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Pocket watch help needed please

  1. Garv no longer a member of the terminally hip Dec 3, 2016

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    In going through some boxes at home, I found two pocket watches that are family pieces.
    The Illinois Watch Company piece was my great grandfather's and I was quite happily surprised to find it inside a box that had been tucked away in a closet from when I moved several years ago. I have looked for it on and off and couldn't for the life of me figure out where it ended up when I moved. The crystal is missing, but beyond that it appears to be in relatively good shape considering.
    Illinois watch front.JPG
    IL watch back.JPG

    The other watch was something we found among my mother's things after she passed away several years ago. I know nothing about whose watch it was. or anything about it.

    Washington watch front.JPG
    washington watch back.JPG

    Any advice on where to have them serviced and resources for researching them would be appreciated.
    Thanks in advance
     
  2. Fritz genuflects before the mighty quartzophobe Dec 3, 2016

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    Funny thing... they're likely both Illinois watches. Washington Watch was a Montgomery Ward store brand made for them by Illinois about 1873, if so, the watch is quite rare and possibly of some value. The lovely Illinois with the gothic face (always like that style) is more common.

    You'll need to get shots of the movements to tell more. If there's two seams around the side of the case its likely simple to unscrew the back.
    If there's only one seam around the case and its offset toward the front of the watch, its likely a swing out case. Pull the crown up a notch, unscrew the bezel and swing the movement up from the bottom edge (there's a notch in the case for your nail.) Having said that, I'd take them to a watchmaker who has experience with old pocket watches and have him open them up. Its too easy to screw it up with a swing out case. (I stay clear of 'em!)

    A replacement for the face on the Illinois is likely available from Daves watch parts on the web should you want to spruce it up a bit. Those enamel faces can't really be refinished.
     
  3. ulackfocus Dec 3, 2016

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    The best place to ask about these is www.vintagewatchforums.com where they have an Illinois watch subform.

    Enamel dials can sometimes be cleaned with SimpleGreen. Never replace an original unless it's totally destroyed, and that dial is in very good shape.
     
  4. Garv no longer a member of the terminally hip Dec 3, 2016

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    Thanks gents! I have looked, and both have seams so I'll have to work on unscrewing the backs to get movement shots.
    I appreciate the help