W. F. Nye oil

[FlameOfWrath]

I won an auction lot with some watch tools which contained two old bottles of W. F. Nye oil. One is marked "Clock" and one is marked "Watch". Are they any different and can I use the watch oil in replacing a mainspring on a Rockford 18s pocket watch? It came with a mainspring winder as well so I'll get to use that for the first time.

Thanks!
Roger

 

 

[Waggy]

Hi there, just by the look of the labels on the bottles those oils look vintage. I would be hesitant to use them in a watch I wanted to keep or held any value to me. However, I don't see any reason not to use them for practice on a movement(s) you are just practising and learning on. If this is the case then if just for practice I don't see any issue in using either on your pocket watch if is just a practice pocket watch.

If the pocket watch is a keeper then I would use new oils, there are lots of threads on this forum which will point you in the right direction in this regard.

Hope the above helps 

[JohnR725]

41 minutes ago, Waggy said:

vintage

vintage is an interesting term for the description of a lubrication. When you're looking at your bottles of oil if you turn them upside down are they still fluid? The bottles unfortunately definitely look vintage the problem with vintage is how vintage? But as long as there's still fluid think of the money you'll save versus purchasing new oils you could use either one. but because the age we don't know how well their going to perform still worth the experiment for learning purposes.

oh and the companies doing business there is there link. I'm guessing your oil it isn't from the very beginning as it has what looks like a black Screw Lid versus the really vintage which is a cork.

https://www.nyelubricants.com/175-years

 

 

[FlameOfWrath]

13 hours ago, JohnR725 said:

vintage is an interesting term for the description of a lubrication. When you're looking at your bottles of oil if you turn them upside down are they still fluid? The bottles unfortunately definitely look vintage the problem with vintage is how vintage? But as long as there's still fluid think of the money you'll save versus purchasing new oils you could use either one. but because the age we don't know how well their going to perform still worth the experiment for learning purposes.

oh and the companies doing business there is there link. I'm guessing your oil it isn't from the very beginning as it has what looks like a black Screw Lid versus the really vintage which is a cork.

https://www.nyelubricants.com/175-years

 

 

They are still fluid.  They don't seem to have an floating bits in them. They look like fine whisky.

[JohnR725]

1 hour ago, FlameOfWrath said:

They look like fine whisky.

if they look like fine whiskey preferably not that thin the oils should be a little bit thicker. The watch oil will probably be slightly thinner than the clock oil. Then you're probably not servicing this watch for paying client which means you can use either one. For the mainspring itself you don't it a lot if you put too much in the barrel it leaks out all over the place it makes a big mess. As you're using an oil you could probably just wipe it on the mainspring itself.

I don't suppose you have a timing machine? The oils by the way can probably work on the entire year tray. The purpose the timing machine would be to make sure the amplitude seems acceptable in the lubrication is still working after all these years. But no matter what you have nothing to lose and maybe the oil is aged like fine whiskey could even be better than it was when they made it perhaps.

 

[FlameOfWrath]

On 5/16/2023 at 3:53 PM, JohnR725 said:

if they look like fine whiskey preferably not that thin the oils should be a little bit thicker. The watch oil will probably be slightly thinner than the clock oil. Then you're probably not servicing this watch for paying client which means you can use either one. For the mainspring itself you don't it a lot if you put too much in the barrel it leaks out all over the place it makes a big mess. As you're using an oil you could probably just wipe it on the mainspring itself.

I don't suppose you have a timing machine? The oils by the way can probably work on the entire year tray. The purpose the timing machine would be to make sure the amplitude seems acceptable in the lubrication is still working after all these years. But no matter what you have nothing to lose and maybe the oil is aged like fine whiskey could even be better than it was when they made it perhaps.

 

I don't have a timing machine. Just an app on my phone that is kind of meh. I ordered some "modern" oils so I'll use them for now and save this stuff for something cheap and easy.

[canthus]

You could check with a new version of the same oil for its colour.  Normally a mineral oil (likely for these) will darken as it oxidises (due to light, heat and any air in the bottle).  If it has been kept in the dark and at normal temps, then less darkening likely.  Also there is still a lot of oil in the bottle (and not airspace) which will help limit oxidation.  Any oil thickening is likely to be minimal and probably not discernable) so I wouldn't have too much concern over that.  They still look clear so not likely any moisture ingress.  I agree, probably best to use on none critical/practice pieces to be on the safe side.