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Posted

I must be mad, I found one of those ladies silver fob watches in a draw earlier today, you know the sort of thing, there are hundreds of them around, you usually see them at most of the antique center's.
Anyway I was board so I thought have a quick look, I found one, it's not be looked at for donkeys years.

The bow and pusher was missing, the one you push to open the back so that you can wind the watch, and the the center post and hand settings square was missing, oh blast can I be doing with it, apart from the fact that it's probably 140 years old, I'm sure it will be worn out. 
I'm not sure anyone else does these sort of things for fun, but I thought I've started now, I will let you know when I've put it through the cleaning machine next week if it runs.

 

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Posted

Nice.... I hope you get it going!

Great to see the Geneva stop work is still in place, as some watchmaker's used to remove it to gain a little more power reserve, but it does have it's cost...

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Posted

Hi  Its a five bar cylinder movement,  Delicate things but great once done just be careful with the cylinder balance the pivots are hard and balance spring blue steel and doesn't like being mauled about.

Posted

That movement is more likely to be Swiss. Years ago you could buy the center shafts, don't think you can now. Have a look on ebay but I'll tell you no two shafts are the same, you might be able to get hold of one and adapt it to fit. All the above by members about the movement is correct. 

Its more like millions of these movements not hundreds. :D

Posted

If the center post is missing that means the canon pinion and hour wheel are also missing. Doesn't mean it's a fun repair though- just need to make a canon pinion and hour wheel, an enjoyable afternoon!

Posted

Thanks all for your thoughts. 

As luck would have it, the cannon pinions and wheels were all there, I made up a new post for the cannon pinion, managed to file down the hand setting to make it the same size as the winding square. 

The watch goes like a train, gains 4 minutes a day, so I'm not complaining, also I found a new loop and made up the pusher for opening up the back. 

I know it wasn't really worth doing, I just did it because...... 

  • Like 2
Posted
Thanks all for your thoughts. 
As luck would have it, the cannon pinions and wheels were all there, I made up a new post for the cannon pinion, managed to file down the hand setting to make it the same size as the winding square. 
The watch goes like a train, gains 4 minutes a day, so I'm not complaining, also I found a new loop and made up the pusher for opening up the back. 
I know it wasn't really worth doing, I just did it because...... 
That's freaking awesome, many pros won't work on such watches because they say it isn't profitable, but I think they are more scared of the unknown (and many pitfalls such watches might contain, fair enough). Killer job and like OH said bravo!
Posted

That is so cool!  I like working on those.  I tend to troll Etsy for vendors selling "steampunk" parts.  You can sometimes get a whole verge & fusee movement there.  I got a bunch of old hands, crystals, arbors, stems, keys, you name it.  And they often get used on something I work on.



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    • Welcome to the WRT forum. 
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