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Pocket watch lift angle

Crockpot

By Crockpot
in Watch Repairs Help & Advice

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Crockpot Member

Crockpot

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Hey everybody. I’ve always heard that pocket watches have lower lift angle than wristwatches and mostly all mine are 42 degrees or very close. So today I marked my balance and put it timegrapher and I got a lift angle of 55 degrees. Has anybody else ever had an Elgin pocket watch with that high of a lift angle. Or do y’all think someone’s changed the pallet fork or something. Thanks 

KarlvonKoln Distinguished Member

KarlvonKoln

Posted
Posted

I have an Elgin with 50 (also having a counterpoise "mustache" lever) and my 1919 Longines is 50 (but it is also weird and uses an English lever rather than Swiss anchor).  

But 50 is not the more common lift angle.  With most, 42 or 45 brings better results when you aren't sure.  With yours, 55 *might* be about correct.  Unusual, certainly, but possibly correct. 

nickelsilver Distinguished Member

nickelsilver

Posted
Posted (edited)

There are definitely outliers. A lot of JLC stuff is 56-60 range, but their pocketwatches can be as low as 38 degrees. Check the arms and figure it out- it can be all over the map.

 

There's a Russian IG guy I follow (steamlainere282), amazing restoration work, but he regularly posts watches showing 335 degrees amplitude with video and I can see it has 270ish. Tried to explain it to him but he doesn't get it. Weishi whatever always at 52 degrees haha. I'm guessing he's older and used to paper tape machines that don't give amplitude (though we had them in school and our teacher expected us to write amplitude [visual] and rate on the appropriate sections of tape).

Edited by nickelsilver
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Crockpot Member

Crockpot

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I marked my balance and put it on timegrapher and it’s definitely 55 degrees. My watch rebanks at 333 degrees so I just had to order a mainspring with less strength. That’s the reason I just wanted to make sure because timegrapher was showing Rebanking at 290 degrees with lift angle at 52 degrees so I was like it’s got to be higher lift angle so I marked the balance and checked it and it was 55 degrees. Thanks 

JohnR725 Distinguished Member

JohnR725

Posted
Posted

One of the things I have to remember to do in the future with my list is  to write down more model numbers or preferably serial number for each of the watches. That way you can look it up and see exactly what it is.. But still this gives you a clue as to what the  various lift angles are in other words there isn't really a standard pocket watch lift angle.

 

ball Illinois 12 size 45°
Elgin 12 size 55°
Elgin 18 size 49°
Elgin 590 16 size 21 J 48°
Elgin GM Wheeler 16 size 52°
Elgin 6 size 62°
Hamilton 12 size 48°
Hamilton 912 12 size 38°
Hamilton 940 16 size 60°
Hamilton 992 16 size 48°
Hamilton 992B 51.5°
Hamilton 992E 42°
Louis Audemar 44°
Hampton 3/0 52°
Illinois 12 size 45°
Illinois 305 16 size 48°
Illinois six size 62°
Lange and Sohne  40°
Longines  pocket watch 35°
Waltham 18 size 38.5°
Waltham 1888 16 size 60°
Waltham 21 jewel 645 16 size 42°
Waltham Crescent Street 45°
Waltham Riverside 16 size 44°

 

 

 

 

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