It's scary what you find............

JimInOz · May 10, 2017

..........................in a watch movement.

While waiting for new balance staffs for my Hamilton 992B movements, I had time to strip my Waltham pocket watch ready for cleaning.

Disassembly was trouble free and it was interesting to see the difference in design between this and the Hamiltons.

In addition to enough excess oil and grease to start my own refinery, I happened to find this "jewel" under the escape wheel.

Can't see it? Let's have a closer look.

Definitely not part of the movement.

I know it's good to use pegwood to clean jewels etc. but you don't leave chips of it behind!

It may explain erratic performance.

omegasaso12 · May 10, 2017

When I read title like yours I always have this (or worse) in my mind:

Archer · May 10, 2017

I recall seeing a video on TZ years ago of a watch that had a live bug inside it - crawled across the dial then disappeared inside the movement through a hole in the dial.

Oh, and there appear to many "watchmakers" who went to the "if some oil is good, more must be better" school of watchmaking. The butchery you see is sometimes quite amazing...

UncleBuck · May 10, 2017

Clearly a prototype....... haven't quite worked all the bugs out yet.

Andy K · May 10, 2017

UncleBuck
Clearly a prototype....... haven't quite worked all the bugs out yet.

🤦

Hijak · May 10, 2017

UncleBuck
Clearly a prototype....... haven't quite worked all the bugs out yet.

Funny guy, made me laugh, thanks buddy...was having a tough start to the day!👍

Andy K
🤦

Come on that was funny Andy!😁

kkt · May 10, 2017

UncleBuck
Clearly a prototype....... haven't quite worked all the bugs out yet.

JimInOz · May 11, 2017

Not scary this time, but I can't figure out what it's for.

The sliding bar to the right of the winding works, can anybody tell me what it's purpose is?

There's a small raised tab at the inner end and a raised point at the outer end and it can slide in the groove.

The movement is a Waltham No 12 dated to 1928.

SeanO · May 11, 2017

Something to do with having the option of being either lever set or stem set?

JimInOz · May 11, 2017

SeanO
Something to do with having the option of being either lever set or stem set?

Ah yes. Let me look at the crown assembly on the case again. The two position stops are controlled by the crown in the case, not by detents in the setting lever etc.

Must have dinner now but will check later tonight.

Archer · May 11, 2017

JimInOz
Ah yes. Let me look at the crown assembly on the case again. The two position stops are controlled by the crown in the case, not by detents in the setting lever etc.

Must have dinner now but will check later tonight.

You got it - not related to stem or lever set, but for putting the watch in winding or setting positions when out of the case.

JimInOz · May 11, 2017

Archer
You got it - not related to stem or lever set, but for putting the watch in winding or setting positions when out of the case.

Yep, I should have realised when I was taking the parts off 🙄.

Here it is in the first position.

And here is the pulled up by the bar to the next position. Note that the "C" spring has been drawn in. The actual one went "ping", if anybody knows where it went just let me know. Looks like I'll have to make another one 😡.

Archer · May 12, 2017

JimInOz
Note that the "C" spring has been drawn in. The actual one went "ping", if anybody knows where it went just let me know. Looks like I'll have to make another one 😡.

Over there, just to the left of that thing...

Easy enough to make - just some wire...