What Pocket Watch did you buy recently?

ghce · Aug 2, 2022

Dont know why we havent got this thread especially when I have bought 6 of them this week.

Here is my latest one bought tonight.

I have no clue what it is other than the seller says it sets and works.

With the blued iron case I suspect military? but really I have no clue.

Wont know more till it arrives in my hands.

and these 2 yesterday

The first one an English movement which from the case seems to be 1874 though it does seem to be an older styled movement when compared to other English movements I have from the same period, the second one an English cased Waltham from the end of 1885

DaveK · Aug 2, 2022

Nice! Would you share the other 3 as well?

ghce · Aug 3, 2022

DaveK
Nice! Would you share the other 3 as well?

Only have photos of this one at the moment an oversized 57 mm watch, this is at my WM with a broken pinion on the sub seconds wheel, others are at my WM.

ghce · Aug 15, 2022

Just bought this tonight.

Seller pic

Canuck · Aug 15, 2022

I bought 3 pocket watches late last year. Well, to tell the truth, I had them given to me, but I insisted that I pay for this particular one, but that I didn’t want the other two. “All or nothing”, was the reply. So for my money, I got three watches, two with chains.

The gold coloured one is an Electa, made by a firm associated with Gallet. It came with a 48” long chain which (I found out) was 10-karat gold. It is a private label for the jeweller Porte & Markle of Winnipeg, Manitoba, and is from prior to 1910. It is a favourite. When I found out that the chain weighed 16+ grams and had scrap value of close to $500.00 (Cdn), I phoned the seller and gave the chain back to him.

The silver one is a private label for Stewart Dawson, the jeweller in Liverpool. The case is sterling, it is a key wind, key set, jewelled lever, no fusee, and the date letter is for 1883-84. It came with the chain shown which weighs 66 grams. I have added the Canadian silver 50 cent piece which is in a gold coin frame. This watch and chain was part of the deal, but I only paid for the Porte & Markle.

The third watch is a junker duplex escapement 19th century junker in a gold colour hunting case. It has been binned!

ghce · Aug 15, 2022

Canuck
I bought 3 pocket watches late last year. Well, to tell the truth, I had them given to me, but I insisted that I pay for this particular one, but that I didn’t want the other two. “All or nothing”, was the reply. So for my money, I got three watches, two with chains.

The gold coloured one is an Electa, made by a firm associated with Gallet. It came with a 48” long chain which (I found out) was 10-karat gold. It is a private label for the jeweller Porte & Markle of Winnipeg, Manitoba, and is from prior to 1910. It is a favourite. When I found out that the chain weighed 16+ grams and had scrap value of close to $500.00 (Cdn), I phoned the seller and gave the chain back to him.

The silver one is a private label for Stewart Dawson, the jeweller in Liverpool. The case is sterling, it is a key wind, key set, jewelled lever, no fusee, and the date letter is for 1883-84. It came with the chain shown which weighs 66 grams. I have added the Canadian silver 50 cent piece which is in a gold coin frame. This watch and chain was part of the deal, but I only paid for the Porte & Markle.

The third watch is a junker duplex escapement 19th century junker in a gold colour hunting case. It has been binned!

What a lovely set, nice to see fairness and honesty in action, a rare commodity these days.
I am often perplexed as to why some pocket watches come to market especially those sold by family members where the item probably has a lot of memories attached to it. A point in case is one I purchased from an antique dealer in non working condition in the late 80's, British movement and sterling case beautifully inscribed with the owners name, a name that was very much associated with the province I was living in at that time with a local jewelers marked movement and dial identifying it more closely to the region and family name of that area.
I restored it all to proper working order but I have often thought to chase up the family and offer it back to them, perhaps it's just me but I think some items are family heirlooms that should stay in a family.

Canuck · Aug 15, 2022

About 20 years ago, the subject watch was brought to me for repair estimate. I phoned an estimate to the owner which he declined. He never picked the watch up! Fast forward to earlier this year, and I was trolling through a pending box, and found this watch. I did the repair the owner had declined, and added the watch to my collection. There was a name and phone number on the repair envelope, so I phoned and asked for the chap, to be told by his wife that he had passed away. I told her about the watch, and sent her pictures. I offered the watch to the family for the price of the original quotation. Her son picked it up and paid me. The watch had been presented to his grandfather by a lodge in Ireland, early in the 20th century. The watch might have made a decent addition to my collection, but my conscience rests easy now that it is back where it belongs.

ghce · Aug 17, 2022

Arrived today.
Not sure of the year yet but some one has incised 1950 inside the case back.
Very clean and well finished movement that is running very well.
53 mm diameter.
Calibre MST407.
Apparently this calibre surfaced around 1953.

Found another on eBay https://www.ebay.com/itm/255616164263

Canuck · Aug 20, 2022

MST is the Meyer & Studeli Medana watch company. Associated with Roamer. Here is some background on the company.

http://roamer-watches.info/history1.shtml

ghce · Aug 21, 2022

Canuck
MST is the Meyer & Studeli Medana watch company. Associated with Roamer. Here is some background on the company.

http://roamer-watches.info/history1.shtml

I have quite a large Roamer wristwatch collection, mostly from the early 60's and concentrating on the 44 jeweled MST436 and 437 but with some 471's as well and a spattering of others old to new but this is my first pocket watch Roamer they probably aren't rare like the 44's but it was the first one I have seen.

Roamer unlike many other brands had the distinction of making every thing in house rather than subbed out to other companies.

CalgaryJim · Nov 10, 2024

Bought this 1919 Elgin from a local reputable pawn shop whose owner is a watch enthusiast.

Canuck · Nov 10, 2024

My most recent acquisition came to me for an estimate for repair. It needed a LOT of work! He declined the repair and told me I could keep the watch for parts. When he came to pick up another watch which I did repair, I told him I would feel better if I paid him something for it. Considering I had quoted him $550.00 for the required repair, he was glad to accept $50.00 for it. He wasn’t a collector, and wasn’t sentimental about it. The watch is an 1877 model Waltham, 18-size, excellent gold filled hunter case, an 11 jewel movement marked Royal Robbins (the guy who rescued Waltham and made it prosperous), pristine vitreous enamel dial. The watch was made circa 1883.

It needed a balance staff, a foot hole jewel, mainspring, glass, and two hands. Within a few days, I had it done because I had all the required parts on hand.

ghce · Nov 10, 2024

This was my last purchase, about a month ago.
Normally I would keep my eye out for US RR grade PW but who can resist a working Chronograph in a Sterling Silver case and at a bargain of a price!

Minerva Cal 19.9-CH

ghce · Nov 19, 2024

Keep forgetting about this thread, and I started it apparently 😟
My purchase from 2 days ago.
Note the similarity to the above, only difference other than the case number is the Arabic markers.

Minerva Cal 19.9-CH

ghce · Nov 21, 2024

The above Minerva Cal 19.9-CH chronograph arrived in early this morning so I took it off to my watchmaker 20 minutes later for him to find a replacement centre seconds hand, 20 minutes later he texted to say all completed.

Perfect! And working like it should.

US$60.00 for a Sterling Silver Chronograph with perfect case, dial and hands plus a token small charge for supply and fitting the correct second hand ( another $10.00) and a bit of elbow grease with a silver polish wipe and you couldn't find a happier PW collector than me today.

2 X Minerva Cal 19.9-CH

Canuck · Nov 21, 2024

I may have mentioned this one before. I didn’t buy it! I resurrected it out of a jumble of scrap watches that I have. I liked the dial, the movement needed much work, and the case was, well, a basket case. The movement needed a balance staff, foot hole jewel in setting, mainspring, crystal, and conditioning. I had on hand all the parts I needed, and I had a better case. I fixed it up, replaced the case, and wore it quite a lot for several months. It ended up in my vault, until one of the local railroad historic group asked me if I had a watch for sale. I quoted a price to scare him off, but he bought it! It is an 18-size Elgin from circa 1908. It has a 24-hour Canadian dial, 15-jewels, patent regulator, and it is a good runner, and within one minute per week (not railroad approved model). I enjoyed it while I had it, and it only cost me sweat equity.

ghce · Nov 23, 2024

Locally there has been a flush of Sterling PW's hitting the market and generally at low prices.
When I first started (restarted) collecting PW's in the 1980's it was accepted back then that many had been scrapped for their silver content, more so than gold perhaps, though when I first started collecting back in the late 60's and early 70's gold was only $30.00 and ounce and probably the ratio of silver to gold prices wasn't as extreme as it is now.
So I am pleased and heartened to see so many Silver PW's are still out there and can be had for bargain prices! Often for less than their Silver scrap value, the same does not apply for PW chains and Silver chains which often exceed scrap values by multiples of 10.

Canuck · Nov 23, 2024

One of my most recent acquisitions (3 years ago) is an English private label pocket watch for Stewart Dawson, Liverpool. He had numerous stores throughout the Commonwealth. The case is sterling, and it came with a sterling chain that weighs 66 grams! That’s over 2 ounces, Troy! I got the watch for free! It needed a bunch of work, but I was surprised the guy who gave to me (it was also given to him!), didn’t scrap it rather than to give it away. To me, it’s worth more as a watch and chain than the pocket change I’d have gotten had I scrapped it!

ghce · Nov 23, 2024

Canuck
One of my most recent acquisitions (3 years ago) is an English private label pocket watch for Stewart Dawson, Liverpool. He had numerous stores throughout the Commonwealth. The case is sterling, and it came with a sterling chain that weighs 66 grams! That’s over 2 ounces, Troy! I got the watch for free! It needed a bunch of work, but I was surprised the guy who gave to me (it was also given to him!), didn’t scrap it rather than to give it away. To me, it’s worth more as a watch and chain than the pocket change I’d have gotten had I scrapped it!

Many Stewart Dawson shops here to in NZ, the retail chain still exists here in NZ!
Many Steward Dawson badged PW's and wall clocks etc come up for sale second hand here, mostly Swiss lever and the like for PW but probably Waltham and others too.

Canuck · Nov 23, 2024

ghce
Many Stewart Dawson shops here to in NZ, the retail chain still exists here in NZ!
Many Steward Dawson badged PW's and wall clocks etc come up for sale second hand here, mostly Swiss lever and the like for PW but probably Waltham and others too.

This one has an English movement in it. The date letter in the case back s 1883-84. Many English pocket watches from this era have fusee movements in them. This one (thankfully) is not equipped with a fusee. Being Canadian, I’d not heard of the firm before. Thanks for the info.

What Pocket Watch did you buy recently?

ghce

DaveK

ghce

ghce

Canuck

ghce

Canuck

ghce

Canuck

ghce

CalgaryJim

Canuck

ghce

ghce

ghce

Canuck

ghce

Canuck

ghce

Canuck

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