1892 Elgin grade 92

[KarlvonKoln]

The third piece of commission work from my brother's collection: an open-face Elgin "sidewinder". Still waiting on parts for a couple of the others, so I went to work on this one.  And I found an adventure ahead of me. First, the specs:
Elgin open-face = Grade 92, Model 3, Class 26.
- Circa 1892, Size 16s, Jewels 11, unadjusted.
- Crown wind-lever set, 3/4 plate, plain regulator.
- compensating balance, quick train, going barrel.
- Movement serial #4563216, Gold-filled case marked
"W & Co." with case serial #23670.

So who here has heard of Cosmoline?  Yep, I'm talking about the anti-corrosion stuff you coat firearms with, to preserve them in long-term storage.  For those who may not know, Cosmoline is a petroleum-based surface coating which is very waxy and sticky and meant to cling aggressively to a metalic surface as a barrier to moisture.  I still have a can leftover from when I owned hunting weapons and a service pistol.  I no longer have any guns; a decision I made when I had a family and kids.  But I know Cosmoline when I see and smell it.  So..........................WHY???  Why would anyone think filling an antique watch full of Cosmoline was a supercalifragilisticexpialidocious idea???  Those photos below are those my brother took, and you can't tell easily by the one of the movement, but trust me - it's full of it.  I took off the dial and it was thick under there.  Sheesh!  Cosmoline?!?!?  Why'd it have to be Cosmoline?  Who does that?  Why not just squirt rubber cement in there?  I shouldn't say that; some nimrod might get ideas.  
*sigh* So before I can diagnose a doggone thing, I will need to remove the balance wheel and the fork, then soak all the other parts in either alcohol or acetone, because I'm not sure my old reliable naphtha will do very much here.  Then I will post more as I go along.  (Cosmoline.  Gott in Himmel!)

Edited January 3, 2021 by KarlvonKoln

[KarlvonKoln]

Update: for this watch, it seems the Cosmoline was the only thing cramping its style.  I'm regulating it now, and it's coming around rather well.  So that went better than expected.  
As far as the Cosmoline gunk goes, the watch that was really messed up badly was the Elgin grade 241, in a later post.  This #92 just had a coating everywhere.  The #241 had great heaping clumps in addition to a thicker coating.  It is still a nightmare trying to clean it.  Getting Cosmoline off of anything with tiny parts will make you see red.