pocket watch

[St. George]

Quality Gear Question
« Reply #9 on: June 03, 2010, 07:02:08 am »     

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Older pocket watches abound in antique malls and at antique shows - try there, first.

Once cleaned and oiled properly - they're as good as new - even the really old ones, and I know a guy who's an old watchmaker, and he works on any of my new acquisitions.

The one I carry is a 'lever-set transitional' made in 1884 by the Illinois Watch Co. - with glass on both sides of the case, so the works can be viewed - it keeps better time than my Rolex.

Vaya,

Scouts Out!

[GunClick Rick]

If your tinker is still accepting repairs, please get me the contact info.

Thanks

Boy looks like it may be a dieing art,i called and the ole boy finally retired,Plunketts coin shop here in town told me they can't find anyone lately and that's where i got my pocket watch and chain 2 years ago

[Rube Burrows]

If your tinker is still accepting repairs, please get me the contact info.

Thanks

Boy looks like it may be a dieing art,i called and the ole boy finally retired,Plunketts coin shop here in town told me they can't find anyone lately and that's where i got my pocket watch and chain 2 years ago

I have a very good Pocket Watch repair man in Louisiana. Let me know if anyone needs the number.

[Curley Cole]

here is a watch my wife inherited when parents passed


curley

[Fox Creek Kid]

...The one I carry is a 'lever-set transitional' made in 1884 by the Illinois Watch Co. - with glass on both sides of the case, so the works can be viewed - it keeps better time than my Rolex...

Illinois Watch Co. Little known today but they made in the 1920's what many collectors believe was THE greatest watch ever made in America: the Consul.

It is sad that few people know that from the late 1800's through the mid 1900's the USA was the leader in watch production in the  world and had at that time surpased even the lauded Swiss in quality & precision. Those days are long gone. 

[St. George]

Way back when, Sears, Roebuck even sold a watch repairman's tools and instruction booklets, if you'd wanted to take that up as your new line of work once you'd figured out that cowboying and hide hunting just wasn't your cup of tea.

Vaya,

Scouts Out!

[StrawHat]

Way back when, Sears, Roebuck even sold a watch repairman's tools and instruction booklets, if you'd wanted to take that up as your new line of work once you'd figured out that cowboying and hide hunting just wasn't your cup of tea.

Vaya,

Scouts Out!

Oh great, another get rich slow scheme!  I have one now that I have just about perfected into a get rich never scheme.  Herself will kill me!

[shrapnel]

I wear this one in my vest pocket with the chain through a buttonhole and the Silver Dollar in the vest pocket on the other side. There are 2 elk ivories that hang as decorations on the chain, a great look with original watch and Morgan Dollar that is mounted in another original 18K gold watch frame...

[St. George]

No doubt about it - the original stuff's best - that's why all of my stuff's from the era.

Nice watch and chain.

Vaya,

Scouts Out!

[Tascosa Joe]

If all y'all are still looking for watch repairmen, I have 2 that I have used recently that are pretty good.

Chester Hales, Flea Market Antiques, Claude, Texas

Maxie Lismon at Panhandle, Texas

Both do quality work. 

[Kent Shootwell]

My Waltham and how I wear it.

[GunClick Rick]

Nice fobs.

[HL Hunley]

I'm new, and trying to research and gather bits. I really want a pocket watch, because it's a combo of practical (if it still tells time!) and a piece of the Past. The character I'm building would be wealthy enough to have one.

But there aren't many suitable watches out there - and my definition of suitable at its base includes "reproduction that can be lost/destroyed, is cheap".

Yesterday I found a pretty good one. $35.  Others might find it useful too. Yes, it's a Chinese Cheapy. Yes, I have not received it yet. But I still think it fits the bill...

It's a repro of a Swiss Bovet 1882 model. It has the very basics down: Roman Numerals, Separate Second hand and sub-face. It is stem winding, but by 1882 this is A-OK from what I can tell. (Stem winding was apparently available mid 1850s, but reserved for Ultra Rich Types, even through the Civil War). See what you think, and when it arrives, I'll let you know first hand. Supposedly this has real glass and not plastic, and is actually mechanical.





http://www.aliexpress.com/snapshot/105299245.html

I've bought one other thing from this group, they don't charge you until you confirm delivery. But definitely, Buyer Beware. Hope it helps.

[GunClick Rick]

There was a nice one, replica, on the sass wire classifieds a couple days ago,it was a stem wind also..Just FYI

[RickB]

I'm new, and trying to research and gather bits. I really want a pocket watch, because it's a combo of practical (if it still tells time!) and a piece of the Past. The character I'm building would be wealthy enough to have one.

But there aren't many suitable watches out there - and my definition of suitable at its base includes "reproduction that can be lost/destroyed, is cheap".

Yesterday I found a pretty good one. $35.  Others might find it useful too. Yes, it's a Chinese Cheapy. Yes, I have not received it yet. But I still think it fits the bill...

It's a repro of a Swiss Bovet 1882 model. It has the very basics down: Roman Numerals, Separate Second hand and sub-face. It is stem winding, but by 1882 this is A-OK from what I can tell. (Stem winding was apparently available mid 1850s, but reserved for Ultra Rich Types, even through the Civil War). See what you think, and when it arrives, I'll let you know first hand. Supposedly this has real glass and not plastic, and is actually mechanical.





http://www.aliexpress.com/snapshot/105299245.html

I've bought one other thing from this group, they don't charge you until you confirm delivery. But definitely, Buyer Beware. Hope it helps.

Please keep us informed with how your watch turns out. At this price, and if the pictures are what you get then I would be interested in buying one for my outfit as well.

It would be nice to have a watch like that in my collection. Thanks for sharing this.

[HL Hunley]

No worries, will let you know. It is reported shipped, so sometime in the next 2 weeks I should have it.

I try to buy local and US, but sometimes it's about availability and price - not just a few dollars, but I really can't justify $200+ for this!

Found this excellent real antique watch, 1880, but it's sold...and it went for $12,500. But it looks similar to my repro, so I think my $35 is not a bad buy...

[StrawHat]

Mighty fancy watch!  Month, day, date, seconds and the hour, I can see why an original would be 5 digits!!  When it was made it was probably several hundred dollars and owned by someone making way more than hired hand wages. 

A watch like I showed currently sells for between $150 and $250, and origianlly was $5-$15. 

Yours looks like a very nice watch.

[Highlander999]

Here is one of my old Waltham watches with chain and 14kt carved Masonic Fob.  I just bought a Hampden Wm McKiinley Hunter Cased watch, I'll post as soon as I get a picture.

[HL Hunley]

Nice pic! I just bought a Waltham as well, 1883, only $91 on eBay. It works! Unfortunately I'm an idiot.

I thought I had a bargain and would get it cleaned to make sure all is well...but apparently cleaning requires disassembly, lubricating, and reassembly (assuming parts aren't worn). If I pursue this avenue, I will spend about $500 more... I should have spent $350-500 on a restored one! But I'm not telling my wife.

[St. George]

A regular 'Disassembly, Clean and Oil' has never cost me more than $50 - with parts being extra, though I've never needed anything more than a spring or a crystal.

Parts abound for Elgins and Walthams - all you need to find is an old, semi-retired watch repairman, and his name's likely to be found at your town's oldest jewelry store.

Good Luck!

Vaya,

Scouts Out!