Waltham question

[kd8tzc]

I recently picked up a Waltham wristwatch.  I don't know the model, but on the movement, just below the balance wheel it says ...

S. G. T.

140-A1

E4

Can anyone tell me what this movement is?  It's running okay, but and I will likely clean it after I see what is going on with the timegrapher.  I do know I need a whole new stem and crown for it as the crown is completely worn smooth and you can't wind it easily.  Also, the stem has a good deal of corrosion on the very outer most part.  There is no corrosion that I can see in the movement.  See below for a picture of the movement.

Also, I think this is the movement on the Ranftt site: http://www.ranfft.de/cgi-bin/bidfun-db.cgi?10&ranfft&a&2uswk&FE_140_1A&

That site says it was made in the 1970s, but I thought Waltham went out of business back in the 50's, so I'm not sure what I really have then.

 

[JohnR725]

1 hour ago, kd8tzc said:

hat site says it was made in the 1970s, but I thought Waltham went out of business back in the 50's, so I'm not sure what I really have then.

Just a reminder the name on the dial doesn't necessarily tell you who made the movement. Even the name on the movement itself doesn't necessarily tell us who made the movement. Then names, names are worth money like Waltham somewhere on the planet right now Waltham watches are rolling off the assembly line and the only thing they have in common with Waltham is the name.

2 hours ago, kd8tzc said:

That site says it was made in the 1970s, but I thought Waltham went out of business back in the 50's, so I'm not sure what I really have then

Oh then there's the other problem with Waltham the clock division was still hanging on as of just a couple years ago and combined with another company under another name. So don't necessarily go out of business 100% parts of them can go out of business. Still dozens help figure out what the Watch is.

A quick look in the bestfit book and I don't see the initials.

Another thing you can do is go to a site like this where you could order stems but it's really useful for identifying. In other words you have dimensions of an existing stem see what fits. Or see if they have your model number and see if that agrees with the stem you have.

https://www.windingstems.com/product.php

Then I think the one watch you found that 75 is probably too new for the best fit fingerprint identification or any other book there really needs to be a little bit earlier to look up the setting parts to see what you have but it still might be worthwhile trying.

[kd8tzc]

Thanks @JohnR725, I tried your site that you linked, but it came back with nothing when I put the dimensions in (if I understood their diagram correctly).

I did find this though... what I can't tell what tap size it is, although the one I currently have has a stem diameter of .84mm, so I would think that would be Tap 11.  I could live with the rusty stem as it doesn't interfere with anything, but I need a new crown as I can't wind it very easily.  I wish I had a bunch of watches for parts, but I don't as I would just start trying different crowns until I found one that fits.

[kd8tzc]

Maybe it would just be easier to to get a watch crown winder tool.

[JohnR725]

Watch is proving to be interesting to find for instance the Dial has Swiss the balance jewels system is Swiss. Yet this is a French movement? Oh and I found the images below currently on a German eBay sites similar but not exactly the same as your Even though it supposedly has the same part number?

Then the site that you already found which is good if you go to the stem ill notice that some of those cross reference stems have the same initials as your watch but if you go to that section it doesn't have your watch.

http://cgi.julesborel.com/cgi-bin/matcgi2?ref=V\ZDXKULj

17 hours ago, kd8tzc said:

I wish I had a bunch of watches for parts, but I don't as I would just start trying different crowns until I found one that

Nice plan but it probably be better to buy a crown assortment. Because there are literally there's a lot of different styles of crowns and conceivably you can have hundreds of watches and other than finding a crown that fits the stem it may not fit the case. Like if you remove the stamina crown from this case does it have a case tube? Because that looks like a waterproof or water resistant crown so you have to have a crown to fit over the tube.

Here's something unfitting crowns

https://blog.esslinger.com/how-to-replace-a-watch-crown/

Then from up above you would reach here because you don't know which crown you need. Oh and they even do make a crown gauge for figuring this stuff out but it's a bit pricey from memory

https://www.esslinger.com/watch-crowns/?_ga=2.120454792.1032249427.1686063679-1006108886.1681583999

[kd8tzc]

7 minutes ago, JohnR725 said:

Like if you remove the stamina crown from this case does it have a case tube? Because that looks like a waterproof or water resistant crown so you have to have a crown to fit over the tube.

I do have some pictures on my card, but I can't get them transferred to the computer right now.  The tube and all that is interesting.  Looks like someone replaced it once already as the tube seems to be cut a bit lengthwise on the inside of the case.  Very odd if you ask me.  I'll try and get the pictures that I took yesterday on the computer.

Okay, here are the pictures... As you can see in pic 1 and pic 2, it's almost like they sawed half of the pipe off inside the movement.  I'm not sure if that is a huge issue... I don't plan on wearing this in the water, and if it doesn't cause the movement to not work, then I'm not sure it is worth addressing at this point.

The amplitude is a little low, so I most likely will clean the watch and possibly replace the mainspring (if I can ever figure out more on the watch, although the link I provided above to Jules Borel does have a mainspring listed... MS510P or GR3700 [ MAINSPRING 1.40-.11-340 10])

The only thing I dislike with these older date style watches is the only way to advance the date is to keep turning the hands.