Crystal for elgin wrist watch...need help

[Douglas1701]

Not sure if im posting in the correct place or not, ive never used a forum before. Just getting started with the watch repair. I have my grandfathers old elgin wrist watch i would like to fix up. It need the minute hand and the very small second hand that installs seperate from the rest at the bottom of the watch. I also need a crystal for it but i have no idea what part numbers to order.....would appreciate any help. Its only a 7 jewel but its my grandads...here is all the info i can find on it.

s/n.....32109721

yr...1928

grade....485

code...h3f1p

jewels...7

and thats about all i know except that its still runs, bit needs cleaning good.

thanks.

[jdm]

Front and back pics please?

Note, if this watch has sentimental value to you, being your grandpa's, I really, really recommend you learn on something else.

Edited January 28, 2017 by jdm

[Douglas1701]

[Douglas1701]

I will, just trying to get the parts for it for now...thought about buying an old movement on ebay and using it for awhile first...saw one almost just like it for $22.....thanks

[jdm]

The crystal is round so easy to obtain, and probably hands also are. But before worrying about that, you need to get yourself some tools, and learn how to use'em. Have a read around, use the search function, watch the videos. That will help you decide if it's something you really want to undertake just to restore one single watch.

[Douglas1701]

Ive got some picked out on ebay, gonna order them on monday...been watching the videos online for about 3 weeks. Its something I plan on doing till im dead i hope...lol been wanting to do it for years, just never had the time before.....been making knives, game calls, bows and arrows for years and now i have the time for watches...thanks

[DouglasSkinner]

If you're like me you can expect to break a few watches (maybe more than a few!) before you begin to get the confidence and the "feel".  So I concur with jdm that you shouldn't start with any piece that you really value. 

I recommend starting with quartz watches for two reasons.  First, analog quartz watches have a gear train and taking them apart and putting them together will give you training manipulating small parts with tweezers as well as the some of the basic wheels found in mechanical watches.  Also, you won't have to make sure the watch is in beat because the electrical components take care of that (as opposed to a mechanical escapement).  I was getting quartz watches at my local Goodwill store for 50 cents to a dollar a piece.  (Some of them had nice Ronda, Hattori, Citizen or ETA movements and among them some had jeweled bushings.)  Note: not all quartz movements can be taken apart, some have heat soldered plastic rivets.  But many can, in fact, be disassembled, cleaned and reassembled like a mechanical watch.  You'll learn how to set the hands, deal with the set mechanism, casing, etc.  Plus, with some of your successes, you have some nice pieces to display.  You probably won't get much selling them but they'll look nice and give you a sense of accomplishment.  I give mine away as gifts to friends and relatives.

Finally, I don't recommend another option which may seem reasonable route to practicing working on mechanical watches: starting with old Timex watches and other "dollar watch" pieces, as they can be tricky and may lead to discouragement.  I have only recently started to work on Timex mechanicals myself.  They're fun, if not very distinguished.  They're also fairly robust and will keep reasonable time even after some pretty rough treatment.

[Douglas1701]

Thanks for the insight....talked to a lady today who may be selling her husbands watch stuff...she says she has hundreds of railroad watches....and tools....gonna try and make a deal with her if she isnt to high...if i can get them ill put them away for a couple of years. With hundreds of watches that have been restored, and tools I have no idea what a good price would be. But this may be my only option to good vintage tools at a good price...hoping so anyway. Ill take alook at the local goodwill and see what i can find, definately dont want to destroy a good watch. Ive talked to my son and told him about it, so hopefully he will be willing to invest if she is willing to help us get started...im a bit nervous about it, its a large opportunity i wasnt really expecting this early in the game. A bit overwhelmed.....but excited at the same time.