Calling all Pocket Watch Buffs

Canuck · Apr 18, 2023

R RobMc
No nonsense. I bet you're fun at parties! I'm just kidding. I'm not new to watches, just to pocket watches. Im well aware of the cost of services, but never had any intention of spending anything on servicing these. The 7j Waltham works, which is fun, which is the whole point. I knew the riverside had the highest upside, but it needs a lot of work. I'm torn between trying my hand at rebuilding it, or just selling it as a parts watch.

Odd response!

ghce · Apr 18, 2023

Canuck
Odd response!

We are all a bit odd, we are watch collectors and even worse a sub branch of Pocket Watch collectors 😁

Johannes11 · Apr 19, 2023

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Hi, this is a watch of mine. It has no serial number on the movement but there is a number right next to it. Any thoughts on wether it is a genuine Tavannes? Thanks in advance

JimInOz · Apr 19, 2023

Looks like a genuine Tavannes, possibly a 19''' caliber 920. There may be a marking under the balance wheel.

Johannes11 · Apr 19, 2023

JimInOz
Looks like a genuine Tavannes, possibly a 19''' caliber 920. There may be a marking under the balance wheel.

Thank you very much. I appreciate it

ghce · Apr 22, 2023

Bought this English pocket watch in non going condition ( cheap ) with the intention of recasing with a higher grade Waltham movement only to discover on arrival it works perfectly and has a mint dial and movement, curses!

No wear thru at all on the excellent condition case just some brassing on the bow due to whatever watch chain was on it.

No idea at all what the movement is other than its made in England as per the engraving. Any ideas?

So I still need 8 more watch cases to rehouse the nice orphaned Waltham's that I have recently acquired 🙁

Canuck · Apr 22, 2023

I bought my one Waltham 1877 model just for the case, as well. Intending to use the case on another movement. But as it turns out, the 1877 case was not compatible with the movement I was intending to put into the case. But I found the 1877 Waltham movement to be in premium condition, so I serviced it, and it is a watch I really enjoy. Your case looks like a Dennison product. Nice!

Fritz · Apr 22, 2023

Canuck
The Hampden “Special Railway” (Swiss version) likely has an ETA 6497 movement in it. I think it is the same movement as used in Tissot mechanical pocket watches. The price on this “Hampden” is very favourable, compared to Tissot prices. There was a recent limited edition “Hamilton” pocket watch put on the market. It has the same movement I believe. And the Omega calibre 960 is (again) the same movement. I don’t know how an Omega and Hamilton would compare pricewise with the Tissot and Hampden. Sounds to me as though the price of this Swiss Hampden beats Tissot, Hamilton, and Omega, all with the same movement.

Included the Eta 6497 movement, and the Swiss Hampden.

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Aw yuck! Call that a Hampden... I just took delivery of my new Hampden today.

fresh off my watch makers bench... I haven’t even had the nerve to lift the hood yet, but its a 21 jewel Special Railway from about 1900:

noelekal · Apr 22, 2023

Very pretty Fritz!

Awww... go ahead and lift the hood and share a peek with us while you're at it.

Canuck · Apr 22, 2023

I recently reported that three of us consolidated our collections of railway standard pocket watches, wrist watches, and railway standard Seth Thomas World octagon drop wall clocks for a model train show. We have participated in these shows for decades, to the point now where repeat attendees at this show haul out their pocket watches to ask us for opinions. Surprisingly, almost always they have good examples.

This year, a fellow knew we would be there. He brought his grandfather’s railroad watch. It was as perfect a 1908 model 23-jewel Waltham Vanguard with winding reserve indicator watch, as I have ever seen! Lossier Inner Terminal hairspring, and as perfect a triple-sunk vitreous enamel dial as you’ll ever see! There were four of us manning our booth, and he could hardly believe the chorus of oooohs and ahhhhs from us when we saw it. He had absolutely NO idea what he had! (And as much as I had my camera and my iPad there, I didn’t think to take a picture! For shame,)

Johannes11 · Apr 22, 2023

Canuck
I recently reported that three of us consolidated our collections of railway standard pocket watches, wrist watches, and railway standard Seth Thomas World octagon drop wall clocks for a model train show. We have participated in these shows for decades, to the point now where repeat attendees at this show haul out their pocket watches to ask us for opinions. Surprisingly, almost always they have good examples.

This year, a fellow knew we would be there. He brought his grandfather’s railroad watch. It was as perfect a 1908 model 23-jewel Waltham Vanguard with winding reserve indicator watch, as I have ever seen! Lossier Inner Terminal hairspring, and as perfect a triple-sunk vitreous enamel dial as you’ll ever see! There were four of us manning our booth, and he could hardly believe the chorus of oooohs and ahhhhs from us when we saw it. He had absolutely NO idea what he had! (And as much as I had my camera and my iPad there, I didn’t think to take a picture! For shame,)

Hi, maybe that's a sign of how you live in the moment...something to be cherished over anything else, the fact you didn't fall victim to future referencing. Congrats

Canuck · Apr 22, 2023

Johannes11
Hi, maybe that's a sign of how you live in the moment...something to be cherished over anything else, the fact you didn't fall victim to future referencing. Congrats

As it happens, when the owner of the Waltham was at our booth, I looked up the information on the Pocketwatchdatabase site, and emailed it to his computer. About 15 minutes ago, I pulled his email address from my sent files, and sent him an email asking him for permission to photograph his watch. Or have him send me pictures of it. Stay tuned!

noelekal · Apr 22, 2023

Was it like this one only nicer Canuck?

Canuck · Apr 22, 2023

Yours is every bit as nice! Trust an eagle eyed collector to seek out and snaffle such a perfect and collectible watch! What is remarkable about my story is that he had NO IDEA what he had! So, collectors rejoice! Such watches ARE out there!

noelekal
Was it like this one only nicer Canuck?

Johannes11 · Apr 22, 2023

This is my belt watch, sadly the movement is a new quartz but i plan to wear it somehow. It's in an appartment away from where i am now but i will take more pictures soon. Cheers

Lépine · Apr 25, 2023

This is one of my favorite watches. It isn't a railroad watch, but it is a L'épine caliber with the world's first shock protection (parachute shock protector also know as "suspension élastique") and bimetallic thermal compensation mechanism. But most importantly, it is the very first of a series of ultra thin movements made with bridges. Prior to the Lépine caliber was the vergé fusée. This was the caliber often rebranded as Breguet for Abraham Breguet according to the Breguet watch archives. It is a quarter repeater made at the Manufacturer Royale in Ferney-Voltaire France with the partnership of philosopher Voltaire. Circa 1780s. It is a Lépine a Paris marked horologist du ROI...watchmaker to the king of France.

Jean Antoine Lépine was the inventor of the modern watch and this caliber was the most famous. Lépine also made scientific instruments and is in hall of fame for both horology and computer science.

Canuck · Apr 25, 2023

Museum quality! Absolutely exquisite. As fresh as it was the day it left the shop that built it!

Are you able to give any information regarding the type of escapement?

Lépine · Apr 25, 2023

Canuck
Museum quality! Absolutely exquisite. As fresh as it was the day it left the shop that built it!

Are you able to give any information regarding the type of escapement?

I do not know the escapement. So many features of this watch are worlds first so I can not say. It is the second model he produced like this. Caliber IIa.

Can you see the watch is actually thinner than the crystal! Compared to the Longines 20H, it is less than 1/3 the thickness and it has more parts! The 20H was Longines most complicated movement 100 years later!

J A Lépine by the way was Breguet's teacher. So you see the strong resemblance to the famous Breguet style dial and hands. Breguet was also partner of Manufacture Royale at Ferney

History[edit]
In 1770, philosopher Voltaire supports the establishment of watchmaking workshops in Ferney-Voltaire near Geneva and Manufacture Royale is established. It is then an important producer of timepieces and the famous Jean-Antoine Lépine, clockmaker to the king, is one of its watchmakers.[3][4] Manufacture Royale also made objets d'art such as table watches. The Manufacture gently disappeared in the vicissitude of time but was revived in 2010. Manufacture Royale was bought by the Gouten family in 2013 and Alexis Gouten took over the management

Lépine · Apr 25, 2023

@Canuck : Found it, the escapement type:
Jean-André Lepaute's virgule escapement.

There is an excellent as usual write up at

https://www.vintagewatchstraps.com/lepine.php

https://www.hautehorlogerie.org/en/...dia/famous-watchmakers/s/jean-antoine-lepine/

He was the Da Vinci of watches and computers.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean-Antoine_Lépine
Throughout his career Lépine contributed with other important inventions[9] such as:

He modified Jean-André Lepaute's virgule escapement. Thanks to Jean Antoine Lépine, it would be used for some twenty years or so in France.
Invented a new repeating mechanism; in 1763 devised a mechanism in which by depressing the pendant the repeating spring is wound and where the hour and quarter racks were placed directly on the winding arbor. The new design was a great improvement, eliminating the fragile winding chain. It also gave the system better stability and decreased friction, while saving room and simplifying the mechanism. The 1763 Mémoire of the Académie des Sciences, in the chapter "Machines ou inventions approuvées par l’Académie en 1763", gave a very favorable report of Lépine's invention. The idea, with some modifications, still survives today.
Invented a winding system requiring no key.
Invented "lost hinge" watchcases (invisible); his "secret" opening mechanism with hidden hinges, releasing the back cover by twisting the pendant.
The first horologist to have continuously study and work on aesthetic design, in the modern meaning of the word, on watches. This was continued by Breguet, etc.
He was also the first one to use Arabic numerals on dials as many for the hours as for the minutes.
Lépine is also credited for introducing hand-setting at the back of the watch and the hunter case (or savonette) that completely covers a dial with its spring-loaded hinged panel.
He developed a new form of case, à charnières perdues (with concealed hinges) and a fixed bezel. Since these watches were rewound and set from the rear, the movement was protected from dust by an inner case. This new arrangement had the advantage of preventing access from the dial face, thus avoiding damaging it or the hands.
The aiguilles à pomme apple shaped hands; hollow, tip hands, were first used by Lépine. In 1783 Breguet introduced a variation with eccentric "moon", and these are the most popular today, known as Breguet hands.

It is a later version of Caliber IIa with the highly desirable quarter repeater added.

Excellent book

Canuck · Apr 25, 2023

@Seiji ,

Thank you for your legwork in ferreting out the escapement in the Lepine watch. According to information I found in the Shugart, Engel, & Gilbert “bible”, the virgule escapement was developed in the “mid-1700s. So, circa 1750, or so. Thomas Mudge, the English watchmaker, developed the lever escapement circa 1760. So going by this information, the virgule escapement appears to have been around for a while before the lever escapement was developed. Considering the exemplary skill displayed in the design and fabrication of this fabulous watch, the virgule escapement must have functioned without fault.