Calling all Pocket Watch Buffs

Alpha · Oct 7, 2023

Enjoying the company of the Elgin most days 😀

Canuck · Oct 7, 2023

Here is a curious one! It came my way today for possible repair. It was stopped, and fully wound, It had two trade marks that I could see, on the movement. One on the pillar plate, and one on the train wheel bridge. I looked up both trade marks in Mikrolisk, and got a hit for each one. Well, sort of a hit. The Mikrolisk entry on these two trade marks were either not identical, or otherwise, vague! So I pulled the dial. Voila! A definite hit! The watch was made by the International Watch Co., Schaffhausen, Switzerland, I have shown numerous images of these trade marks, but the only one that is relevant is the IWC one. The IWC trade mark shows in Mikrolisk as PROBUS IWC SCAFUSIA which clearly shows in the one picture.

https://en.worldtempus.com/article/industry-news/business/iwc-probus-scafusia-14381.html

The movement is in excellent condition, and it shows many of the earmarks of other high quality Swiss watches. The one trade mark inside the case back indicates .925 (sterling), and one other trade mark indicates the case was imported into England from Switzerland. The hunter case is known as a Demi-hunter, of half hunter. Because of the window, you don’t need to open the case to read the time. Hence the curious hour hand.

The reason it quit is that one of the case screws had come out and was buried in the gear train. I coaxed it out, put the watch back together, and left it running. It should be cleaned but I’ll call the dude and see what his pain threshold is like!

Alpha · Oct 8, 2023

My apologies if I have already posted these images taken at Fort George https://www.historicenvironment.scot/visit-a-place/places/fort-george/

Pixitfecit · Oct 9, 2023

My first and so far only pocket watch, and a rare one i would guess... A 1945/46 Omega 37.5 T1 in Platinum, together with an japanese perpetual calendar in 18k Gold. A jubilee gift to an employee in Japan.
Does anyone here know more about how rare Omega pocketwatches in platinum really are?

JimInOz · Oct 9, 2023

Canuck

Here is a curious one! It came my way today for possible repair. It was stopped, and fully wound, It had two trade marks that I could see, on the movement. One on the pillar plate, and one on the train wheel bridge. I looked up both trade marks in Mikrolisk, and got a hit for each one. Well, sort of a hit. The Mikrolisk entry on these two trade marks were either not identical, or otherwise, vague! So I pulled the dial. Voila! A definite hit! The watch was made by the International Watch Co., Schaffhausen, Switzerland, I have shown numerous images of these trade marks, but the only one that is relevant is the IWC one. The IWC trade mark shows in Mikrolisk as PROBUS IWC SCAFUSIA which clearly shows in the one picture.

https://en.worldtempus.com/article/industry-news/business/iwc-probus-scafusia-14381.html

The movement is in excellent condition, and it shows many of the earmarks of other high quality Swiss watches. The one trade mark inside the case back indicates .925 (sterling), and one other trade mark indicates the case was imported into England from Switzerland. The hunter case is known as a Demi-hunter, of half hunter. Because of the window, you don’t need to open the case to read the time. Hence the curious hour hand.

The reason it quit is that one of the case screws had come out and was buried in the gear train. I coaxed it out, put the watch back together, and left it running. It should be cleaned but I’ll call the dude and see what his pain threshold is like!

Beautifully finished parts, especially the regulator and click spring.

Canuck · Oct 9, 2023

JimInOz
Beautifully finished parts, especially the regulator and click spring.

My initial impression when I opened the case was that it was a quality watch. The finish on the winding wheels and the other steel parts seemed to indicate that it is a quality watch. But it wasn’t until I saw the IWC trade mark that I twigged.

TexOmega · Oct 9, 2023

Elgin National Watch Co.
16s 17j grade 386 Year: 1912.......inscription: 1914
Solid workingman's/student watch
Elegant Keystone J. Boss GF hunter case

Canuck · Oct 9, 2023

Stunning in every detail! A true tribute to the hand engraver’s art! The watch hardly shows any wear. Just short of 110 years old. A “working man’s watch”. Seems like it would be meant for a professional working man. Doctor, lawyer, accountant, that kind of work.

TexOmega · Oct 9, 2023

Catalog priced this at $17USD(movt and dial/hands) , add $5-10 for case and RR grade 992 probably was around $25-30.....so I kinda was thinking a solid workingman's watch, but certainly possible 'ol Dell was a professional.

Fun to speculate, anyway.

Thank you, Stunning indeed!

Why I bought it, pretty pedestrian movement and it also has a nice double sunk porcelain dial and blued hands.

Hard to resist that combo back in the day.

Canuck · Oct 9, 2023

Owing to family schedules, Thanksgiving (Canadian) dinner happens for us on Tuesday. A special day requires a special pocket watch. This one is from my wife’s family. Her great grandfather on her mother’s side. He was a sergeant in the Union army in the U S civil war. He later became a sheriff in Paducah County, Kentucky. After marriage, he moved the family to a farm in Kansas. His wife worried about tornados, and the children. So they moved to Spangle, Washington which was a small town south of Spokane where they farmed once more. This was circa 1895. The farm must have prospered as he branched out and opened a hardware business in Spangle. He bought this watch circa 1903.

It is an 18-size, 3/4 plate, 19-jewel B W Raymond which would not have been railroad approved because of his choice of dial and hands. One of my prettiest 18-size pocket watch movements. It is on my @Duracuir1 leather lanyard.

View attachment 1675920

TexOmega · Oct 9, 2023

Reminds me of Moorhouse designed dials around that time. At least in his style.

Excellent👍

Canuck · Oct 9, 2023

TexOmega
Reminds me of Moorhouse designed dials around that time. At least in his style.

Excellent👍

Referring to?

TexOmega · Oct 9, 2023

The squiggly numerals......very radical, unVictorian Era adornment.

ghce · Oct 9, 2023

TexOmega
Catalog priced this at $17USD(movt and dial/hands) , add $5-10 for case and RR grade 992 probably was around $25-30.....so I kinda was thinking a solid workingman's watch, but certainly possible 'ol Dell was a professional.

Fun to speculate, anyway.

Thank you, Stunning indeed!

Why I bought it, pretty pedestrian movement and it also has a nice double sunk porcelain dial and blued hands.

Hard to resist that combo back in the day.

I really do envy you guys, Nth America has such a host of high grade watches and excellent cases to select from as opposed to down under in the Antipodes where the path way to US watches mostly is down at heal 7 jewel Travelers or 7 jewel Elgin's etc or just as likely dollar watches. Worst of all a lot of sellers down here will ask 500 to 900 dollars (NZ dollar's) for that level of crap.
So jealous!

Canuck · Oct 10, 2023

That sort of dross you describe exists in North America as well! In Canada, we often envy our brethren in the U S A. The market there is and always has been about 10 times the size of the market in Canada. And that market had been catered to by the American watch manufacturers. Preferential tariffs on Swiss watch imports to the U S A over the years have generally meant that the U S brands had the advantage over Swiss watches in the U S of A. American movements were imported into Canada uncased, to be put into cases made in Canada by Canadian subsidiaries of U S based case makers. This meant that the American watch could be sold in Canada competitively, because of the Canadian content. Tariffs were much higher if cased watches were exported to Canada.

I have been collecting watches for close to 50 years. By far the majority of the watches in my (relatively) modest collection have found me! I am an opportunist collector. I “network” by participating in every opportunity that comes along to let it be known that I collect, Also, in my role as a watchmaker, many opportunities come my way. I find that prices are much higher if you go looking for watches than they are if the watches find you! So don’t stop collecting. You might take a closer look at how you go about collecting. And don’t be in a hurry! That costs a lot more.

Alpha · Oct 10, 2023

Running away nicely today, t.b.h. they now spend most of the time hanging here next to my desk 😀

Canuck · Oct 10, 2023

I understand the attraction of having treasured timepieces, and the joy of having them fulfill a useful function, and to enjoy the sound as they do what they do. Today, I sit in my chair in our living room, a watch on each wrist, a pocket watch in my pocket, my Hamilton series XXI marine chronometer and it’s companion Hamilton series XXII torpedo boat chronometer ticking away a few feet away, my wife’s grandmothers’s Ansonia Boston Extra striking clock on the wall unit, along with my two German anniversary clocks, AND my octagon-drop Seth Thomas World railway station clock (former CP Rail, circa 1910), ticking away on one wall! Wretched excess say some! But it is harmless fun. That’s nine timepieces in one room, not counting the time on the dial of our stereo unit. Ask a man with 9 timepieces what the time is, and he’s ever sure. Ask the man with one timepiece, and he knows the time.

I was disappointed today to learn that the 11:00 am time signal on the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation AM network is being discontinued! It has been operating on CBC radio since October, 1938! That is 85 years! Dam, I’ll miss it!

TexOmega · Oct 10, 2023

Excelsior Park Chronograph
Double sunk porcelain dial
Moon Hands
Pre Incabloc
Nickel-Silver case

Resets like Budda
Super-Accurate

Anyone know the movement?

Canuck · Oct 10, 2023

TexOmega
Excelsior Park Chronograph
Double sunk porcelain dial
Moon Hands
Pre Incabloc
Nickel-Silver case

Resets like Budda

Super-Accurate

Anyone know the movement?

Certainly a change from the four jewel, pin lever, department store dross we run into. My Bestfit catalog calls the movement a19 ligne, Minerva 9CH. See image.

TexOmega · Oct 10, 2023

Thank you

Yes, indeed. Googling........Minerva made these movements for many companies 1910's-1940's.