Calling all Pocket Watch Buffs

noelekal · Nov 30, 2021

Oooo... Fritz. I have a brown one with clever green stitching, but I don't have a green lanyard.

Actually I have two brown ones with green stitching as well as two blue ones. Received the first order and hid them from myself early in packing to move. Placed an emergency second order for same lanyards on Dave's Omega Forum PM hotline. Within a day or so of receiving the second order, the first order was discovered in a drawer where it'd been all the time and in which I'd looked ... twice!

Now I won't feel fulfilled until I have a DaveK green lanyard draping from the yelloiw gold of a pocket watch bow.

DaveK · Nov 30, 2021

noelekal
Now I won't feel fulfilled until I have a DaveK green lanyard draping from the yelloiw gold of a pocket watch bow.

like the one in the middle? 😝

Fritz · Nov 30, 2021

DaveK
like the one in the middle? 😝

Aw man.... that's harsh dude.

you kickin puppies for fun again.

Fritz · Nov 30, 2021

brown ones work real good with gold too.

but black is the solid choice if its a 156 Elgin.

I'm saving the green one as a leash for my frog, I'll fit it once I find my staple gun.

Canuck · Nov 30, 2021

Instead of a staple, you should use a ribbit! 😀 Otherwise, the frog may croak! I’ll be here all evening.

TexOmega · Dec 1, 2021

Elgin National Watch Company
Circa1876-77
Grade 11 17s 7j Lever set
Coin Silver case
Leader model 2
#31 of one run of 10,000
Elgin’s 1st lever set 17s

I had a custom made staff installed at the time I bought along with a service circa 1998 including glass crystal.

It appears the “Elgin” was added on the movement…. Initially they were National Watch Company.

DaveK · Dec 1, 2021

Great that you brought this watch back to life.

TexOmega · Dec 5, 2021

Majestic Watch Co.
Swiss 3 adj 17j
3-finger bridge
Private label: Adelard Langlois Quebec

unique looking regulator

Tim L · Dec 5, 2021

I picked up my first pocket watch today. Hamilton 992 from 1912 (I think).
I am pretty excited.

Canuck · Dec 5, 2021

I can understand your excitement. The 992 likely won’t be your last. Please give us the serial number of the movement (not the case), and post a picture of the movement. The 992 was produced both as stem set, and lever set, from 1903 to 1931. There were 6,100 of the stem set model produced. The lever set model was far more plentiful. Over the 28 years of production, there was a total of about 548,000 992 s made. It may not have been the earliest 16-size railroad standard watch produced by Hamilton, but it was the most popular of the 16-size models, until the 992B came along in 1941. Come back and visit.😀

Tim L · Dec 5, 2021

HI,
The Serial number is 871143.

Canuck · Dec 5, 2021

The skinny on @Tim L ‘s handsome 992 grade Hamilton.

https://pocketwatchdatabase.com/search/result/hamilton/871143

This is the model #1 992. Note the two screws on the crown wheel, and this model has 4 dial feet, not 3 dial feet as on model # 2. Model # 2 also has only one screw on the crown wheel. Nice way to start a collection of pocket watches.

Note that the pocketwatchdatabase.com listing shows that there were 98,400 of the model # 1 992 produced.

Waltesefalcon · Dec 6, 2021

Here's my latest acquisition, an Elgin grade 495, model 4, 17 jewel, 12 size movement from 1933. I don't normally buy 12 size watches or non railroad grade watches but this one struck my fancy. I love my Hamilton Piping Rocks and the black enamel band applied to the case rather than on the dial certainly reminds me of the Piping Rock. I also like the little deco details around the bow and the coin edge around the bezel and the cover.

I bought this one off of Ebay and the seller indicated that it had been fully serviced a few years ago. I've had it on the timegrapher for about twenty minutes and it's been steadily beating away at between 0 and +3 s/d with an amplitude between 280° and 286° for that time. It's dial up right now and I'll check it over dial down and crown up this evening. I'm suspecting that a simple cleaning is all this one will need before it becomes an EDC.

Canuck · Dec 6, 2021

The skinny on @Waltesefalcon ’s neat Elgin.

https://pocketwatchdatabase.com/search/result/elgin/33996836

Sharp! Not a rare movement by any means, but the unique case style makes this watch one that is not often seen. I don’t go out of my way to buy 12-size watches either (I have one), but I think id’a jumped on that one like a duck on a June bug, as well! If the black bezel is vitreous enamel, it appears to be pristine. In fact the watch is in exquisite condition for one that is close to 90 years old.

Waltesefalcon · Dec 6, 2021

Canuck
The skinny on @Waltesefalcon ’s neat Elgin.
https://pocketwatchdatabase.com/search/result/elgin/33996836

Sharp! Not a rare movement by any means, but the unique case style makes this watch one that is not often seen. I don’t go out of my way to buy 12-size watches either (I have one), but I think id’a jumped on that one like a duck on a June bug, as well! If the black bezel is vitreous enamel, it appears to be pristine. In fact the watch is in exquisite condition for one that is close to 90 years old.

Thanks.

It is a vitreous enamel bezel, judging by the shape that both the bezel and the case back are in, I'd say that it was very well cared for in its life.

Canuck · Dec 7, 2021

I answered a question for a poster to this forum regarding the bow (ring) on the pendant of his pocket watch. It pulled off, and his question was the procedure for fitting it again. My answer included four pictures. In the pictures are two tools used in the repair of pocket watch bows. These tools are both at least 90 years old, and chances of a modern shop having them are, well, slim and none.

The first tool is a bow plier, used for shaping and shrinking a loose bow, then stretching the bow to make it a tight fit on the case pendant.

The tool:

Shaping and shrinking the bow.

Stretching the newly shrunk bow prior to fitting back onto the watch case.

This is a picture of a “bow mill” which is used to shaped the inner tips of the bow to fit the case. It has about 10 “rose cutters” which can be chosen and locked in place to cut the bow so the tips are right for the pendant.

Pocket watches are so darned interesting, aren’t they? Why collect anything else? Well, aside from wrist watches, tools, literature etc. etc.

DaveK · Dec 7, 2021

Thanks @Canuck , fascinating set of pliers. I’m the doofus that managed to do what 116 prior years could not accomplish, wrangling the bow off of my watch. Fortunately I’ve just joined the board of my local CAWCC, and someone there will have these tools and know how to use them.

noelekal · Dec 8, 2021

I'd give your post a "like" Dave, but it seems wrong somehow to "like" your plight.

Like the Omega pocket watch very much.

Zapatta · Dec 8, 2021

what's going on here?!?

noelekal · Dec 8, 2021

Would like to see the movement on your Omega Zapatta.