Calling all Pocket Watch Buffs

Poppyboy · Feb 21, 2023

I have an old Elgin that my father gave to me. His father used it religiously while working on the Chicago railroads. I wind it up once in a while, but wonder if I’m doing more harm than good.

Poppyboy · Feb 21, 2023

It’s a nice piece that I wouldn’t mind getting an estimate for a service.

Canuck · Feb 21, 2023

Probably your best bet would be to locate a watchmaker who is experienced in antique and vintage watches. Show it to him, and ask his advice. Whether a watch is regularly used, used infrequently, or only once per year, has some bearing on the answer to your question. For a watch that runs maybe once every few months, you’d be wasting your money maintaining it in peak condition. From there, if you run it twice a week, it would be a good idea to have it serviced. You be the judge. What is your general locale?

noelekal · Feb 23, 2023

Another from the pocket watch madness of 2021, I need "help" with this one. The case renders it my least favorite Illinois watch of the Illinois models I've gathered in. The locomotive on the back seems cheesy. Don't know whether I read it somewhere or heard it years ago from my pawn shop customer/friend, but supposedly trainmen didn't like their railroad grade watches to have depictions of locomotives on them.

I haven't decided that I like it either. I need encouragement to like this one.

Anyway, a Santa Fe Special which was a 21-jewel Illinois watch. Seems the model's history is blurred. Did Illinois consider this a private label watch or one of its own models?

The dial is in great condition and the movement is nice with its gold trim. The movement was adjusted to three positions. Don't know if the AT & SF approved it for use or not. The watch is suppose to date to 1922.

I could use a couple of correct spare gold plated case screws if someone would point me in the right direction.

Canuck · Feb 23, 2023

The pocketwatchdatabase site classes this Illinois as Class “G”. By way of explanation:

Here is a link to the complete listing.

https://pocketwatchdatabase.com/search/result/illinois/3992508

The description in the Meggers & Ehrhardt “blue book” on Illinois doesn’t match the description in the pocketwatchdatabase listing, strangely. However, the serial number listing in the blue book lists this as one of a run of 2,000 that were all private label Santa Fe. This movement is not marked with the number of adjustments to position (3) which, by the time it was made, would have had to have been marked with the number of position adjustments. Time service rules governing railroad standard pocket watches were adhered to strictly by some railroads, but other railroads often interpreted generally accepted standards to suit themselves. Class G specifies the “ some” railroads likely accepted this model. Possibly the Santa Fe being one of them. Dam fine looking watch, and in premium condition! Gold train wheels, except for the escape wheel.

Canuck · Feb 27, 2023

If you all get sick of me boasting about my 138 year-old, 1877 model Waltham 18-size hunter, I never get sick of wearing it (and showing it off). 😀 It’s not as if I didn’t have about 60 others I could show off. Anyway, one of three watches I’m wearing today, the others being wrist watches. I bought this watch from a guy who had NO attachment to it, at all. His loss is my gain!

noelekal · Feb 27, 2023

You're going to have no complaints from me.

The watch itself has become a denizen of our pocket watch thread. We like keeping up with its health.

noelekal · Feb 27, 2023

Question for the brain trust here.

Just took delivery on a couple of gold case screws for Illinois watches. If I want to replace the damaged case screw in the Santa Fe Special above, what is the proper screw driver for the job?

How do I get that bit of case screw out of that hole seen at the bottom of the photo of the opened back of the watch?

Look out! I can probably really run amok by attempting any sort of watch repair.

Canuck · Feb 27, 2023

noelekal
Question for the brain trust here.

Just took delivery on a couple of gold case screws for Illinois watches. If I want to replace the damaged case screw in the Santa Fe Special above, what is the proper screw driver for the job?

How do I get that bit of case screw out of that hole seen at the bottom of the photo of the opened back of the watch?

Look out! I can probably really run amok by attempting any sort of watch repair.

Those case screws usually only tighten when the head of the screw comes into contact with the flange on the case opening that surrounds the movement. With the half of the head that would have contacted the flange, it should (I repeat, should) be loose as it is shown in the picture. A pair of tweezers should back that screw outta there with no problem. There is a chance you may have to remove the movement from the case in order to do this. Keep us posted.

Canuck · Feb 27, 2023

Meeting a friend for coffee, on Tuesday. He has acquired a Keystone Howard, 16-size, 21-jewel, Series “0”. I’ll take my four Keystone Howards, and we’ll do a stare and compare. I have two Howard series 5s, a series 3 (or 7, depends on the source reference), and my Series XI (eleven). I’ll leave the E Howard (model 7) at home. It was made by E Howard & Co. in 1884. After the Keystone Watch Case Co. bought the rights to the Howard name on watches in 1903, the firm became known as the Howard Watch Co.

Canuck · Feb 28, 2023

Well, we had coffee. I made an error in my previous post! 🤔 His watch is a Keystone Howard series 10, 21-jewels. NOT a series “0” which has 23-jewels. I has a perfect double sunk vitreous enamel, 12-hour dial. Gold train wheels (except for the escape wheel), and all the usual whistles and bells of its breed. The case is not original to the Howard. It is a white gold-filled Bunn Special (Illinois) case which also is near perfect. It has a horrible yellowed plastic crystal which we will replace, soon. I forgot to take a picture! 😲

ghce · Mar 6, 2023

Record PW.
Just bought this last night.
Supposed to be ticking, needs glass and sub second hand.
I really likes the hand set on this and the double sunk dial.
Record as a watch brand seems to be almost unknown these days but back in the day was a top end maker, eventually bought by Longines in the early 60's but quietly closed up in the 90's
Many of its PW and watch movements were Rail Road grade, Ball used them in their wrist watches to get into the RR market back in the day.

Vendor pics, I suspect his photos dont do the Sterling Silver case justice, lots of hall marking and other makers marks on this case that I have never seen before.

noelekal · Mar 7, 2023

I don't think that I've already featured this Waltham Vanguard in a white gold filled case. It was one of the early acquisitions during "Pocket Watch 2021." I was feeling all Waltham-y today after winning an Ebay bid on a Waltham Riverside which will be the first pocket watch of 2023. Am looking forward to its arrival.

I've been double-dogging it today with the Waltham and the Speedmaster, to use a Mad Dog-ism here on Speedy Tuesday.

I would appreciate some comment from the Forum Pocket Watch Brain Trust on this watch's case. The movement is said to date to 1904, but the case style and bow seem a bit later perhaps. I may be wrong. I'm not good on pocket watch case originality. This Waltham Vanguard movement is very pretty. Difficult to photograph well, but delightful to see.

Canuck · Mar 7, 2023

About your Waltham.

https://pocketwatchdatabase.com/search/result/waltham/14072487

I don’t see any extra case screw marks that might indicate another movement had been in that case.

https://pocketwatchdatabase.com/search/result/keystone-watch-case-co/7881991

This link will take you to information of your Keystone Watch case. I have seen Walthams of that vintage in cases similar.

rrstd · Mar 7, 2023

Adding to the thread with an 83 Model Waltham I recently picked up at the NAWCC Mid-Winter Regional in St Augustine, FL. What makes this watch special to me is the dial, marked for the Order of Railroad Conductors.

Canuck · Mar 7, 2023

This is the pocketwatchdatabase entry on your Waltham.

https://pocketwatchdatabase.com/search/result/waltham/5712857

Case, dial, movement, all a work of art. My interpretation is that this watch was railroad grade, but the dial would likely render it not likely railroad approved. But then again, it is early enough, that it may have passed as railroad approved. The jewelled dial is absolutely spectacular. All the decoration is “underglaze”, which means, after the dial had been decorated, it was given a coat of clear flux and fired one more time to give it the protective clear glass coating. Had I been there, I mighta jumped on that one, myself!

Alpha · Mar 10, 2023

Elgin serviced and in daily use 👍

Canuck · Mar 10, 2023

My 1877 model, 18-size Waltham R E Robbins (made 1885) sends salutations. This one is worn daily, resting at night, face up. As I write this, the Waltham is within two seconds since last being set to the second, one week ago! This watch is just as accurate as my best railroad standard pocket watch. (And the guy I bought it from, didn’t want it!)

TexOmega · Mar 10, 2023

WoooHooo wages are UP!

1891 is lookin' good!

ghce · Mar 15, 2023

Sales catalog
http://elginwatches.org/scans/sales_catalogs/m_index.html

And this one interest me at the moment

http://elginwatches.org/scans/sales_catalogs/1917_Oskamp-Nolting/m_index.html