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

[doberdadinmd]

My two pocket watches. A 1920's era Hamilton and a pre-1900 American Watch Co. I just cracked the glass on the Hamilton while taking the pictures

 

[doberdadinmd]

It would be useful to include the pics.

 

[Wolfgang]

Junghans (cal. 97)

 

[jamespowers]

It would be useful to include the pics.

Nice watches. It is a shame about the crystal. You should be able to get it replaced without much trouble---it just costs money.

The American Waltham was likely in a hunter case before. It is still a nice watch as it is. :clap:

 

[doberdadinmd]

Nice watches. It is a shame about the crystal. You should be able to get it replaced without much trouble---it just costs money.

The American Waltham was likely in a hunter case before. It is still a nice watch as it is. :clap:

Yeah, the crystal was a bit of a bummer. Actually dropped it while taking it off the holder; you can see it is still intact in the first pic.

 

[handymike]

So here are my additions:



Got this when my Grandpa passed on in '87. Dont know how old it is....

And this one that has seen better days:


Any thoughts on where I could get it cleaned up and crystal replacement? Or is it even worth it?
I don't know anything about Illinois watches. Can anyone tell me about either watch?

 

[jamespowers]

So here are my additions:



Got this when my Grandpa passed on in '87. Dont know how old it is....

And this one that has seen better days:


Any thoughts on where I could get it cleaned up and crystal replacement? Or is it even worth it?
I don't know anything about Illinois watches. Can anyone tell me about either watch?

The Illinois is definitely worth it. They were high quality watches and are highly sought after. A decent watch repair man can make that work again easily but it may not be extremely cheap. You have all the parts so that is a good thing but it does need a crystal and likely at least a good cleaning. I would say about $100 minimum but it is still in good shape for being about 90 years old. You might try Paul's Watch and Clock repair in Sacramento, CA if you don't have someone local. He'll make it shine and run perfectly---no excuses.

 

[handymike]

I will be in Sacramento later this month!
I'll give Paul a try, thanks.
It runs perfectly, Once the crystal fell off, I stopped wearing it, and put it in the garage and that's where it began to deteriorate...

 

[jamespowers]

I will be in Sacramento later this month!
I'll give Paul a try, thanks.
It runs perfectly, Once the crystal fell off, I stopped wearing it, and put it in the garage and that's where it began to deteriorate...

If it runs fine then you should be ok. Just the crystal will likely not be too expensive. If you want to have it cleaned then it will likely be another $75 though. I recommend cleaning ti because it has likely not been cleaned for a very long time and the oils of that time were not made to lubricate for such a long period. They get hard and coagulate. They can even stop the watch from working when they get gummy.
This will give you some idea of where he is and what he charges:
http://www.paulswatchandclockrepair.com/
I just saw him yesterday at Alameda Point. His working watch inventory is quite low now and he doesn't have enough time with all of the repairs he does to fix the hundreds of watches he has in his own inventory. lol lol
He works fast too so you won't have to wait a month to get it done. He has it done within a few days---unless it is an extensive reapir.

 

[Missouri Mason]

Now we're talking. I really like hats, but I'm a watch junkie! Vintage and modern. Once I get set up to post pics I'll jump right in. I collect American made pocket watches, and have a small but nice collection of modern Swiss wristwatches.

 

[jamespowers]

Now we're talking. I really like hats, but I'm a watch junkie! Vintage and modern. Once I get set up to post pics I'll jump right in. I collect American made pocket watches, and have a small but nice collection of modern Swiss wristwatches.

You have found a home in this thread then.

 

[Don Dahlberg]

$75 to clean a watch? Run do not walk out of the door.

It takes about 4 hours to properly overhaul a watch assuming there is nothing else wrong. You must take the watch apart to all moving parts. That is about 50 of the 150 parts. Clean the watch in a mechanical or ultrasonic cleaner followed by one or more rinses. Clean each jewel hole with sharped peg wood and make sure none are cracked. Lubricate the mainspring, wind it in a mainspring winder and put it back into the barrel. Put the watch back together and examine each part as you do so. Correct any problems as you go. Polish the pivots if they need it and re-clean them. Properly oil all jewels and use grease on all sliding parts. We use three types of oil and two types of grease in a watch like this. Check the performance of the watch in several positions on a timing machine. Put the watch in beat and make sure the action of the balance is strong. Again correct any problems. Put the watch in the case and run the watch for at least a week. Stand behind the watch performance for at least six months.

Some "watchmakers' will just take the watch out of the case, remove the dial and clean the whole movement in a so called "cleaning oiling" solution. This is like dipping your whole automobile engine in a mixture of gas and oil and calling it an engine rebuild.

Always ask a potential watchmaker how they clean the watch. If they do not answer with what I described in my first paragraph, thank them and leave.

You might find a watchmaker here http://www.awci.com/repair-directory/

Don Dahlberg
National Association of Watch and Clock Collectors - volunteer

 

[Don Dahlberg]

doberdadinmd,

If you have the serial numbers from the back of the movements (not the cases) of the Hamilton and Waltham, we could date these watches.

Don Dahlberg
NAWCC volunteer

 

[handymike]

Don,
You've already seen my watch on the NAWCC forum.
I cross-posted hoping to find out more about it.
Thanks for the info!
I highly recommend the NAWCC forum, those guys sure know their watches!!!!!

 

[jamespowers]

$75 to clean a watch? Run do not walk out of the door.

It takes about 4 hours to properly overhaul a watch assuming there is nothing else wrong. You must take the watch apart to all moving parts. That is about 50 of the 150 parts. Clean the watch in a mechanical or ultrasonic cleaner followed by one or more rinses. Clean each jewel hole with sharped peg wood and make sure none are cracked. Lubricate the mainspring, wind it in a mainspring winder and put it back into the barrel. Put the watch back together and examine each part as you do so. Correct any problems as you go. Polish the pivots if they need it and re-clean them. Properly oil all jewels and use grease on all sliding parts. We use three types of oil and two types of grease in a watch like this. Check the performance of the watch in several positions on a timing machine. Put the watch in beat and make sure the action of the balance is strong. Again correct any problems. Put the watch in the case and run the watch for at least a week. Stand behind the watch performance for at least six months.

Some "watchmakers' will just take the watch out of the case, remove the dial and clean the whole movement in a so called "cleaning oiling" solution. This is like dipping your whole automobile engine in a mixture of gas and oil and calling it an engine rebuild.

Always ask a potential watchmaker how they clean the watch. If they do not answer with what I described in my first paragraph, thank them and leave.

You might find a watchmaker here http://www.awci.com/repair-directory/

Don Dahlberg
National Association of Watch and Clock Collectors - volunteer

He does all of that for $75. I have had him do it enough times that I am sure. No one out here does a better job.

 

[1955mercury]

I've got about 300 vintage Bulova's. This 1953 "Ivanhoe" is one of my favorites.

 

[jamespowers]

I've got about 300 vintage Bulova's. This 1953 "Ivanhoe" is one of my favorites.

That is a really nice one. You don't see those everyday. What kind of movement does it have in it?

 

[handymike]

WOW!!!!
Awesome Bulova!

 

[1955mercury]

It has a 17 jewel 8BA movement.

 

[jamespowers]

It has a 17 jewel 8BA movement.

That is a decent movement. The writing on the movement is gold inscribed is it not?