This is a Hamilton 992B that I serviced for a client, a number of years ago. The process was photographed for a series I was doing for a watch magazine. I offer it here FWIW.
Excellent photo essay Canuck, thank you for posting this And I'd like to say it's wonderful to see that you complexity disassembled the movement. Most watch repairers won't bother to disassemble the balance cock and will just remove the balance and wash it fully assembled.
Like taking a shower with your clothes on. The 992B is much easier to work on than many of the earlier American watches with their inset cap jewels in their settings. I might post a few more.
When you have time, please do. Pocket watches don't see as much popularity as they should. Even if you don't plan to carry one, it's good to have at least one nice example in a collection.
Servicing pocket watches where you don't have any problems can be boring . Have you done any that were a real challenge, or examples of someone's previous attempts at "servicing" that you had to rectify?
I am not a magician, so there is a limit to the extent I will go before I turn down a repair. One that comes to mind was about 35 years ago. I met a CPR locomotive engineer who had hi Hamilton 992B serviced by a local watch inspector (to use the term loosely). I was told the watch had been back to the shop numerous times, and the best they could do was a variation of about 35 seconds per day. I brought the watch to my shop, and opened it. I spied what I thought might be the problem, right off. The Breguet overcoil hairspring was obviously off centre. I pulled the hairspring and checked the wheel for poise. It was okay. I fitted the hairspring to the balance cock, and the picture shows what I found. The collet was about 0.2 mm off centre. A simple adjustment to the overcoil sorted out the problem. Put it back together, and cleaned it, and tested it in wear over a week. I returned it to him. Several weeks later, I asked him how it was doing. He had not allowed it to run down, and when he checked his usual time signal that morning, it was 7 seconds out.
Pocket watches are such a huge chapter of horological history. I have the required total of one but I do admire them! Eight adjustments on this one.
I have a twin to yours. One small difference. The detent screw on the Elgin 571 was a notorious weak spot. The threaded portion of the screw often broke off over time. That happened with mine. As expected, the part is no longer available. However, there is a 17-jewel, 16-size model that is pendant set, and the lever set parts can be replaced with pendant set parts. Twenty years ago, S. LaRose (out of business) from Greensboro, North Carolina, had a kit that made it possible to convert a lever set grade 571, to stem set. So I did that with mine.
My friend and jeweller offered me this one - or it goes to the crucible... I have not committed to it yet...
Worth rescuing it appears. Since you have seen the watch, you should know a whole lot more about it than the photos reveal to us on the MB. In remarkable condition for a watch that is 124 years old. It would be a shame to see it goes to the melt. Let us know what you decide. Probably worth a couple grand as scrap. Do you have the appetite for it at that price?
Fixed that for you. Any properly trained, competent watchmaker will fully disassemble the movement for cleaning.
The box hinge case alone is worth the price. They're becoming harder to find in good condition. Add to that a 60 second chrono and it's hard to say no.
