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sheepdoll
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So this morning I went down a rabbit hole due to this post https://omegaforums.net/threads/curious-number-1-inside-omega-symbol.34200/#post-388306 The link in that went to a collection of data sheets for most watch manufactures including Elgin. I have quite a few Elgin, parts but not a lot of Elgin wrist watches. There were also data sheets for some of the chronographs I have. I seem to have counted 25 or more last week (including stop watches.)
This thread is sort of a foot note to other threads I have active, the A11 and the Landeron 48 threads. Attempting to sort through stuff it is easy to get lost down this rabbit hole. One thing leads to another. One can spend hours tracking down an import mark, or find that a given watch of a given caliber has subtle variations. Some which are documented in data sheets. Other in old text books. What makes the chase so fun. Finding a part that fits is like winning an eBay auction, for free and no wait for shipping. Of course one then has to search eBay to find something similar. Especially when there are those three letter US tariff import codes.
When I sort through boxes of dust (which may contain watch parts.) sometimes the parts jump out or bi-locate through a temporal worm hole. This can also be affected by the magnets used to close cell phone case (and put the phone to sleep.) Other times it might be a wisp of air, what might escape from an old sealed box. Often when I find a part in a strange location, it goes onto a tray. These parts can also be really magnetic, which can cause them to attract other parts or repel the part one is looking for.
This effect also happens when I work on electronics. Watch parts tend to apear from out of no where when I am sweeping the floor for a dropped 1206 or 805 resistor. If one looks closely the inverse has happened. Actually I think that SMT part what is to the left of the cylinder escapement is a capacitor. It is also curious how many watch hands seem to jump through the worm hole. But never the hands you are looking for.
Ideally one should create an AI that can scan mixed lots of dust like this and identify what watch the part is compatible with. This has been discussed on the things with springs chat. Given that most of these parts are no longer manufactured, sorting them could be the most useful of things to do.
-j
