Calling all Pocket Watch Buffs

I recall when I attended my first NAWCC regional in Portland, Ore., in 1984. There were dealers all over the room with Waltham 1883 models in boxes on their tables. A lot of low jewel count stuff in nickel alloy cases, dials in a variety of condition. There were also lots of higher jewel count stuff, ”frosties”, some in gold filled cases, coin silver cases, and nickel alloy cases. The going rate for a lot of garden variety 1883 Walthams was around $20.00 per watch. Same was true of many of the other American makes as well. And some of these $20.00 watches were in running condition. I bought a lot of 1883 Walthams for parts in those days. How things have changed! As top tier stuff gets collected and removed from the market place, garden variety stuff has become more collectible, and more expensive. I have some of each of 1877 and 1883 models. One of my faves is an 1877 Walthams in an excellent gold filled hunter case. The movement has 13-jewels, and it is a R E Robbins grade. Royal Robbins arrived at Waltham when it was on the ropes. A guy with connections, and immense business acumen. He pulled Waltham out of the muck, and built it into the power house it became. I paid $50.00 (Cdn.) for it. It needed the following. Balance staff, foot hole jewel, mainspring, recondition, glass, seconds hand. Had I found it necessary to pay to have the work done, it wouldn’t have been worth repair. But I had on hand everything I needed, and voila, this is it! Note the dial says A W Co., Waltham. An earlier name for the firm was American Watch Co.

When this forum on the Omega message board was established, Feb. 22, 2021, (coming up 5 years ago), my Hamilton 992 was the first watch shown. I’ve had this watch for 50 years, after inheriting it upon my father’s death. He’d been a watchmaker for very long 50 years, and this watch was his bench chronometer. I probably serviced back all those years ago, I don’t remember. When I posted the picture of this watch five years ago, it happened to be a miscellaneous photo from my photo archives. I’ve long had it in mind to service the 992 again, and to post petter pictures of it. So……..!

The watch:
The movement before service:
Stripped and ready for cleaning:

In the ultrasonic, cleaned in L & R extra fine cleaner, two rinses in L & R # 3 rinse, heat dry in an L & R centrifugal machine.

Ready for assembly:

Finished:

I was astonished at the rate it showed on the Vibrograph B 200. Shows a slight losing rate, easily adjusted.

Gold train wheels! Not found on most Hamiltons a few years later. Perhaps the addition of the lever setting feature, the double roller marking, and adjusted to position marking resulted in the grade 992? The 970 and 992 appear to be very much alike. This watch doesn’t have the appearance of having laboured in the overall pocket of a grizzled veteran of the steam era. Great acquisition.

Well! Today is the eleventh day since last re-set. Presently 25-seconds fast. Well within railroad standards. 107 years old and performing as it did when factory fresh! Worn 12 hours, stationary face up for 12 hours. Rate varies from a couple seconds slow to a couple seconds fast, but average rate about 2 seconds per day fast. Who really needs greater accuracy than that?

The logo on the dial suggests (to me) the National Watch Co., later to become Elgin National Watch Co. This movement might well have been removed from a karat gold case? Ten size, an oddity. I’ll bet the refiner had NO idea what a rarity he was melting. Keep us posted on your progress, but you appear to be off to a good start.

Name changes occurred to many of the U S based watch companies. The National Watch Co. began as the National Watch Co., located ar Elgin, Illinois. The name changed to the Elgin National Watch Co., with the word National being dropped. Waltham had so many name changes over the decades, it is hard to list all the names. At one point it was named the American Waltham Watch Co., the word American being dropped. Illinois Watch Co. started out as the Springfield Watch Co. And the list goes on. Popular usage meant that eventually, the National Watch Co. became Elgin. Waltham eventually became the Waltham Watch Co., and the Springfield Watch Co. became Illinois. The annals of U S watch production comprise many other companies whose names changed as well.

With a case like this, why show the movement?

I’ve seen that one before. Purty!

This one again! My 1892 CPR Waltham, 18-size railroad pocket watch. Set to the second 25 days ago, and hasn’t stopped since. Re-set minutes and hours only to MST at the time change, but seconds not disturbed. After the first 7 days, it had gained 20 seconds, but not re-set. Still 20 seconds fast after 14 days, so no change in the rate. Same goes after 21 days, no variation. On the 22 day, I forgot to wind it. On last Friday morning (the 23 day), I remembered to wind it. It hadn’t stopped but was 7 seconds slow. Today (the 25th day), still seven seconds slow! It is 108 years old and continues to amaze me! Freshly serviced and new mainspring in mid October.

Discussion around mechanical watches “settling in” after being returned to service, occurs frequently hereabouts. Some say it doesn’t happen. But I believe the phenomenon is real. These last two examples confirm my belief. I plan on keeping my CPR Waltham running in a long term test.