Calling all Pocket Watch Buffs

Among the earliest (if not the earliest), firms to actually manufacture watch in the U S A, was Pitkin. In the early years of watch manufacturing on this continent, many of the earliest watches were simply assembled in the U S A, comprising imported English components. James & Henry Pitkin’s first watch was produced circa 1838, and it is believed that they produced about 900 watches. They built the machinery used to produce the parts, importing dials, hands, mainsprings, and hairsprings. Their watches were primitive compared with watches yet to come.

Thanks for posting that. The ad appears to be from 1933. Compare the wrist watch styles from 87 years ago with the styles that prevail, today. Then compare the pocket watch styles from 87 years ago with pocket watches today. Pocket watches are timeless, I remember, as a kid back in the mid-1940s, Longines and Wittnauer advertising on radio. You might ask, why do I remember that? I don’t know.

From a thread, several years ago. @Syrte , one our lady contributors, posted this outstanding Art Deco Longines. Credit where credit is due, I say. Here is the watch.





And here is the thread.

https://omegaforums.net/threads/updated-astonishing-egyptian-design-art-nouveau-longines.50351/

Thanks to @Syrte for continued enthusiasm, and this contribution to the MB!

At another time, on another message board, the question of jewels in watches arose. Over the past 350 years or so, a wide variety of materials has been used. The earliest jewels placed in watches go back to the 18th century when an a English watchmaker used agate bearings in his watches. The purpose was then as it is now. To reduce friction, reduce wear, improve oil retintion, and improve performance and accuracy.

From those earliest times, a wide range of gemstone materials has been used. Rock crystal, aquamarine, spinel, diamond, garnet, ruby, sapphire, and perhaps others that I don’t know about. Is there anyone involved in this thread in possession of a 19th or late 18th century English watch with rock crystal jewels? In many such watches, the rock crystal jewels are large in diameter, giving rise to the slang term, “Liverpool Windows.”

There was a time during the 1940s when Hamilton experimented with brass bearings instead of jewels, owing to shortage of material for watch jewels. Hamilton also experimented with carbide bearings in experimental 992B models. All American manufacturers were in the same boat. Their jewels were mostly imported, and those supplies dried up during WWII. There was a huge effort expended by the American watch companies which resulted in the American watchmakers having adequate supplies of domestically produced, synthetic ruby jewels.

Most watches today that are equipped with jewels, have synthetic ruby jewels. These jewels are made of man-made corundum. A characteristic of man-made jewels is their uniform pigeon-blood red colour, and absence of flaws.

Now to the subject of genuine ruby and genuine sapphire jewels which were extensively used prior to about the mid 1920s. To answer a question on another board, I went through my stash of unassorted genuine ruby hole jewels, and selected a sampling of these jewels showing a range of colours. A ruby jewel of any colour will work as well as a ruby jewel of any other colour. But the quality of material that was used for watch jewels covered a wide range, generally rated by colour.

At the left end of this array of watch jewels are the jewels that might be graded as “Burma” colour. Dramatic pigeon blood red. As your eye wanders to the right, the colours vary to what might be called “Siam” colour. Further along, “Ceylon” colour, then to pale pink which in jewellery stores today, may be called “pink sapphire.” Basically, just very poor coloured ruby. At the right end is a sapphire hole jewel. These hole jewels are all genuine corundum.





This English watch has rock crystal jewels. These are called in the vernacular, “Liverpool Windows.”

To expand a bit on the topic of jewels in watches, and how they reduce friction. Fifteen jewels in a simple, three hand, manual winder, is considered to be bare minimum. Seventeen jewels is better, nineteen is better yet, the twenty one, and twenty three jewels.

In my 1948 Waltham parts catalog, the mainspring part number for an 1899-1908 model, 16-size Waltham is part #2227. Reading further, part # 2227 is (was) available in 5 different strengths! .015mm, .016 mm, .017mm, .018 mm, and .019 mm. The strength that was chosen for a particular watch was based on the number of jewels in the watch. So, a 15 jewel one used a .019 strength mainspring. All the way up to the 23-jewel one which used the .015 strength mainspring. I very much doubt that the range of strengths available in modern replacement mainsprings is nearly as varied. So you take what is available.

As this illustrates, the higher jewel count movement uses the weakest mainspring because the extra jewels reduce friction. The lower jewel count watches use the stronger mainsprings because of greater friction. Reduced friction, along with superior adjusting means that (for example) railroad watches (in good condition) may be expected to keep better time than their lowlier counterparts.

One change to my most recent post regarding mainspring strengths and jewelling. Waltham didn’t build the 1899 and 1908, 16-size models in 15-jewels. But they did build them with 7-jewels. The .019 strength mainspring was used in the 7-jewel models. The consequence is that we often run into 7-jewel watches that are worn out! Lots of mainspring strength, lots of friction equals worn out watches.