The Pocket Watch Gallery

A place to show and discuss your vintage watches
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Kip
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Re: The Pocket Watch Gallery

Post by Kip »

Richard B wrote:That and the fact my Dad gave it to me when I was fourteen years old.
You don't need any more connection than this. A wonderful piece......treasure it. 8)
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Re: The Pocket Watch Gallery

Post by CrabbyMcNab »

Possible 1908 Waltham; haven't found a model yet. More research is needed. The movement does not have a model name printed on it.
Came from my Maternal Grandmother (1918 - 2010). Yup, she had a good run and most likely visited a couple places where some other members live!

Let me know if anyone has more information:
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Re: The Pocket Watch Gallery

Post by vikingdrvr »

Try putting the s/n in this database:
http://www.nawcc-info.org/WalthamDB/walsernum.htm
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Re: The Pocket Watch Gallery

Post by bspj »

Vendage 2,000 so a recent watch!
This morning I was at a disciplinary tribunal before going back to the bedlam of school holiday club. I think it's important to look reasonably smart, so I wore my modern pocket watch:
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I hope that you like it.....I enjoy wearing it.
Steve
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Re: The Pocket Watch Gallery

Post by Wis »

I'm taking the liberty of re-posting this from another thread. I hope you won't mind.

My father collected pocket watches. When he died in 1980 my mother stuffed them in a drawer. Now they have come to me and my brother, as she doesn't see a point in them being hidden away. I'm not into pocket watches, although I have one given to me by my father - which I shall keep of course. The rest I intend to sell to fund my interest in wrist watches. :D
Below is the lot. I've done some Internet research, and have come up with some information. I'm hoping the combined knowledge and wisdom of the asylum can help me further. How do I get more information on the ones where I don't know much? What could they be worth? How do I best sell them? Not too keen on the bay. By the way - they're all ticking merrily away when wound.

I hope you enjoy the pictures.

First up is an IWC (Internation Watch Co., Schaffhausen). The case seems to be silver 0,800. Based on movement number, 615045, it seems to date from 1915: http://www.brittonswatches.com/watches_iwc_dates.htm.

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Next up is an Elgin, movement no. 14172160, which dates it to 1909. Movement is beautifully decorated, marked No.349 and adjusted to five positions. Caseback is marked Wadsworth Referee warranted 20 years, which makes me believe it is gold filled.

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Here is a rather nice Hamilton. The case is decorated around the edges. Case back is marked Keystone Victory 10K Roled Gold Plate. Movement is nicely decorated, 21 Jewels and adjusted to five positions. It is also marked Double Roller and 992. Movement no. is 1627328, which dates it to 1919: http://www.pocketwatchsite.com/hamiltonserials.html.

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The next one is a mystery. It's a ladies watch, has a 40mm diameter. The dial is highly decorated, but no makers name. The case is marked 18K, so solid gold. It is also marked Thomson London, which I'm not sure is makers name or an owners name, but probably a maker. Case maker? Rather nice movement bridges.Winds with a key, which I don't have. So this one I don't know if works. The movement cover is marked 12147 DS, and a C under the DS. Could mean something I guess. No movement no. I can see, or any other markings on the movement.

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Here is a rather nice Hamilton. The case is decorated around the edges. Case back is marked Keystone Victory 10K Roled Gold Plate. Movement is nicely decorated, 21 Jewels and adjusted to five positions. It is also marked Double Roller and 992. Movement no. is 1627328, which dates it to 1919: http://www.pocketwatchsite.com/hamiltonserials.html.

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Now we come to an interesting one. Seems to be silver 0,800. No name on the dial, which has minute markers, numbers going from 12 to 24 where normally it goes from 12 to 6, and numbers going from 24 to 1 and up to 12 where normally it goes from 6 to 12. And then even another scale from 1 to 12 on the right side of the dial. What sort of use is this intended for?
Both case and movement is marked with a lion and shield. On the shield is a cross with an N on either side, standing on a mound. Elsewhere is also what appears to be a Star of David? I can't see a movement number.
Interestingly the movement has finger bridges, which IWC used! Unfortunately, the moderator on the IWC forum writes:
"This finger bridge design was extremely common throughout Switzerland in the early 20th century, and wasn't just made by IWC. The differences are subtle, but to me the tell-tale difference is the points on the bridges. All of the IWC finger bridge calibres had the sharper tips and most or all of the other ones did not." (http://www.iwc.com/forum/en/discussion/8005/)
Too bad.

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Here is one which has unusual decorations. The make is Viking. I couldn't find any real information about this make on the net. To me the engravings on the case has a definite art deco flavour, the same goes for the golden dial. Yet there is something not art deco about is as well.
Quoting Wikipedia: "A hunter-case pocket watch is the kind with a spring-hinged circular metal lid or cover, that closes over the watch-dial and crystal, protecting them from dust, scratches and other damage or debris. The majority of antique and vintage hunter-case watches have the lid-hinges at the 9 o'clock position and the stem, crown and bow of the watch at the 3 o'clock position. Modern hunter-case pocket watches usually have the hinges for the lid at the 6 o'clock position and the stem, crown and bow at the 12 o'clock position, as with open-face watches."
So, most likely a vintage hunter-case, not modern. Still, I don't know at what year modern begins!
I haven't been able to open the case back, so no knowledge about movement.

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This one is a 14K Invar hunter-case. From the net (http://brassgoggles.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=32095.0): "The Invar watch company was founded in 1901 by Achille Hirsch in Le Chaux de Fonds, but they didnt' register the name until 1925. The timing of the company's founding is interesting, because Invar (the material) was only invented in 1896. Mr. Hirsch was a rather prolific watch distributor around the turn of the century, who registered literally hunderds of trademarks, so to some degree this watch represents an attempt to profit from the new material. Around that time, there was a fairly large industry in what's known as "Swiss Fakes"...low-grade swiss watches that were meant to look like better quality watches. One of the ways these "Swiss Fakes" kept costs down was to not use the split bi-metallic balance wheels that better quality watches used to help offset temperature differences. The new Invar material made the split bi-metallic balance obsolete, but looked similar to the cheap balances used by the swiss fakes. So branding the watch "Invar" meant that the consumer didn't have to worry about that."
Also from the same source: "Invar, if memory serves, is a metal alloy with an unusually low coefficient of thermal expansion (that is, it doesn't grow or shrink much when it gets hot or cold). Its use in key components of a watchworks means the watch will not change speed significantly with changes in temperature. Apparently it can also make the watch less susceptible to interference from strong magnetic fields."
And for the very interested, here is Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Invar. A small taste from this article: "Invar, also known generically as FeNi36 (64FeNi in the US), is a nickel steel alloy notable for its uniquely low coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE or α). The name, Invar, comes from the word invariable, referring to its lack of expansion or contraction with temperature changes. It was invented in 1896 by Swiss scientist Charles Édouard Guillaume. He received the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1920 for this discovery, which enabled improvements in scientific instruments."

Couldn't get it open to inspect the movement.

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Omega. It looks and feels old. As you can see it is a front loader, and to open the movement on its hinge you have to pull the crown out to release the stem. The movement number is 4446759, which dates it to between 1910 and 1915: http://www.omegawatches.com/pdf/movement.pdf.
The watch is quite thick, 17mm, and has a large diameter, 50mm.

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A big boy this Elgin - 22mm thick and a diameter of close to 60mm! Keystone Silveroid case. "Silveroid" appears to have been the standard name for an alloy that consists of 45% nickel, 54% copper and 1% manganese. Other names for the same alloy was Silverore, Silverode or Silverine. This alloy was fairly hard wearing and could withstand the rigors of everyday use.
Movement number is 14072557, giving it a production year of 1908.

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Now a seemingly anonymous, rather generic watch. But is it?
It has an outer case back, and an inner. On the inner is this inscription:

Remontoir
Ancre levees visibles
double plateau
balancier compense coupe
Spiral Breguet
15 rubis

Obviously something about the movement. Could someone translate?
The case seems to be silver 0,800. It is also marked JWC.
Movement number is 147103, and there is a small mark that says JWC. I've seen on the NAWCC (National Association of Watch & Clock Collectors) site someone claim that "The JWC signature was used by IWC between 1895 and 1905." I don't know, but it seems strange that the dial is unsigned if it is an IWC. But then again it seems to have been the case sometimes: http://www.iwc.com/forum/en/discussion/29809/. If so, it would be consistent with the movement number, which - if it is an IWC - places it between 1895 and 1900 (http://www.brittonswatches.com/watches_iwc_dates.htm).

EDIT It is definitely an IWC! This is documented on various web sites, by IWC specialists.

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Lastly a James Reid & Co Coventry. Dial marked Swiss. Wound by key. Sterling silver (935). That's all I know. Can't see the movement, so no number.

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There. Finished. Hope you enjoyed seeing them.
Bjørn
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Re: The Pocket Watch Gallery

Post by bspj »

What a lovely collection!
Steve
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Re: The Pocket Watch Gallery

Post by Amor Vincit Omnia »

That's a wonderful set, Bjørn...great photos and descriptions too. Thank you.
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Kip
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Re: The Pocket Watch Gallery

Post by Kip »

Thank you for sharing a wonderful collection. Your descriptions and information are excellent!!

I enjoyed reading about your watches. 8)
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Re: The Pocket Watch Gallery

Post by asqwerth »

Beautiful pocket watches, Bjorn!

I especially love the elaborate hands on the Omega.
C5As~FLE12R~W61~C60GMT~FLE15~SC
Orion33/Tetra2~BallEH~Montblanc~Tudor BB36~Archimede36~Damasko~Revue T~BremontSolo37~MJW
Vintage~Bulova23~Polerouter~Wittnauer~Longines~Omega~Soumar~Eterna~Gruen

Quartz~Matisse~FLE17~Ebel~Citizen
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Re: The Pocket Watch Gallery

Post by Seamaster »

Nothing special, got it off a mate when his uncle died, but I like it

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Re: The Pocket Watch Gallery

Post by Waerla »

Just to tie in with the Forum, a real Russell movement working well and keeping excellent time without a service. Chronometer with hacking 'slide' and formerly resident in a Hunter case (3 o'clock winder) often referred to as a Doctor's watch. Unfortunately the case went to the smelter but I managed to save the movement, now if only I was an engineer...

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When I get a chance I'll add some more of my Pocket watches.
C1 'Russell' , C4 'Peregrine', C40-IPK 'Speedhawk', C5 FLE #62/75, C5A, C60, C60 GMT, C7, C70 GB #150/200, C70 VW4 #427/1957, C70 'HRDC', C11 'HRDC', C11 Extreme #408/1000, C80 UK, C80 US
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Re: The Pocket Watch Gallery

Post by tikkathree »

There are some lovely watches in this thread, keep 'em coming guys :clap: :clap:
C60 MKI, MKII, MKIII: "some",
C6 & C60 Kingfishers,
C600 Tritechs,
C63 "some",
C65 "some",
C4, C40, C8, C9, C3, C5, C20 & 23FLE
Some other brands
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Re: The Pocket Watch Gallery

Post by Waerla »

As promised some more Photos, this time a pair of Railroad Grade watches one from Waltham and one from Hamilton

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First the Waltham Vanguard 23 Jewels S/n 32056431 dating it to 1943-44

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Secondly the Hamilton 992B in a #15 SS case C368963 dating it to 1950-51

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Enjoy, but no drooling, it makes them rusty :lol:
C1 'Russell' , C4 'Peregrine', C40-IPK 'Speedhawk', C5 FLE #62/75, C5A, C60, C60 GMT, C7, C70 GB #150/200, C70 VW4 #427/1957, C70 'HRDC', C11 'HRDC', C11 Extreme #408/1000, C80 UK, C80 US
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Re: The Pocket Watch Gallery

Post by bspj »

It is that time of year again....
Weddings, garden parties, a certain horse racing venue, etc.
So out came the morning coat:
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and with it, Grandfather's watch and chain......
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The main fob, featuring Scottish Masonic Emblems is inscribed verso to the effect that it was a gift for being lodge treasurer.
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But I think it was really slaughtering more sacrificial goats than anyone else in one secret meeting!


The watch is by Kays of Worcester.
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Ironically, the chain and fobs are very much more valuable than the watch!
Steve
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Re: The Pocket Watch Gallery

Post by werru »

All of the vintage watches with simple dials and fine workmanship, from its case to every parts of its movement are worth collecting. :thumbup:
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