Calling all Pocket Watch Buffs

Canuck · Mar 5, 2021

LesXL
Great watch and quite astonishing to have all the details of its (hospital) life.

The repair record was more a matter of luck rather than planning. I friend of mine was a CP engineer, years ago. One of his jobs was to take a diesel locomotive into the centre of town, and sit there with the engine running, waiting for a through freight coming from further west, and to remove several cars that were destined, locally. It happened, he was only a block away from our local Glenbow Museum. So he would spend an hour or two, now and then, browsing in the museum.

In the late 1960s or early 1970s, Dr. George Ritchie passed away. He was a jeweller, dispensing optician, and railroad watch inspector. When he passed away, his son gave his watch repair records to the museum, and my friend found them! He made three copies. One for himself, one for the NAWCC in Columbia, Pa., and one for a railroad historian in Atlanta, Ga. This fellow put together a data base of Ritchie’s repairs. Ritchie was a fastidious record keeper as you see. I happened to recognize Ritchie’s repair numbers (32 of them) in the back of the watch! I sent the list to Kent Singer in Atlanta who made up the list I posted, above. Many watches that we collect might be able to tell similar stories. I had the good fortune of contacting several of the grandsons of the original owner of this Waltham. They provided me with numerous pieces of archival material about their late grandfather. So researching the watches we acquire when and however we can research them, often pays off with the story they can tell.

TexOmega · Mar 5, 2021

Hamilton 918 19j (extra cap jewels on the escape wheel pivots)
12s Wadsworth GF case
Adjusted 3 positions.....Y:1933
Rotating seconds
Applied numerals

View attachment 1177633

Canuck · Mar 5, 2021

@TexOmega,

Niiice! And from the look of it, your case may be green gold! Green gold alloy is basically the same as yellow gold alloy, but with a bit of silver included in the mix. The colour isn’t actually “green”, but there is a very different hue to the colour, compared to typical yellow gold. I believe it was Hamilton that copyrighted the seconds feature as “secometer”. Other American watch making companies used the feature, but Hamilton did so, more than the others. I suppose every company that had models with that feature, had their own names for it. The adornment on the inside of the case back is particularly classy looking. But the condition of the case is outstanding! I was unable to make out the movement serial number so I could confirm the “secometer” feature in the data base. Thanks for posting.

TexOmega · Mar 5, 2021

Canuck
@TexOmega,

Niiice! And from the look of it, your case may be green gold! Green gold alloy is basically the same as yellow gold alloy, but with a bit of silver included in the mix. The colour isn’t actually “green”, but there is a very different hue to the colour, compared to typical yellow gold. I believe it was Hamilton that copyrighted the seconds feature as “secometer”. Other American watch making companies used the feature, but Hamilton did so, more than the others. I suppose every company that had models with that feature, had their own names for it. The adornment on the inside of the case back is particularly classy looking. But the condition of the case is outstanding! I was unable to make out the movement serial number so I could confirm the “secometer” feature in the data base. Thanks for posting.

serial # 3145048

Seems yellow, may have been my clothes giving it a greenish tone.

I will take a look in sunlight tomorrow.

Canuck · Mar 5, 2021

TexOmega
serial # 3145048

Seems yellow, may have been my clothes giving it a greenish tone.

I will take a look in sunlight tomorrow.

Here’s the skinny on your Hamilton. The record indicates 17,000 plus of the 918 were made, all in one run. But the record doesn’t indicate how many might have had the secometer feature. I very much doubt that all of them had that feature.

https://pocketwatchdatabase.com/search/result/hamilton/3145048 .

Please get back to us re: the green gold colour. If you have another yellow gold one to compare with, that might be an indication.

TexOmega · Mar 5, 2021

From what I remember reading 20 years ago when I was buying PWs, this feature was not a hit with the public and soon faded away.

But, then again, not many things were a hit with the depression lingering about then.

DaveK · Mar 5, 2021

TexOmega
From what I remember reading 20 years ago when I was buying PWs, this feature was not a hit with the public and soon faded away.

But, then again, not many things were a hit with the depression lingering about then.

I saw an ad once, I think it was for Waltham, that this feature was as extra $2 or $5. I wish I could find it again

Canuck · Mar 5, 2021

This picture is of a Hamilton 12-size pocket watch with the secometer feature. This was before the dial was fitted to the watch. Look closely, and you will see that Hamilton milled a shallow recess into the dial side of the pillar plate in order to accommodate the seconds disc behind the dial. The seconds disc doesn’t protrude beyond the plane of the pillar plate surface. The movement shown in this picture is a 17-jewel Hamilton grade 912. So it appears the secometer feature was designed into a number of different grade of Hamilton movements. All were seemingly 12-size grades.

Canuck · Mar 6, 2021

Another watch (not mine) with a story.

Many years ago, I was called by an elderly widow friend who had two watches she wanted to sell. I went, and took a look at them. Her husband had made a handshake deal with a collector, and had swapped his moustache cup collection for the two watches. This was one of them.

There are two names on the dial. The maker of the watch was an English maker, John Sewill. The watch was likely from circa 1875. It was open faced, 18-karat gold, and had a feature I have seen only on this watch. It had a ruby cylinder escapement. Familiar as I am with typical cylinder escapements, I was impressed with this one. It ran beautifully. Stem wind, pin set. Note that the numbers on the dial have been replaced by the original owner’s name......M A X I M O T A J E S. That is, Maximo Tajes.

Well, who was this guy, you might ask! This guy.

He was a politician in Uruguay, and he lived from 1852 to 1912. He was the president of Uruguay from 1886 until 1890. He had been involved in politics in Uruguay for a number of years, before his presidency.

The other watch was a repeater pocket watch with automata. A pair of jacks on the dial that struck bells as the watch chimed. It too was spectacular.

I knew there was no market locally for these. So on her behalf, I sent the watches to Sotheby’s in New York. For a fee, they included pictures of the two watches in the catalog for an upcoming auction. The repeater sold right away at the listed price. The Tajes watch was re-listed at a lower price, and sold at a subsequent auction. This all happened before the Internet. So at the time, I had no idea who Tajes was. I found out, and now you know.

TexOmega · Mar 6, 2021

Canuck
Here’s the skinny on your Hamilton. The record indicates 17,000 plus of the 918 were made, all in one run. But the record doesn’t indicate how many might have had the secometer feature. I very much doubt that all of them had that feature.

https://pocketwatchdatabase.com/search/result/hamilton/3145048 .

Please get back to us re: the green gold colour. If you have another yellow gold one to compare with, that might be an indication.

Thank you

Definitely yellow GF in sunlight.

Canuck · Mar 6, 2021

TexOmega
Thank you

Definitely yellow GF in sunlight.

Thanks,

Sure looks like green gold on my monitor. I have a “thing” for green gold, so maybe I was seeing things.

TexOmega · Mar 6, 2021

Reflection from surroundings and indoor lighting can play tricks.

TexOmega · Mar 6, 2021

This Hamilton 912 seems more greenish to me....GF case
17j circa 1935

Canuck · Mar 6, 2021

Never have I seen such a grouping of Hamilton secometer watches. Impeccable taste, all of you.

In a previous post in this thread, I uploaded the pocket watch that had belonged to Maximo Tajes. I just re-read the catalog listing for that watch from all those years ago, and it hit me between the eyes! That watch was a quarter repeater! I had not realized that until just now!

I mentioned in that post there was a second watch that I sent for auction. It sold the first time it was offered, at the listed price. Here is the watch. Anonymous maker, 18-karat gold, stem winder, quarter repeater, and it was in exquisite condition. The two chaps you see in ancient battle dress are called “jacks” (short for jacquemarts). When the repeater is activated, the jacks strike the “bells” with their halberds (two-handed axe).

Two new words for the day. Jacquemarts, and halberds. Aren’t watches interesting?

Fritz · Mar 6, 2021

Series five Howard today, circa 1910.

when not in my pocket it lives with 14 other railway watches in a case on the wall beside the Seth Thomas #17 regulator that surprisingly enough used to hang in a RR shop in northern Ontario.

the watch case was made by a local carpenter, commissioned by Frau Fritz.... such a nice lady.

TexOmega · Mar 6, 2021

Here is my Seth Thomas Regulator in oak.

circa 1920’s

Fritz · Mar 6, 2021

Railway clocks are almost as cool as railway watches...

except they don't "carry" as well.

Double Ball!

Canuck · Mar 6, 2021

Catch up! My Waltham Colonial 12-size, from Friday, but (sadly) not on my @DaveK miracle braid lanyard. That dinky little bow works better on my maternal grandfather’s late 19th century, 9 karat Waldemar with 1898 Victorian half-sovereign, and 14-karat pen knife. Impulse caused me to add my Seth Thomas World 15-day model in oak, and the other World 15-day in walnut. And while I was at it, my Hamilton model XXI chronometer in Honduras mahogany, and my model XXII chronometer watch.

(Secretly though, I’d love to have a Seth Thomas # 17, or a Seth Thomas # 18, or a Seth Thomas #2, or #3. Sigh!)

Duracuir1 · Mar 6, 2021

I am truly enjoying the history lessons so nicely laid out by @Canuck

Here is a pile of photos. Our neighbours are retired Dentists and love holding on to the past. We live in the oldest homes in town - old for this part of Canada anyway. We share their passion!

These watches are not likely very desirable but they have been in our neighbour’s family since new. He said they were bought at the local “penny store”. The link to his family is wonderful! He has even listed their names on a sheet of paper.

I was going to PM Canuck but thought the chains were a nice thing to share on this thread.

I told my neighbour that I would show them to the expert and report back to him.

This is a lot of photos. I hope I don’t get in trouble...

Canuck · Mar 6, 2021

In an earlier discussion in this thread, the topic of watch chains came up. In describing one style of Waldemar chain, I mentioned that a signet was often worn in the middle of the Waldemar chain, hanging in front of the vest. @Duracuir1 has shown an image of a signet. This one is unusual in that it is set with two stones. These stones were often engraved with a mirror image of a family crest, or the owner’s initials done in signet style. At one time, a letter would be sealed with a blob of molten wax, then the signet was used to make an impression in the wax. The stones used in these signets were often lagenstein (blue onyx), heliotrope (bloodstone), black onyx, sard, or sardonyx, garnet, nephrite jade (B C jade, African jade), or even jadeite. Signets are collected by many people.

The South Bend watch shown, reminded me that the Studebaker Car Co., also of South Bend, Indiana, bought the South Bend Watch Co. Ever hear of Studebaker watches? Uh huh! Same company.