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Hello from north east UK


philologus

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Hello from the (currently) freezing north east coast of the UK.

I'm George, I'm retired (73)  and I've joined the site to learn more about old pocket watches.

I've had a fascination with them since I was given a non-working fusee watch more than fifty years ago. I was told  "hang on to it as it will be worth something one day".

It's a silver fusee watch from the late 1880's and I always intended to repair it but bringing a family up, earning a living....

I started with good intentions a year ago but a bout of illness got in the way so I am getting re-started now.

In the meantime I have added to my collection of non-working watches so I will have plenty to do.

My aim is to own a verge fusee from the 1700's that I can service and use.

As I repair watches I'll sell them and so build up a nest egg to buy the one I want.

I've managed to get about half-a-dozen working so far and when I get a dozen or so I'll decide which ones to sell.

Regards,

George

 

 

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  • 3 weeks later...

G'day George,

Holding something in your hand, that was made around 200 years ago, and listening to it tick away and do what it's meant to, is a wonderful thing :) And the hand work and engraving they put into these... boggles the mind. I have 2 part verge fusee watches from the early 1800's that I picked up for $5 each, and a complete one that's a bit older (sans hands and crystal) that was given to me by a watchmaking friend who thought I'd have the patience to made the hands and tinker with it until it goes satisfactorily. Making progress :)

All the best with your restos. and hope you can get a 1700's watch soon. It will be a joy to wear.

Cheers
Duncan

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George, this chap in Tasmania has free PDFs of 17thC watchmaking texts he's translated that you can download. I made a duplicate of each one and then deleted all the text pages on it so that I can open two windows, one with the whole book, and one with just the illustration plates next to it, to save myself scrolling back and forward whilst reading. I also printed out the plates.

http://www.watkinsr.id.au/

Cheers
Duncan

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