Calling all Pocket Watch Buffs

sheepdoll · Aug 11, 2022

noelekal
I like this, found within the specifications listed for the B. W. Raymond.

"Regulator: Traveling Nut (spring)"

Could describe me, a traveling nut.

Interesting website, I would really love to download the 1940 service manual as it could help me identify parts I have. For some reason there is no option to download the whole thing as PDF. The print option garbles the pages. There is a screenshot option, but it does not seem to capture the whole page when in full screen mode. Really annoying.

I did find a way to get the tech pages like this one out of the cache. https://pocketwatchdatabase.com/gui...ogs/elgin-watch-co-service-bulletin-c.1940/36 this is the sort of info most interesting as I have a lot of this 'junk' These appear to be rather nice swiss movements or at least made with Swiss type automated machinery.

Grade seems to be what they called caliber, does not seem to be a quality reference. Which gets confusing as some of the staffs for 18/0 and 16/0 (which look ginourmous compared to wrist watch staffs) say things like grade B.

Interesing on the traveling nut regulator. I sorted through my balance cocks and one of them has this type of adjuster.

-j

Alpha · Aug 13, 2022

Seen many times already but working on my desk this evening 😀

Canuck · Aug 13, 2022

Another contribution to Elgin Saturday. A book end for @Alpha ’s handsome Elgin. Mine with the 24-hour vitreous enamel dial. I forgot to wind mine on Thursday, so it ran down on Friday in the early afternoon. Wound and set to my iPad on Friday afternoon, and at 17:30 hours on Saturday, it is 3 seconds slow. Back in my pocket, now, on its @DaveK mystery braid lanyard.

p. s. I do own other pocket watches (about 50 of them), but I get such pleasure out of this one, that the other 49 simply will have to await their turn.

DaveK · Aug 14, 2022

Canuck
Another contribution to Elgin Saturday. A book end for @Alpha ’s handsome Elgin. Mine with the 24-hour vitreous enamel dial. I forgot to wind mine on Thursday, so it ran down on Friday in the early afternoon. Wound and set to my iPad on Friday afternoon, and at 17:30 hours on Saturday, it is 3 seconds slow. Back in my pocket, now, on its @DaveK mystery braid lanyard.

p. s. I do own other pocket watches (about 50 of them), but I get such pleasure out of this one, that the other 49 simply will have to await their turn.

It’s great to enjoy a new favourite now and again 👍

Alpha · Aug 16, 2022

My dearly departed old pal 😀

noelekal · Aug 16, 2022

He looked like a pocket watch wearing kind of a dog, Stuart. Very wise and dignified looking.

Waltesefalcon · Aug 24, 2022

My latest acquisition, a 1951 Hamilton 950b. This baby is a railroad grade watch, in 16 size, with 23 jewels, it is adjusted to six positions plus temperature and isochronism, it has a nice micrometer regulator, and while it is not as fancy looking as the earlier 950 movements I still find it handsome in a utilitarian way. The dial and case on this example are both very clean.

Canuck · Aug 24, 2022

For a very recent convert to pocket watches, @Waltesefalcon has certainly learned where to look and what to pick! The case is the style “A” model. No repair numbers inside the case back. That’s a +! Here’s what the pocketwatchdatabase.com says about it.

https://pocketwatchdatabase.com/search/result/hamilton/S11716

My 950B has an earlier S# than yours. Mine came with a melamine dial. It is now fitted with the same vitreous enamel, double-sunk beauty that is on yours. I have a grade 950 Hamilton. You are right about the 950B movement being plainer. But the 950B is a much nicer watch to work on. (I recently missed out on a 950E, darn it!)

ghce · Aug 24, 2022

Been looking at a 21 Jewel 992B Hamilton Railroad adjusted to 6 and temp but unfortunately I have spent too much recently on other watches and pw's and not really sure what prices should be for a 9.5/10 example the one locally for sale seems cheap but I don't know ....

Canuck · Aug 24, 2022

ghce
Been looking at a 21 Jewel 992B Hamilton Railroad adjusted to 6 and temp but unfortunately I have spent too much recently on other watches and pw's and not really sure what prices should be for a 9.5/10 example the one locally for sale seems cheap but I don't know ....

Prices on 992B models can be all over the yard. It’s easy to determine how much we wish to spend on a watch, but not so easy to judge condition of what is offered, unless you are able to get your hands on it. And also to have learned how to judge condition. The 992B is a much easier watch to work on than, say, a 992. Therefore, the 992B is less likely to have suffered at the hands of someone with a lower level of skill. If you are able, maybe upload a picture of the local one. Front view, inside case back, movement, and we can have a looksee.

DaveK · Aug 24, 2022

Waltesefalcon
My latest acquisition, a 1951 Hamilton 950b. This baby is a railroad grade watch, in 16 size, with 23 jewels, it is adjusted to six positions plus temperature and isochronism, it has a nice micrometer regulator, and while it is not as fancy looking as the earlier 950 movements I still find it handsome in a utilitarian way. The dial and case on this example are both very clean.

Nice! That’s a confident looking watch.

Waltesefalcon · Aug 24, 2022

Canuck
For a very recent convert to pocket watches, @Waltesefalcon has certainly learned where to look and what to pick! The case is the style “A” model. No repair numbers inside the case back. That’s a +! Here’s what the pocketwatchdatabase.com says about it.

https://pocketwatchdatabase.com/search/result/hamilton/S11716

My 950B has an earlier S# than yours. Mine came with a melamine dial. It is now fitted with the same vitreous enamel, double-sunk beauty that is on yours. I have a grade 950 Hamilton. You are right about the 950B movement being plainer. But the 950B is a much nicer watch to work on. (I recently missed out on a 950E, darn it!)

Thank you, but I wouldn't necessarily call me a recent convert, I've been collecting pocket watches for about thirty years. By comparison I onky bought my first wrist watch for myself a decade ago. In the past five years or so I have found a renewed passion for pocket watches as I have begun to focus on railroad watches.

A 950 has been on my must own list for awhile and I finally ran across one that ticked all the boxes for me. A 950E would be a neat one to acquire. I ran across a 992E while looking for a 950 for a good price, but I just had to have this 950B.

DaveK · Aug 24, 2022

ghce
Been looking at a 21 Jewel 992B Hamilton Railroad adjusted to 6 and temp but unfortunately I have spent too much recently on other watches and pw's and not really sure what prices should be for a 9.5/10 example the one locally for sale seems cheap but I don't know ....

9.5/10 will probably be USD $350 - $550, depending on many factors as noted by @Canuck. A Montgomery dial and/or one labeled Railway Special will be in the higher end. Earlier models are prettier, later models have less finishing etc etc

noelekal · Aug 31, 2022

Showing some love for DaveK lanyards in this thread, in all the colors collected so far.

Also showing some love for DaveK for sending me the neato late 1940s size 12(?) Elgin 17-jewel seen on his nice black pocket watch lanyard here. It's a thin model, runs nicely and looks sharp on the new black lanyard that came in the package.

The green lanyard was not anticipated for until DaveK created it, it was only a fantasy lanyard notion I had for the yellow gold filled Illinois Sangamo Special which looks fabulous wearing it.

The blue lanyard is correct in my opinion for white gold or silver pocket watches and I've worn it on both white gold and silver watches already. Shown on a Elgin B. W. Raymond with white gold case.

Doesn't that oxblood lanyard look dreamy on the Illinois Capitol with its rose gold filled case?!

Just don't be inattentive to how you store the lanyards within your pocket watch case as I was for they will react with solid silver pocket watch cases such as this Waltham hunter.

OOOooo ... that's gonna leave a mark!

UncleBuck · Aug 31, 2022

Alpha
My dearly departed old pal 😀
[/QUOTE

Sandy?
Surely you mean the watch!

Alpha · Aug 31, 2022

UncleBuck

Sandy?
Surely you mean the watch!

Sandy I am afraid, a few months ago his age caught up with him 🙁
Many happy memories to help us through his departure.

UncleBuck · Aug 31, 2022

Alpha
Many happy memories to help us through his departure.

A wee dram in his memory.

Hope they think as highly of us, Eh, Stuart?

Slainte !

ghce · Aug 31, 2022

ghce
Been looking at a 21 Jewel 992B Hamilton Railroad adjusted to 6 and temp but unfortunately I have spent too much recently on other watches and pw's and not really sure what prices should be for a 9.5/10 example the one locally for sale seems cheap but I don't know ....

A recent purchase a nice Montgomery dialed pocket watch, though I am still in the hunt for that 992B, the story is not yet finished

Canuck · Aug 31, 2022

The memory of a bad purchase will last a lot longer than the memory of the price you paid for a watch you really want. Keep your successes and dump your failures. That’s how to build a collection.

Canuck · Sep 1, 2022

John Ruskin had another way of looking at things. Particularly, buying because the price was low, but never being happy with it.

"When you pay too much, you lose a little money - that is all. When you pay too little, you sometimes lose everything, because the thing you bought is incapable of doing the thing it was bought to do."