Hello everyone

[whim]

Good morning from a cold and overcast Northern Ireland. In the past few years, I have become interested in old pocket watches, it's just the mechanics and craftsmanship that goes in to building a time piece that is of great interest to me. It is a diminishing skill, which is sad to see.

My wife gave me an old pocket watch, which belonged to her grandfather, he served a 7 year apprenticeship as a watchmaker in Belfast. He passed on a few watches plus other bits and bobs. It must be 2 years now that I got one of them serviced, it is an American made watch. The maker E. Ingraham & Company, Bristol, Conn, USA. The model name is Dixie, manufactured circa 1957. With the time set and watch wound,the time keeping is precise, but it just keeps stopping, just moving the watch, starts it again. I would be grateful for any information, with regard to this problem.

See attached photo of the watch.

Regards

[watchweasol]

Hello and welcome to the forum,  It would be helpful if you could remove the back and post a picture of the movement, That way members could see and perhaps diagnose/help.  The symptoms you describe sound like a service is in order. There are many things to stop a watch usually congealed oil and dirt       thanks.

[Nucejoe]

A few tests to produce more data helps diag.

How long does it run when it does?  

 Checking the balance for broken pivot tops the check list, that is, observe if balance pivot stays in the jewel hole as you gently lift one side of the balance wheel.

Check power at various points in the train,  gently turn( by spoke)  any gear you have access to. 

Does the barrel stop winding if wound fully or just keeps on turning as you wind.

Does it stop in all positions namely face up FU , face down FD, pendent up PU.

 Welcome to the forum.

Regs 

Joe

[JohnR725]

To help everybody out with this discussion I found a picture of the back of the watch. If I'm not mistaken these are basically considered dollar watches. To make dollar watches inexpensive interesting manufacturing has occurred. So the troubleshooting methods above no longer apply if we can't see the watch at all other than the balance wheel. More than likely due to the age of the watch it needs to be serviced.

6 hours ago, whim said:

My wife gave me an old pocket watch, which belonged to her grandfather, he served a 7 year apprenticeship as a watchmaker in Belfast.

As this is a watch repair discussion group I'm assuming that you would like to repair this watch? But what happens if you destroy  It?

This even though it's a pretty simple watch isn't really a beginner's watch.

 

[PastorChris]

Welcome to the forum.