Who needs crystals?

x3no · Sep 26, 2023

I don't have a need for these, came into them from another lot I bought. Would love to get them into the hands of a watchmaker or several that could use them.

Whats a fair way to sell these or sort them, etc. There's quite a bit here and I am not sure how or where to start.. Would a watchmaker want them all at once or certain ones? Are they desirable at all?

Canuck · Sep 26, 2023

I have the same problem(s)! About 30,000 of them! All glass, dating from the early 1920s, to the early 1960s. Including Hamilton Electric glass crystals. Hate to see the crystals and steel cabinets end up in the land fill! My steel cabinets are the same as yours, but I have SIX or EIGHT cabinets the size of yours, and one wood cabinet about 5 feet tall. The problem is the crystal cabinets would be impossible to ship, and the shipping costs would exceed the cost benefit to anyone who could use them!

x3no · Sep 26, 2023

Canuck
I have the same problem(s)! About 30,000 of them! All glass, dating from the early 1920s, to the early 1960s. Including Hamilton Electric glass crystals. Hate to see the crystals and steel cabinets end up in the land fill! My steel cabinets are the same as yours, but I have SIX or EIGHT cabinets the size of yours, and one wood cabinet about 5 feet tall. The problem is the crystal cabinets would be impossible to ship, and the shipping costs would exceed the cost benefit to anyone who could use them!

Honestly that sounds heartbreaking.. Sounds like you need mine too 😉

Unknown Watchmaker · Sep 26, 2023

Damn, I hate seeing them go to landfill. If I had extra space, I would have them but funny enough, I have done the same thing, I had to get rid of them, and took me two years to do that, I refused to bin them but finally, I found someone to take them all. It's a shame really.

I have a question for Canuck and x3no

Do you both have Crystal/acrylic glass for the Hamilton Westminster case by any chance?
The case reference number is 92005 4

Thanks

nicks · Sep 26, 2023

Seems as if there might be a lot of us who have encountered this. Unless they are already sorted, I can’t picture my watchmaker digging through them when it might make more sense for him to look on the Internet. Myself, I had two or three drawers full, in a tall steel vintage crystal cabinet that I repurposed for other watch stuff.

Sadly, no one wanted the crystals, even as a gift.

Canuck · Sep 26, 2023

Unknown Watchmaker
Damn, I hate seeing them go to landfill. If I had extra space, I would have them but funny enough, I have done the same thing, I had to get rid of them, and took me two years to do that, I refused to bin them but finally, I found someone to take them all. It's a shame really.

I have a question for Canuck and x3no

Do you both have Crystal/acrylic glass for the Hamilton Westminster case by any chance?
The case reference number is 92005 4

Thanks

I’m guessing your Hamilton is modern Swiss, not the U S Hamilton. My crystals are all glass. Not acrylic. And based on the design of yours, it is likely much more recent than the crystals I have. I’d wager that Germanow-Simon (known as G-S) would have an acrylic crystal for your watch. Send the dimensions of the crystal and the case model number to a watch material supplier.

Unknown Watchmaker · Sep 26, 2023

Canuck
I’m guessing your Hamilton is modern Swiss, not the U S Hamilton. My crystals are all glass. Not acrylic. And based on the design of yours, it is likely much more recent than the crystals I have. I’d wager that Germanow-Simon (known as G-S) would have an acrylic crystal for your watch. Send the dimensions of the crystal and the case model number to a watch material supplier.

Thank you for the reply, Yes the watch from the 1970's with acrylic glass, a more recent version. I have already done that, I'm just waiting for the reply from them and also I contacted the Hamiltion service center but I thought it would be worth asking if you do have one just in case.

Once again thank you.

Canuck · Sep 26, 2023

When I bought these cabinets with all these glass crystals, I also bought an antique optician’s lens edger. I am astonished at how many times I have found the perfect crystal for a project, over the years. And when the best I could do was to come close, I could tailor a crystal to fit. Along with all the fancy glass ones I have, I have acquired thousands of round Watch glasses, all the way from about 10 mm diameter, to large pocket watch sizes. Of course, the sizes I require most often have been used up.

Unknown Watchmaker · Sep 26, 2023

Canuck
When I bought these cabinets with all these glass crystals, I also bought an antique optician’s lens edger. I am astonished at how many times I have found the perfect crystal for a project, over the years. And when the best I could do was to come close, I could tailor a crystal to fit. Along with all the fancy glass ones I have, I have acquired thousands of round Watch glasses, all the way from about 10 mm diameter, to large pocket watch sizes. Of course, the sizes I require most often have been used up.

This is something I would like to do in the future. Customize glass/sapphire and acrylic glass to fit in the watch case. without hassling to find one, especially for vintage watches, it's going be harder to find the original new old stock in the 20 years or so. I do actual watchmaking, making parts from balance staff, train wheels, pivots, casing, jewels, and so on but when comes to customizing the glass, I just never got around to doing that and I always thinking of why.

I'm looking for a Gruen glass replacement Gruen 157 caliber.
Roughly 180mm x 260mm

I wonder if you have one in stock, Don't worry if you don't have one.

Thanks

Canuck · Sep 26, 2023

Unknown Watchmaker
This is something I would like to do in the future. Customize glass/sapphire and acrylic glass to fit in the watch case. without hassling to find one, especially for vintage watches, it's going be harder to find the original new old stock in the 20 years or so. I do actual watchmaking, making parts from balance staff, train wheels, pivots, casing, jewels, and so on but when comes to customizing the glass, I just never got around to doing that and I always thinking of why.

I'm looking for a Gruen glass replacement Gruen 157 caliber.
Roughly 180mm x 260mm

I wonder if you have one in stock, Don't worry if you don't have one.

Thanks

“Roughly”? I need exact metric measurements! That’s like asking for a balance staff that is roughly x by x! These assortments aren’t specific as to which model you have. The containers (for example) will be marked Gruen xxx by xxx. And on occasion, a crystal model #, but I don’t have a catalog with data as to cross references. Give me exact metric dimensions and I’ll have a look.

pdxleaf · Sep 26, 2023

Canuck
...The problem is the crystal cabinets would be impossible to ship, and the shipping costs would exceed the cost benefit to anyone who could use them!

Sounds like a good opportunity for a road trip to the National Watch & Clock Museum. We know how much you like crossing the border into the hinterland 😁

Canuck · Sep 26, 2023

pdxleaf
Sounds like a good opportunity for a road trip to the National Watch & Clock Museum. We know how much you like crossing the border into the hinterland 😁

That’d be 2,300 miles! Not on your life!

Archer · Sep 26, 2023

Pretty much every watchmaker has a selection of old crystals. I have tons of them, and yes I do go through them when I need a crystal. But most of the time the popular crystals that are needed often are already gone from these assortments, so you are left with the crystals that no one wants or needs.

I had an antique dealer try to sell me hundreds of these a number of years ago. When I told him I wasn’t interested he said “The guys in Toronto would love to have all these!” So I told him to sell them to the guys in Toronto...

Pip · Oct 1, 2023

Just see if you can find a local (or even not so local) watchmaking / horology school or club. They will take them off your hands, store them, and they will be used over many years on many projects by many students. I've donated loads of old crystals and loads of old hairsprings that I've picked up at various auctions to a place I know. No cash coming my way, but it avoids the dreaded landfill.

Pip · Oct 1, 2023

Just see if you can find a local (or even not so local) watchmaking / horology school or club. They will take them off your hands, store them, and they will be used over many years on many projects by many students. I've donated loads of old crystals and loads of old hairsprings that I've picked up at various auctions to a place I know. No cash coming my way, but it avoids the dreaded landfill.

Dan S · Oct 1, 2023

Archer
When I told him I wasn’t interested he said “The guys in Toronto would love to have all these!” So I told him to sell them to the guys in Toronto...

He threw you a softball! 😁

Cdnwatchmaker · Nov 25, 2023

Canuck
“Roughly”? I need exact metric measurements! That’s like asking for a balance staff that is roughly x by x! These assortments aren’t specific as to which model you have. The containers (for example) will be marked Gruen xxx by xxx. And on occasion, a crystal model #, but I don’t have a catalog with data as to cross references. Give me exact metric dimensions and I’ll have a look.

Canuck
I have the same problem(s)! About 30,000 of them! All glass, dating from the early 1920s, to the early 1960s. Including Hamilton Electric glass crystals. Hate to see the crystals and steel cabinets end up in the land fill! My steel cabinets are the same as yours, but I have SIX or EIGHT cabinets the size of yours, and one wood cabinet about 5 feet tall. The problem is the crystal cabinets would be impossible to ship, and the shipping costs would exceed the cost benefit to anyone who could use them!

Hello, would you happen to be near Toronto by any chance???

Canuck · Nov 25, 2023

C Cdnwatchmaker
Hello, would you happen to be near Toronto by any chance???

Not Toronto. No. Calgary.