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Help identifying movement

Nikia

By Nikia
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Nikia Member

Nikia

Posted
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Hi everyone! Nicola’s here. Today I’m working on a pocket watch that my grandpa gave me, he said the watch doesn’t wind up. As soon as I opened it, I noticed the click spring on the ratchet wheel stop was missing. I still have to dismantle the movement and check out where the little guy went, however the movement wasn’t running so fingers crossed it hasn’t caused any damage.

 

I just ordered a mega assortment of click springs, hope I can adapt one of those.

 

Can anybody chime in and help me identify this movement? It doesn’t seem to have any markings on the mainplate.

It’s from a “index” pocket watch.

Here to the pic:

 

6e102e6cb52773c050bf78d990d6f913.jpg

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saswatch88 WRT Addict

saswatch88

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Uggghh i feel your pain, these swiss pocket watches can be difficult to identify. I know index was a micro brand from the West End SA watch company in switzerland, (which introduced the first incabloc in 1934) not to be confused with the West End watch CO. from Pennsylvania USA. Depending on dating this could be an FHF movement since thats what they were known to use up until the 60s when ETA became a big player. It is an incabloc so we can note its no older than 1934 and no newer than 1960. So safe to say this an FHF most likely from the 50s based on its design.

https://www.vintagewatchstraps.com/fontainemelon.php

here is some info on fontainmelon (FHF). Did you look on the dial side to see if you can see the logo, that is normally where you would find them.

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WatchMaker Super WRT Addict

WatchMaker

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FHF did make movements with some pretty angular bridges and that's some great info from @saswatch88 on Index but we might have a non-Swiss company using the same brand name here as I'd agree with @rogart63 on the Chinese origin. Here's such a Shanghai movement that looks similar: https://17jewels.info/movements/s/shanghai/shanghai-zse/

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saswatch88 WRT Addict

saswatch88

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3 hours ago, WatchMaker said:

FHF did make movements with some pretty angular bridges and that's some great info from @saswatch88 on Index but we might have a non-Swiss company using the same brand name here as I'd agree with @rogart63 on the Chinese origin. Here's such a Shanghai movement that looks similar: https://17jewels.info/movements/s/shanghai/shanghai-zse/

I was initially going to say it could be chinese. And i would agree that would be the case if you cant find any FHF markings anywhere.

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clockboy Distinguished Member

clockboy

Posted
Posted
13 hours ago, Nikia said:

 

Hi everyone! Nicola’s here. Today I’m working on a pocket watch that my grandpa gave me, he said the watch doesn’t wind up. As soon as I opened it, I noticed the click spring on the ratchet wheel stop was missing. I still have to dismantle the movement and check out where the little guy went, however the movement wasn’t running so fingers crossed it hasn’t caused any damage.

 

I just ordered a mega assortment of click springs, hope I can adapt one of those.

 

Can anybody chime in and help me identify this movement? It doesn’t seem to have any markings on the mainplate.

It’s from a “index” pocket watch.

Here to the pic:

 

6e102e6cb52773c050bf78d990d6f913.jpg

 

To assist with a search the size in Ligne and a pic of the keyless side really helps to narrow down the hunt. Also be aware there were a lot of pocket watch manufactures that made pocket watches just to be sold on as un-branded so finding the calibre is really difficult. Ie I recently repaired an un-branded Pocket watch that needed a new balance staff and just by luck I found the watch on the net but it was made by Omega. I purchased the Omega balance and it fitted perfectly so job done. 

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rogart63 Distinguished Member

rogart63

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Posted (edited)

I have the part . Found an old Breitling fake watch. The setting lever looks the same and so does the balance bridge. It's an automatic movement . But it has the click and click spring intact. If you want it send me a PM 

DSC09859.JPG

DSC09858.JPG

DSC09857.JPG

Edited by rogart63
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Nikia Member

Nikia

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Hi, thank you sir! This forum really is a resource :)
I managed to adapt a spring I found in another movement I had for spares, stripped the movement, cleaned and oiled. Seems it works nicely now, however looks like I’m unable to adjust the beat error lower than this.
I guess I can live with that, as the movement is a cheap chinese 17 jewels!
6d78c7e3e7d5aebc0df483e9e263d178.jpg

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