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Calling all Pocket Watch Buffs

  1. ghce Mar 15, 2023

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    This just arrived in today, so I guess I am on the hunt for an appropriate case.

    Balance seems perfect as does the condition of both movement and dial.

    Grade 620 Sno 18817676

    IMG_20230315_222621.jpg

    IMG_20230315_222432.jpg
     
    Bernhard J, TexOmega, Zapatta and 3 others like this.
  2. Canuck Mar 15, 2023

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    Most Waltham watches that I have run into in the past that don’t have the Waltham name on the dial were in Dennison cases, and had been sold in England. This one may have been in a karat gold case which went to the melt. For shame! If the s# is 18817676, this is what the pocketwatchdatabase has to say.

    https://pocketwatchdatabase.com/search/result/waltham/18817676

    I hope you find a decent case for it. Nice!
     
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  3. ghce Mar 15, 2023

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    Given that the movement seems in good working order that is what I surmise as well, greed for gold.
    Probably will try for a good Sterling case either Open or Hunter.
     
  4. Canuck Mar 15, 2023

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    The pocketwatchdatabase listing indicates that this movement was meant to be fitted into a hunter style case. It would be nice if you could find a hunter case for it.
     
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  5. PocketOmega Mar 16, 2023

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    OMEGA 1897 WATCH

    Hi everyone. I am wanting to obtain an Omega Extract from the Archives for this Omega watch...mostly to confirm whether or not it left the factory as a pocket watch or wrist watch. I believe the serial number for the watch is on the dial side of the movement (back of the movement) but I really don't want to take the watch apart. As you can see from the pictures, the inside of the case has number 1436648. I believe that this is an Omega case number. A further picture shows that on the inside of the movement cover there is a number 1439648. Note that this is slightly different than the case number. Is this the movement serial number and can Omega pull an abstract based on this number?

    As you can see from the pictures, the movement itself does not have an Omega serial number but does have the Omega logo on the balance cock. From what I have learned, this is typical for an 1897 Omega.

    Any information or thoughts about this watch from the community is greatly appreciated. IMG_5508.jpg IMG_5527.jpg IMG_5535.jpg IMG_5539.jpg IMG_5545.jpg
     
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  6. Nissestr Mar 16, 2023

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    I've been wearing this for 16 days in a row as of today, as a part of owg-march (one watch guy) initative here in Sweden where we wear a single watch for the whole month whilst not beeing allowed to even try another watch on, raising thousands of dollar in charity for an organisation.

    This year I picked this pocket watch to give myself a bit of a challenge, but also to get some feels of how it would've been back in the days with pocket watches.

    The watch itself is a early Breitling Chronograph pocket watch, from when it was called Montbrillant Watch Manufactory, so early 1900's.

    Heres some macro shots on it.
    DSC00028.jpg DSC00029.png
    [​IMG]
     
  7. Canuck Mar 16, 2023

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    Any fund raiser that doesn’t involve strenuous physical activity (marathons, mountain climbing, cycling, etc.) has a lot of merit in my view. What better way than to commit to the wearing of a favourite watch for an extended period, in order to raise funds. I’m wearing three favourite watches, today. Would I get “brownie” points for wearing three? Your three register chronograph pocket watch appears to be in top form. Oh, by the way, welcome to the pocket watch forum! And to the Omega message board. You’re among friends, and fellow watch nuts!

    (Still wearing my Waltham R E Robbins, 1877 hunter cased, 18-size pocket watch with which regulars here are very familiar.)
     
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  8. Nissestr Mar 16, 2023

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    Its kind of a watch-fasting; which has a lot of joy attatched to it with the constant huss with looking after eachother to see who fails with the task. A bit of the background can be read here; so far this year we've collected about 9k USD, last year we whopped a total of 20k USD which was a record https://www.owgmarch.com/

    Thanks for the kind words!

    Edit* I'm afraid you'd get a slap by batman, as we say on the native forum (If you fail with the task, "batman" will make a post with a funny quote of your failure, and you're out of the game, but can still donate for the good cause) :)
     
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  9. Fritz genuflects before the mighty quartzophobe Mar 16, 2023

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    Oh no... what have I gone and purchased now...

    8200AC1C-AE14-41D2-98E1-92FCE7156841.jpeg 9C95BC25-D102-4699-865B-FE767BBD08BE.jpeg

    Luckily, I have a suitable hunter case for it.
     
  10. TexOmega Mar 16, 2023

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    I would bet pocket, wristies were just for fashion forward Fops in 1897. And probably converted to a wrist years later.
     
  11. Canuck Mar 16, 2023

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    Late in the 19th century, the subject of jewels in watches became an issue. Especially, watches with higher jewel counts. The very rare Hampden Special Railway watch shown by @TexOmega was produced by the Hampden Watch Co., and has 21-jewels. Hampden also produced a 23-jewel version. The Illinois watch Co. joined the fray, and produced a 24-jewel version. Watches with 25, 26-jewels, and 28-jewels also were produced by U S watchmakers. Needless to say, jewel counts became a big issue in watch advertising of the day, every maker seeking to gain a leg up in the battle for market share.

    The Hampden Watch Co. was acquired by John Dueber of the case making firm, the Dueber Watch Case Co. Hampden became the Dueber Hampden Watch Co. Because Hampden had never produced a watch with more than 23-jewels, John Dueber countered the ads for higher jewel count watches produced by others by introducing the term “smokestack jewels” into Hampden Watch advertising. Essentially implying that these added jewels did nothing to improve the performance of those watches.

    This preamble leads to discussion of the subject watch. Recently, one of the local watch repair fraternity called me, asking for help. He had a “Washington” watch for which he had been unable to locate a new balance staff. Why? Because there never was a “Washington” watch. The name was a house brand name for Illinois watches as sold by the U S Department store chain, Montgomery Ward. This chap asked me if I would make a balance staff for the watch. He sent me the watch. It is a rare 24-jewel, model 5, 18-size Illinois movement, marked on dial and movement, Washington! I had 18-size Illinois balance staffs on hand, but for a different model. The only dimension that was correct on the replacement staff was length, and the hub for the balance wheel. I had to reduce the sizes of the pivots, reduce the size of the roller table portion, and reduce the size of the hairspring collet portion. Job done.

    This “Washington“ Illinois) watch with 24-jewels is rather a rare one. I have only ever seen one other over many years. It is an example of what John Dueber called a watch with “smokestack” jewels.

    E602F94D-1659-4FF3-9184-A97CB65F07EE.jpeg DBA161E5-A14D-4ED7-AF56-89FC1A0670FB.jpeg
     
    Edited Mar 16, 2023
  12. Fritz genuflects before the mighty quartzophobe Mar 16, 2023

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    Trashy things those high jewel count Illinois watches... If I could just bring myself to lob this nasty thing in the bin I’m sure I’d be better off!

    6402BF0B-2075-4155-B560-B8B5A2FFD969.jpeg E3AA20D9-AD8F-47AE-AEBE-722292678CFF.jpeg ABB9E18B-BA32-4217-8669-E7777884902C.jpeg
     
  13. Waltesefalcon Mar 16, 2023

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    Fritz, make sure that bin is near my house so that I can do some bin digging afterwards.
     
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  14. ghce Mar 16, 2023

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    Bought this at auction yesterday, don't know why, not a particular fan at all of old Omega Pocket Watches.
    I owned one about 50 years ago, looked a helluva lot nicer than this one but unfortunately got lost along the way.
    I had picked it up a local school fair late 60's or 1970, it was really nice and only cost me a couple of bucks, oh times have changed.
    Anyway thought I should add an Omega to the collection just because its expected that if you collect PW's you need some Omegas ( well I don't think so), give me some nice USA PW's any day.

    Seller pics

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  15. noelekal Home For Wayward Watches Mar 16, 2023

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    I think I need an example of a big Illinois 18 size watch.
     
  16. ghce Mar 16, 2023

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    Yup!
     
  17. Canuck Mar 16, 2023

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    @Fritz ,

    Garbage can provided! I’d be happy to deal with disposal of this piece of dross for you! :D

    AC4F071C-990E-4817-B689-D3D3AE88F11F.jpeg
     
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  18. Canuck Mar 16, 2023

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    Here is the pocketwatchdatabase information on the 24-jewel “Washington” pocket watch I reported on. I made 3 corrections to that post. The pocketwatchdatabase calls it a Bunn Special which I had not specified. And in the last paragraph I used the name Montgomery which is incorrect. It should have been WASHINGTON! Also, I called it a model 5, but it is a model 6!

    https://pocketwatchdatabase.com/search/result/illinois/1747938

    The Washington watch is a single roller. The data base states it is railroad grade. I find that odd, because it was (purportedly) made in 1909, and by then, railroad grade watches had to be double roller!
     
    Edited Mar 16, 2023
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  19. Fritz genuflects before the mighty quartzophobe Mar 16, 2023

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    You got it, I’ll likely unload a bunch... just to get my shit in order.
    17FB737F-C4E7-4D83-8BE9-3631B87DCDA4.jpeg 69CE4ED5-5CFA-4054-B5E0-1670723A6472.jpeg D26164C8-0249-416E-A221-E2DC8FCE8914.jpeg AA5CB848-9845-4C6C-8CE6-B176282765B1.jpeg 1F684FCD-DD3C-46A9-B708-3232D87EFE51.jpeg
     
  20. Canuck Mar 16, 2023

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    (Remember me in your will :D .)