the watch is an earlier era not a premier Vanguard. But the box is nice if you happen to have a Premier Vanguard lying around.

AFAIK, the Premier Maximus was a 23-jewel, 16-size watch. The one in the presentation box is a 15-jewel, 12-size. There is no picture of the inner lid of the box in the listing. My reference tells me that there was a 12-size Maximus, a 12-size Premier, both in 17, 19, 21, and 23 jewel versions. There is no listing for a 12-size Premier Maximus. Anyway, the watch in question is not one of any of the above.

There was never a Premier Vanguard in any size. There were certainly 16-size Waltham Vanguards. This presentation box would not be suitable for any 16-size watch, having been outfitted for a 12-size model.

SOG53 · Dec 29, 2022

Impulse buy the other night- Waltham Model 1877 key wind/set. 18s coin silver case in pretty good shape snaps shut nicely. Few hairlines but pretty good overall functioning well. Have a thing for these! Not bad for $103

Canuck · Dec 29, 2022

The 1877 model, 18-size Waltham was also,produced as a stem winder model as seen in the example I have uploaded. The subject watch is open faced, with the pendant at the 12:00 position. My 1877 model is in a hunter case with the winding crown at the 3:00 position. The stem winder 1877 model was only suitable for a hunter case, while the key winder could be made as open-faced, or hunter.

Here is the pocketwatchdatabase information on @SOG53 ’s Waltham
https://pocketwatchdatabase.com/search/result/waltham/2322929
https://pocketwatchdatabase.com/search/result/waltham/2322929

Here’s mine.

Jopi · Jan 1, 2023

A recent addition. Maybe it is nothing special, but it looked a bit different from other pocket watches. Is there anyone who can tell me anything about it?

Canuck · Jan 1, 2023

Perhaps someone will see your post that can tell you more than I can. These huge 8-day clock/watches were never intended as pocket watches to the best of my knowledge. Some were intended as car clocks. Some were intended as boudoir, or parlour clocks. Some were intended as carriage clocks which might have been transported in a fitted leather case. Adaptations on the basic watch would have been made in order that it could be adapted to many different uses. Somewhere in its past, the subject clock/watch might have been fitted into a case which meant it could be used as a parlour clock. The subject clock/watch appears to be without trade marks or means of identification. Swiss made by my reckoning.

Jopi · Jan 1, 2023

Thank you #Canuck that is a very good start.

wagudc · Jan 4, 2023

I picked up this cool little pocket watch display case that the readers of this thread might find interesting. More about it here: https://omegaforums.net/threads/wha...ed-but-not-a-watch.82381/page-25#post-2104733

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Canuck · Jan 4, 2023

wagudc
I picked up this cool little pocket watch display case that the readers of this thread might find interesting. More about it here: https://omegaforums.net/threads/wha...ed-but-not-a-watch.82381/page-25#post-2104733

I am interested to know what might prevent the watch from tumbling out of the display. Does the watch rest in a concave recess at the 6:00? What is the purpose of the knurled knob on the top? Looks like it is made out of rosewood.

wagudc · Jan 4, 2023

Canuck
I am interested to know what might prevent the watch from tumbling out of the display. Does the watch rest in a concave recess at the 6:00? What is the purpose of the knurled knob on the top? Looks like it is made out of rosewood.

The watch is in a concave recess and it is slightly tilted back as shown in the pictures on the other thread: https://omegaforums.net/threads/wha...ed-but-not-a-watch.82381/page-25#post-2104733

It also has a glass front. It is made with walnut, but he can do them in different woods.

Canuck · Jan 4, 2023

Very nice. It looks like the designer is a pocket watch collector. I don’t display pocket watches, other than at railroad related events, and that involves four days annually when I wind and set them all. The display stand seems quite safe for the watch in the display.

I only have one pocket watch running at the moment. My Hamilton 950B on my @DaveK lanyard, and in my pocket. I just finished major work on a Seth Thomas World railroad standard, octagon drop wall clock, for a friend. Many new bearings, trimming, polishing, and burnishing several scored pivots, replacing both mainsprings, replacing the glass, , cleaning the rusted hands and heat bluing them, and reconditioning. The 950B runs within seconds per day, and I am regulating the clock.

DaveK · Jan 4, 2023

Canuck
Very nice. It looks like the designer is a pocket watch collector. I don’t display pocket watches, other than at railroad related events, and that involves four days annually when I wind and set them all. The display stand seems quite safe for the watch in the display.

I only have one pocket watch running at the moment. My Hamilton 950B on my @DaveK lanyard, and in my pocket. I just finished major work on a Seth Thomas World railroad standard, octagon drop wall clock, for a friend. Many new bearings, trimming, polishing, and burnishing several scored pivots, replacing both mainsprings, replacing the glass, , cleaning the rusted hands and heat bluing them, and reconditioning. The 950B runs within seconds per day, and I am regulating the clock.

I’d love to see the clock

Canuck · Jan 4, 2023

DaveK
I’d love to see the clock

The Seth Thomas World, 15-day model, after servicing, but without the bezel and glass which I am presently having cut. Circa 1920, having not been serviced for decades! Original 24-hour dial. Canadian Pacific Railway had hundreds of these. They started decommissioning them during the mid 1950s. At one point, you could see dozens of them on a luggage wagon at a CPR station. Your choice, $25.00. A nice one now brings up to about $1,500.00! The 30-day model which is rarer, will bring quite a bit more. Seth Thomas was originally located in Plymouth Hollow, Connecticut. The town was renamed Thomaston in honour of the firm.

Bernhard J · Jan 5, 2023

Canuck
The Seth Thomas World, 15-day model, after servicing, but without the bezel and glass which I am presently having cut. Circa 1920, having not been serviced for decades! Original 24-hour dial. Canadian Pacific Railway had hundreds of these. They started decommissioning them during the mid 1950s. At one point, you could see dozens of them on a luggage wagon at a CPR station. Your choice, $25.00. A nice one now brings up to about $1,500.00! The 30-day model which is rarer, will bring quite a bit more. Seth Thomas was originally located in Plymouth Hollow, Connecticut. The town was renamed Thomaston in honour of the firm.

Lovely! I will spend the next weekend servicing an English double fusee drop dial clock. Complete tear-down and seems to need some work to the fusee conus´.

Is the glass of your Seth Thomas originally flat or domed? I would love to see the movement, if photos are at hand.

Cheers, Bernhard

Canuck · Jan 5, 2023

Bernhard J
Lovely! I will spend the next weekend servicing an English double fusee drop dial clock. Complete tear-down and seems to need some work to the fusee conus´.

Is the glass of your Seth Thomas originally flat or domed? I would love to see the movement, if photos are at hand.

Cheers, Bernhard

The glass on a S T World was flat, originally, and the bezel is deep enough a domed glass was not necessary. I’m fitting a flat glass. I’ll have the clock for another two weeks. I’ll pull the dial and post a picture of the movement. These clocks are time only, in spite of having two mainsprings.

Bernhard J · Jan 5, 2023

Canuck
These clocks are time only, in spite of having two mainsprings.

Interesting, so one needs to wind both main springs separately through the two winding holes? And both barrel wheels jointly drive the single minute/first wheel?

Canuck · Jan 5, 2023

Bernhard J
Interesting, so one needs to wind both main springs separately through the two winding holes? And both barrel wheels jointly drive the single minute/first wheel?

Yes! Both main wheels mesh with a single pinion. That is the second wheel, and it meshes with the centre wheel which carries the minute hand. You must wind both mainsprings. Both main wheels have stop works on them. If both springs run down simultaneously (as they should if the two stop works are set up properly), if you only wind one spring, the stop works on the other main wheel will be engaged, and it will prevent the clock from running. This arrangement (two mainsprings) effectively operates as maintaining power. The clock will continue to run as each spring is individually wound.

Canuck · Jan 5, 2023

This image of the S T World movement is out of the Tran Duy Ly Identification and Price Guide book on Seth Thomas. This same basic movement was used in numerous wall clocks which were designed for a variety of applications. This basic moment (with a short pendulum as shown) was also used ITR (International Time Recorder, [I B M]) punch clocks used to track employee hours.

Bernhard J · Jan 5, 2023

Canuck
This arrangement (two mainsprings) effectively operates as maintaining power. The clock will continue to run as each spring is individually wound.

Ah, that does really make sense. Finally, are the springs wound both in the same sense, or opposite to each other? I believe to recall that in a similar Hamilton clock with two mainsprings one is wound clockwise and the other counterclockwise.

Cheers, Bernhard

P.S.: A general clock thread seems to be missing here 😁

Canuck · Jan 5, 2023

Bernhard J
Ah, that does really make sense. Finally, are the springs wound both in the same sense, or opposite to each other? I believe to recall that in a similar Hamilton clock with two mainsprings one is wound clockwise and the other counterclockwise.

Cheers, Bernhard

Since both first wheels mesh with a common pinion on the second wheel, both first wheels must turn in the same direction. Thereby, both spring arbors are turned counter-clockwise. Being open springs (as opposed to springs in barrels), the first wheels travel clockwise, the second wheel, counter-clockwise, third wheel (carries the minute hand), turns clockwise. Etc. Two wheels that turn in directions opposite to each other cannot mesh with a common pinion.

In case you are compelled to ask, springs in barrels drive the barrel from the outer end of the springs, hence the barrels turn in the direction of winding. Open springs like the World has, drive the first wheels from the inner end of the spring. Hence the first wheel travels in the direction opposite to the winding direction. Clear?

Canuck · Jan 6, 2023

I should have anticipated there would be requests to show the movement of the Seth Thomas World railroad standard clock.

- Time only.
- Fifteen day model (runs 21 days on a full wind.)
- Dual mainsprings. Both must be wound.
- Graham dead beat escapement.
- Eighty beats per minute.
- Both great wheels fitted with stop-works.
- Oak veneer over pine case.
- Canadian Pacific Railway had hundreds in service across Canada.
- Built by Seth Thomas in Thomaston, Connecticut (originally known as Plymouth Hollow).
- Built circa 1910-20.