Calling all Pocket Watch Buffs

Been meaning to get back to this thread.

Canuck, here's a blown up version of that movement photo of the Waltham Vanguard with wind indicator. Looks like a diamond. Hah, or it's clear as glass.

If the end stone is colourless, and it the top side (facing you) is faceted like a geodesic dome, it has to be diamond. I am not able to say for sure from your photo. Nice watch anyway.

It is colorless and does look like a godesic dome.

I may try a better photo of the end cap jewel later, just for fun.

I’m 99 44/100 % certain the endstones are both diamonds.

Seven Seas

Movement by E. Ingraham

Probably 1940's-50's.

Runs Looks cool

A goodly number of Ingraham, Ingersoll, and Westclox pin lever movements actually had the month and year of production stamped onto the top bridges. Evident only with the case back removed. The dial is unlike any I have seen before. My late father opened his one man, hole in the wall, watch repair shop in 1946. The Westclox Pocket Dax sold for $4.75, at that time. Inflation. At the turn of the 20th century, such watches sold for as little as one dollar!

Illinois 18 size Bunn from 1905.

From the pocketwatchdatabase site.

https://pocketwatchdatabase.com/search/result/illinois/1823571

The “sunburst” pattern is very attractive. Absence of extra case screw marks might seen to indicate the case is original to the watch.

I recently mentioned I had sold my 23-jewel Waltham Vanguard to a fellow who works at our local Heritage Park. During the summer season, he is involved in a lot of activities at the park, but his main role is to exhibit his talents as a telegrapher, to the guests. He also has long wanted a good quality, railroad grade pocket watch with a 24-hour dial. He now has one. He told me that a number of his associates at the park, also want similar pocket watches, and some would likely be contacting me.

Well, I went to my stash to see what I had. Not much as it happens! But the subject watch surfaced. A good vitreous enamel, 24-hour dial, a rough case, and needing some parts, and a bunch work.

It needed a mainspring (I had a NOS genuine mainspring), a balance staff (I had a NOS genuine staff), a foot hole jewel for the balance staff (I had a NOS genuine jewel in the correct setting), a new crystal ( I had a NOS glass crystal of correct dimension), a seconds hand (I had one), and recondition. The case shows quite a bit of brass, so I cleaned that up, and resolved to find a better case for the movement. What you see is the finished result. I have a bit of work to do to bring it to a correct rate, but that will only if involve a few minutes. End result………I have a suitable watch available when someone wants it. I’ll GIVE them the watch, but they’ll have to foot the bill for the repairs I did.

It is a 15-jewel, stem set Elgin model, Breguet hairspring, circa 1911. Only one repair number in the case. Case condition tells me it was worn for a very loooooong time with no maintenance. When it came time to get an estimate, there was so much work necessary, the owner walked away from it. I have NO idea how I acquired it, or where it came from. But I know it has sat in a drawer of scrap watches, for decades. In the movement picture, it might appear to not be running. It is! It runs beautifully!

KWKS American Watch Company
PS Bartlett Model 1857
Circa 1873-4 11j with Fogg’s Patent
4-Hinge, 4oz Coin Silver case made by them, too. Glass crystal.

It looks like it's ticking merrily, TexOmega.

A neato early bird. Is it American Civil War vintage or a little after?

Thanks......Circa 1873-74

Look back in the thread for my 1866 PW

And needs a service, but working nicely

I have a twin to your Waltham. One small difference is that mine is a 15-jewel version. Lousy time keeper, mine. But I like it.

Here’s what the pocketwatchdatabase site has to say.

What do you guess the price difference was circa 1873?

Elgin Grade 495 model 4
17j 12s
Circa 1937

Today (again), I’ll wear two watches. My usual wrist watch (my Rolex Date-Just), and my recent discovery, my 1911 Elgin, 18-size, 15-jewel pocket watch with single sunk 24-hour vitreous enamel dial (perfect). After I completed the repair, I reported my recent discovery of this watch in a drawer of junk watches. I’ve done a bit of “tweaking” over the past week, and I now have so it loses about 5 seconds per day. One more thing I have to do is to locate a new crown for it. The watch is a bear to wind with the badly worn crown that’s on it! Total expense thus far? I had all the parts I needed, on hand. NOS genuine Elgin parts inherited from my late father. Mainspring, balance staff, foot hole jewel, glass crystal, seconds hand. I’d guess original parts (from the 1960s), approximately about $15.00, plus labor. So, a nice, fun watch, cost me nothing out of pocket. Why not collect watches? 😀

Certainly! Who could go wrong collecting watches?!!!

So much fun to read this thread nestled within Omega Forums.

Ball watches originated from such makers as Hamilton, Elgin, Waltham, Illinois, Seth Thomas, Howard, Aurora, Hampden, New York Standard, and the Swiss maker, Record. I’ll bet yours is a Hamilton Ball. I have only one Ball…..a Hamilton 999B

I never cease to be amazed at the performance of this old pelter which was rescued from a pile of scrap watches, about one month ago. After a complete service, including many parts, this watch has become my “go to” pocket watch. In the first week or so after servicing, it lost about 20 seconds. With one minor regulation, the watch now has shown NO VARIATION in the past week. Here’s the scoop on this amazing watch.

https://pocketwatchdatabase.com/search/result/elgin/15850212

Based on the railroad standard 30-second per week variation as laid down in railroad standards, long, long ago, this watch is performing to railroad standards. With the information included in the pocketwatchdatabase site, one might not expect such performance from a non-railroad watch. Love it!