Let's See Your Watches! The Vintage Watch Thread.

[jamespowers]

Thanks, Tomasso!

Here's a quick question for all of you watch guys... When I'm winding a mechanical watch, do I wind it until the crown cannot move further, or stop before? Can this harm the movement?

I wind my pocket watches just until the crown cannot turn further; is this bad for a pocket watch? I'd think wristwatches are more sensitive, as they're smaller, and presumably more delicate?

Thanks,

I think you can wind it until you get resistance more than until you can't wind it any more. You can feel when it is about fully wound. The spring is meant to be wound full though so unless the spring is old and worn out from years of use---and you can't tell until you finally break it----then it should be fine. You'll like break the teeth on the ratchet wheel before you hurt the spring in a decent watch.

 

[Shangas]

Thanks, Tomasso!

Here's a quick question for all of you watch guys... When I'm winding a mechanical watch, do I wind it until the crown cannot move further, or stop before? Can this harm the movement?

I wind my pocket watches just until the crown cannot turn further; is this bad for a pocket watch? I'd think wristwatches are more sensitive, as they're smaller, and presumably more delicate?

Thanks,

Wind your watch til it don't wind no more, then let it run and don't wind it again for 24 hours. No harm at all. If your watch is serviced and clean, then you can wind it right up until the crown stops, and the watch should run automatically. If it doesn't do that, then your watch needs servicing.

 

[Unlucky Berman]

It arrived today, so here goes: It's a late 1920's white and yellow gold filled Bulova, 17j movement, decked out in full Art Deco glory.





Bought it from the very kind and helpful Bruno Park of Vintage Watch Restoration.

Cheers,

Cool looking watch. But I am not sure if the case is an original Bulova case or the dial was originally meant to be in that case. The edge and minute markers are rhomb-shaped while the case opening is a normal rectangle. It does not fit completely and that seems not typical to me because the corners fo the rhomb are cut off by the case and then on the upper and lower part there is too much space left between case and the markers edge. I would expect an opening shaped like rhomb too in the case and crystal (similiar to the Hamilton Turner like in this thread at the WTF: http://www.watchtalkforums.info/forums/hamilton-watch-forum/45453.htm)

It may be nonetheless an original vintage piece and even sold that way by a jeweler. It was typical in that time that some jewelers made their own creations and bought movements and dials from good brands and built them into socalled jobber cases to make something new. What also bothers me are the applied gold numbers and markers. That is something which came up in the early 1930s and their font type is not 1920s like, more late 1930s or even early 1940s but then this can be different from brand to brand (I have seen this style so far more on Hamiltons and they used it later, maybe Bulova started to use that font earlier than others). The hands seem to have been once lumed with radium. You'll see that nowadays often as skelletons since the radium corroded away over the time.



Edit: OK found some details. The case seems from a Bulova Gladiator of 1929/30 but the dial seems to come from some other model.

sources:
http://www.mybulova.com/watches/1930-gladiator-1001
http://www.mybulova.com/sites/default/files/vintage_ads/1930-AD9-(Sept-27).jpg

Something like that may be the source of the dial:
http://www.mybulova.com/watches/1938-American-Clipper-B-133
http://www.mybulova.com/watches/1932-american-clipper-658

 

[Tomasso]

Cool looking watch. But .....

Stop.......this ain't a watch forum.......

 

[Unlucky Berman]

Yeah but why not discuss a bit and share informations about the models? We also discuss all the other vintage pieces sometimes in detail, even movies and it's also not a movie forum.

 

[Shangas]

The case is beautiful...but the dial just don't fit.

 

[fluteplayer07]

I actually don't mind the info... Thanks. I thought the dial looked a little off (it's a little crooked in the case, and the edges of the dial's hexagonal motif are cut off). I still like how it looks, but it's also good to know info. Is it something that should be addressed? Do the mix-matched features de-value the watch? I don't plan on selling it anytime, but I do like my vintage items to be as original as possible.

 

[fluteplayer07]

Are the residual amounts of radium on the hands harmful? They have a distinctly blue hue...

 

[jamespowers]

Are the residual amounts of radium on the hands harmful? They have a distinctly blue hue...

Your watch doesn't have radium hands. Your hands are blued steel. No need to worry. The hands posted with the lacy cutout look were in fact once filled in with radium that made them glow at night. The paste would have been whitish and glowed green. Over time it deteriorates and falls out like fine dust or in bigger pieces.

 

[jamespowers]

I actually don't mind the info... Thanks. I thought the dial looked a little off (it's a little crooked in the case, and the edges of the dial's hexagonal motif are cut off). I still like how it looks, but it's also good to know info. Is it something that should be addressed? Do the mix-matched features de-value the watch? I don't plan on selling it anytime, but I do like my vintage items to be as original as possible.

I wouldn't worry about it. You can tell the movement likely isn't original to the case as the screw marks do not line up with the present screws used to hold the movement in place. Movements were replaced back in the day though. If something catastrophic happened then they would just replace the whole movement. It just means someone loved the watch enough to keep it going.

 

[Shangas]

Are the residual amounts of radium on the hands harmful? They have a distinctly blue hue...

I agree with James. I don't think you have radium hands. You do, however, have blued steel hands. A common and very handsome feature of many early watches, from the 1850s to the 1950s. The hands were heated in a specific way that caused the steel to take on a bright, cobalt-blue colour. I love watches with blued steel hands. They're very beautiful.

 

[J.J. Gittes]

Can a watch-ophile help me out? Here is a screenshot from the movie Chinatown with Jack Nicholson and a wristwatch he wears in it, I would like to learn the make and or model of it if possible so I can find one.

Thanks!

 

[jamespowers]

Can a watch-ophile help me out? Here is a screenshot from the movie Chinatown with Jack Nicholson and a wristwatch he wears in it, I would like to learn the make and or model of it if possible so I can find one.

Thanks!

Looks like a 1950s era Bulova from that face.

However it could have been several makers such as Wittnauer, Waltham or Elgin. The case extends and the lugs are covered. I have seen some like that though they are not that common anymore.

 

[J.J. Gittes]

^The same night I posted that I found on on eBay, a 1930's Waltham. Slightly different face but nearly the same. Im ecstatic!

http://www.auctiva.com/hostedimages...0722&formats=0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0&format=0

 

[jamespowers]

^The same night I posted that I found on on eBay, a 1930's Waltham. Slightly different face but nearly the same. Im ecstatic!

http://www.auctiva.com/hostedimages...0722&formats=0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0&format=0

A Waltham Premier. Now that was a good find. Those don't grow on trees that is for sure. You clearly got a nice one there. Enjoy.

 

[WineGuy]

Just arrived yesterday from ebay...1939 Hamilton Bagley Decco 10k gold filled manual wind in pristine condition. This is the smallest watch I've ever worn in my life(27.2 x 34.65mm) but I'm kinda liking it! My daily watch is/was a 47mm Panerai style Swiss homage watch but it was just too bulky to wear with a suit and dress shirt. It has a 17 jewel caliber 987A American made movement that appears to be keeping spot on time. Not crazy about the glossy faux gator skin strap so I'm shopping for mocha/cognac colored Ostrich skin matte strap to replace it.

 

[jamespowers]

Just arrived yesterday from ebay...1939 Hamilton Bagley Decco 10k gold filled manual wind in pristine condition. This is the smallest watch I've ever worn in my life(27.2 x 34.65mm) but I'm kinda liking it! My daily watch is/was a 47mm Panerai style Swiss homage watch but it was just too bulky to wear with a suit and dress shirt. It has a 17 jewel caliber 987A American made movement that appears to be keeping spot on time. Not crazy about the glossy faux gator skin strap so I'm shopping for mocha/cognac colored Ostrich skin matte strap to replace it.

Nice find. Good to see you still posting around the place.

 

[WineGuy]

Nice find. Good to see you still posting around the place.

Thanks JP, I've been busy trying to keep my shop afloat in this lousy economy so haven't spent as much time in the lounge as before. Just suddenly got a bug for a small vintage watch after wearing pocket watches on my wrist for decades.

 

[jamespowers]

Thanks JP, I've been busy trying to keep my shop afloat in this lousy economy so haven't spent as much time in the lounge as before. Just suddenly got a bug for a small vintage watch after wearing pocket watches on my wrist for decades.

I certainly understand the economic conditions we exist in now. :eusa_doh: I hope everything works out for you.
Pocketwatches is right. The watches of today are huge. :eusa_doh: I am wearing my Lord Elgin tank watch that looks puny compared to the newer watches.

 

[Unlucky Berman]

Just arrived yesterday from ebay...1939 Hamilton Bagley Decco 10k gold filled manual wind in pristine condition. This is the smallest watch I've ever worn in my life(27.2 x 34.65mm) but I'm kinda liking it! My daily watch is/was a 47mm Panerai style Swiss homage watch but it was just too bulky to wear with a suit and dress shirt. It has a 17 jewel caliber 987A American made movement that appears to be keeping spot on time. Not crazy about the glossy faux gator skin strap so I'm shopping for mocha/cognac colored Ostrich skin matte strap to replace it.

Congratulations to this nice catch. It is even one with the more seldom black enemal numeral dial. I know some guys who would be envious for one in this very good condition. :eusa_clap Wear it proudly and imho the Bagley is one of the models who look more prominent on the wrist than other models. Especially those with enemal numerals look bigger than they really are or at least catch the eye better. Besides the font types used for them are really cool.

My latest addition is a Hamilton Carlisle from 1937/38 which uses a 17-jewel Hamilton 980 and is about 42mm x 20mm: