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What caliber movement of this H Moser chrono?
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CLA05
·Haven’t a clue but very cool!!
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Foo2rama
··Nowhere near as grumpy as he used to be...My guess is early Venus ?
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sheepdoll
·It is hard to get a sense of scale. I have been researching my chronographs and stopwatch timers. I may have 25 in various states of existence, with a case and a timer on the way from eBay. I have been falling asleep the last few evenings with B Humbert's 'The Chronograph.' And will do so again shortly.
The plate layout would suggest as @Foo2rama suggests Venus. Unlike the calendar watch book the chronograph book does not give caliber numbers. Instead it just shows plate layouts.
My first impression this was a large pocket watch object. I now seem to see a second lug at the 6 o'clock position. One would really need to look at the set bridge and any marks on the under dial side of the plate. There should be a base caliber somewhere on the movement, but it could be covered by a bridge.
Ranfft does seem to have a few gaps like the Valjoux 24 or the Venus 203. Possibly because these have different base calibers. A website called the watchguy has the Bestfit catalogs scanned, 1000 pages of movement refs (indexed by the set bridge shape) I just discovered half my Landeron 48s were actually Landeron 51s. Many of the parts are interchangeable. One of my Landeron 48s is actually a Valjoux 23, so it takes a bit of work to figure out the sub variants.
For the most part these chronos follow pretty much the B. Humbert and F. Lecoutre textbooks. Most of the differences seem to be in the hammer piece. B. Humbert states that these change a lot due to patents and attempts to make them easy to regulate. (Other than forging them on blocks of brass and lead with a wooden mallet, or filing the angles to a few hundredths of a millimeter.
-j
The plate layout would suggest as @Foo2rama suggests Venus. Unlike the calendar watch book the chronograph book does not give caliber numbers. Instead it just shows plate layouts.
My first impression this was a large pocket watch object. I now seem to see a second lug at the 6 o'clock position. One would really need to look at the set bridge and any marks on the under dial side of the plate. There should be a base caliber somewhere on the movement, but it could be covered by a bridge.
Ranfft does seem to have a few gaps like the Valjoux 24 or the Venus 203. Possibly because these have different base calibers. A website called the watchguy has the Bestfit catalogs scanned, 1000 pages of movement refs (indexed by the set bridge shape) I just discovered half my Landeron 48s were actually Landeron 51s. Many of the parts are interchangeable. One of my Landeron 48s is actually a Valjoux 23, so it takes a bit of work to figure out the sub variants.
For the most part these chronos follow pretty much the B. Humbert and F. Lecoutre textbooks. Most of the differences seem to be in the hammer piece. B. Humbert states that these change a lot due to patents and attempts to make them easy to regulate. (Other than forging them on blocks of brass and lead with a wooden mallet, or filing the angles to a few hundredths of a millimeter.
-j
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Rasputin
·A little further research appears to indicate my watch is a jumping minute chronograph. Here's one with what appears to be the same movement: https://www.1stdibs.com/jewelry/wat...jumping-minute-wristwatch-1920s/id-j_3284563/
This feature should narrow the scope of potential calibers.
This feature should narrow the scope of potential calibers.
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Rasputin
·
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sheepdoll
·That seems quite large. Most stopwatches are 16 to 19 lignes. This really does look like a repackaged pocket watch. looks to be lever set as well.
The Minerva watch I got over the weekend is about 17L. Has a huge movement ring. Minerva seems to be it's own brand. I was hoping it would be a Valjoux movement (but you get what you pay for.) The split seconds work, but the lap counter does not reset to zero. I wanted a cheap stopwatch for the case and pushers, but the Minerva movement is nice in it's own right.
-j
The Minerva watch I got over the weekend is about 17L. Has a huge movement ring. Minerva seems to be it's own brand. I was hoping it would be a Valjoux movement (but you get what you pay for.) The split seconds work, but the lap counter does not reset to zero. I wanted a cheap stopwatch for the case and pushers, but the Minerva movement is nice in it's own right.
-j
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Rasputin
·I discovered that Heinrich Moser was a Swiss watchmaker from the mid 1800s who founded the company in Russia. He apparently contributed to setting up IWC in its early years and helped make Schaffhausen a watchmaking town. He sold the company long ago but it’s now partly back under his great grandson’s ownership producing high end watches.
I acquired this watch from the prior owner who claimed he found it in a trash bin. It was apparent it was a diamond in the rough with what appeared to be remnants of the original strap still attached. The watch was likely independently created by H Moser and consequently parts needed to be fabricated. Finding a watchmaker stateside willing to restore it was challenging. However, Denis Carignan successfully brought it back to life and the watch is now ready for another 100+ years.
I acquired this watch from the prior owner who claimed he found it in a trash bin. It was apparent it was a diamond in the rough with what appeared to be remnants of the original strap still attached. The watch was likely independently created by H Moser and consequently parts needed to be fabricated. Finding a watchmaker stateside willing to restore it was challenging. However, Denis Carignan successfully brought it back to life and the watch is now ready for another 100+ years.
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DirtyDozen12
·A fantastic watch! It is great that you made the effort to get it restored. Thanks for sharing photos and information here.
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tinkercompanies
·H Moser & Cie used a variety of movements in their watches during that era, including their own calibers as well as movements from other manufacturers such as Valjoux and Landeron.
In terms of sourcing parts, your best bet would be to contact a reputable vintage watch repair specialist or a reputable watchmaker who has experience working on vintage H Moser watches. They may be able to help you identify the specific caliber and locate the necessary parts to restore the watch. You could also try reaching out to H Moser & Cie directly to see if they have any information or resources that could be of assistance.
In terms of sourcing parts, your best bet would be to contact a reputable vintage watch repair specialist or a reputable watchmaker who has experience working on vintage H Moser watches. They may be able to help you identify the specific caliber and locate the necessary parts to restore the watch. You could also try reaching out to H Moser & Cie directly to see if they have any information or resources that could be of assistance.