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Calling all Pocket Watch Buffs

Bernhard J
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Regarding your
TexOmega TexOmega
On that Waltham, is there a chip directly where the seconds hand points?

Could it not just as well be the tip of the "1" of "17"?

Cheers, Bernhard
 
TexOmega
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Possibly

Better pictures or a in hand report would be definitive. Or both.
 
Duracuir1
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TexOmega TexOmega
Possibly

Better pictures or a in hand report would be definitive. Or both.

Will report back on this. I know the auctioneer personally. He replied to my text immediately and will send me better pics the next time he is at his compound.

Here is the Smiths, hanging « A la Alpha » between the mantel and the window, visible from the wing chair. That’s my maternal grandfather’s fishing rod underneath
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Interesting to see the Smiths trembling a teeny bit from the engine within.
 
DaveK
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Duracuir1 Duracuir1
Will report back on this. I know the auctioneer personally. He replied to my text immediately and will send me better pics the next time he is at his compound.

Here is the Smiths, hanging « A la Alpha » between the mantel and the window, visible from the wing chair. That’s my maternal grandfather’s fishing rod underneath
IMG_9407.jpeg IMG_9408.jpeg
Interesting to see the Smiths trembling a teeny bit from the engine within.

For added elegance, you can make some of these baby straps for hanging watches. I bought some tiny grommets to make the holes more finished looking, but apparently haven’t gotten around to adding them yet. These little extenders are also used to attach a watch to a chain, for those that are concerned about a chain perhaps scratching their watch

IMG_7536.jpeg
 
TexOmega
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My only Smiths, WWII era

Broken pallet fork, been in dry dock awaiting a seemingly uncommon part and/or reasonable cost donor for many years.
 
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ghce
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TexOmega TexOmega
My only Smiths, WWII era

Broken pallet fork, been in dry dock awaiting a seemingly uncommon part and/or reasonable cost donor for many years.


Is it a particularly unusual Smiths?

Can you show us the inside.

I have avoided them like the plague as all the ones I have seen are akin to dollar watches, cheap basic movements

They are as common as chewing gum on the pavement here ( In PW terms).
 
Duracuir1
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IMG_9427.jpeg
ghce ghce
Is it a particularly unusual Smiths?

Can you show us the inside.

I have avoided them like the plague as all the ones I have seen are akin to dollar watches, cheap basic movements

They are as common as chewing gum on the pavement here ( In PW terms).
Mine was inexpensive but works well. It’s like a tractor. Funny to see it tremble on that Alpha hook. I find them attractive. Like a 1988 Chev Caprice. Nice looking and well balanced car.
Edited:
 
Duracuir1
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Pics from Canuck who is giving the Illinois a full service…

Before…
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Crystal was plastic. Having a real one installed.
IMG_9440.jpeg IMG_9441.jpeg IMG_9442.jpeg IMG_9444.jpeg IMG_9445.jpeg IMG_9446.jpeg

And a couple pics (above) of the watch back together again. Under observation until early next week.

Now I am like I was as a kid, looking at the pictures in the Sears catalogue weeks before Christmas. (We lived in small villages in New Brunswick. Sears was basically a counter and my parents ordered what they chose from the catalogue).

Thanks for servicing this watch Canuck, it is even more special now with your touch.
Edited:
 
DaveK
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Duracuir1 Duracuir1
Pics from Canuck who is giving the Illinois a full service…

Before…
IMG_9439.jpeg IMG_9443.jpeg
Crystal was plastic. Having a real one installed.
IMG_9440.jpeg IMG_9441.jpeg IMG_9442.jpeg IMG_9444.jpeg IMG_9445.jpeg IMG_9446.jpeg

And a couple pics (above) of the watch back together again. Under observation until early next week.

Now I am like I was as a kid, looking at the pictures in the Sears catalogue weeks before Christmas. (We lived in small villages in New Brunswick. Sears was basically a counter and my parents ordered what they chose from the catalogue).

Thanks for servicing this watch Canuck, it is even more special now with your touch.

That’s a really nice piece, Illinois did some amazing dials. Here’s a closeup of my Illinois Sterling from 1926

IMG_0547.jpeg
 
Canuck
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The only watch I have that rivals the two Illinois pocket watches posted by @DaveK and @Duracuir1 is my Elgin “opera” watch from about 95 years ago. This watch has a 6/0 size Elgin wrist watch movement in a 14-karat white gold case. (Aside: This watch is from my wife’s family. A female ”shirt tail” (remote) relative’s husband passed away. The watch was to be buried with him. The mortuary removed it from his pocket after the funeral. After he was buried, the mortuary returned it to the widow! She was furious!)

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DaveK
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Canuck Canuck
The only watch I have that rivals the two Illinois pocket watches posted by @DaveK and @Duracuir1 is my Elgin “opera” watch from about 95 years ago. This watch has a 6/0 size Elgin wrist watch movement in a 14-karat white gold case. (Aside: This watch is from my wife’s family. A female ”shirt tail” (remote) relative’s husband passed away. The watch was to be buried with him. The mortuary removed it from his pocket after the funeral. After he was buried, the mortuary returned it to the widow! She was furious!)

IMG_1293.jpeg


That’s a great story with that watch. I wonder how many people at the Illinois factory were able to do that engraving work. I watched a video about Nomos’ factory and they talked about how only two staff were trained to decorate certain parts of the movement
 
Canuck
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DaveK DaveK
That’s a great story with that watch. I wonder how many people at the Illinois factory were able to do that engraving work. I watched a video about Nomos’ factory and they talked about how only two staff were trained to decorate certain parts of the movement

The decoration shown on your Illinois Sterling, and my opera watch was done by machine, not by hand. Probably the original die was made on a rose engine, the die being used the stamp the parts. Decorations on watch movements were often likewise, stamped by a die, finished by either a hand engraver (on top of the line watches), or by a pantograph which could engrave numerous watches simultaneously.
 
TexOmega
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ghce ghce
Is it a particularly unusual Smiths?

Can you show us the inside.

I have avoided them like the plague as all the ones I have seen are akin to dollar watches, cheap basic movements

They are as common as chewing gum on the pavement here ( In PW terms).


yes, basic
 
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Bernhard J
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Well, comparison with a "dollar watch" is quite unfair. Do dallar watches have jewels up to the third wheel? This one will have 15 jewels in total.

One immediately recognises a Smiths movement by the two screws for the balance cock and the general setup. Here is a Smiths DeLuxe wrist watch movement, compare. The pocket watch movement is imo only let down a bit due to the plain balance wheel. I would expect that working on the pocket watch movement will be just as easy as in case of the wrist watch movements.

4.jpg
 
Fallout Boy
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May I ask here: can anyone tell me more
werk 1.jpg werk 2.jpg werk 3.jpg werk 4.jpg werk 5.jpg
about these tools? watchmaker? for pocket-watches? gold-smith? merci!
 
Canuck
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Tool one, likely for drawing round of flat wire, for a goldsmith. Tool two is a hole punch. The post with the screw is used for punching a new mainspring hook inside a mainspring barrel, I believe. I have a very similar tool which is quite handy. Mine can be used to punch round holes of several sizes, and one punch with punch a rectangular hole.
 
ghce
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TexOmega TexOmega
yes, basic

That is quite nice, first one I have seen with that many jewels.
All of the ones I have seen are 7 at best ( more like 0 visible jewels ) and more basic.
As Bernhard has pointed out with the WW comparison, just a larger version of a nice Smiths Deluxe!
Must keep an eye out for a similar one.

** EDIT** Damnit, now you've got me scouring online auctions for Smiths PW's !! grrrr. 😀
Edited:
 
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