Hinged Hamilton Pocket Watch

[Folkvisor]

Hi

I am doing some work on my friend's Hamilton. It is the type that is hinged and you need to pull the stem into the setting position so that it will drop out of the case on its hinge. It will come out about half way but not all the way and something seems to be holding it. The stem isn't broken because I can set the watch. I just can't get it all the way out. 

Any suggestions are welcome.

Dave

[frenchie]

Do you have a picture?

[Folkvisor]

Hi

There's a good photo and explanation here at this address:

http://www.pocketwatchrepair.com/how-to/open-pocketwatch-cases.php

I followed the directions and it comes apart but seems to be binding on something somewhere. I can't see inside the case well enough to find the problem.

Dave

[Folkvisor]

It's called a swing-out case. I got it open after a lot of coaxing but I having a difficult time closing it again. I'm thinking the watch isn't much good if you can't open it easily to clean and repair it. I'm not sure how to get the swing-out feature to work more easily. The key seems to go in the hole but it is a very tight fit and I don't want to force it and break something.

[JohnR725]

the next time you have it open look very carefully at the stem to see if there's rust or anything that would interfere with it inserting into the square opening. you may even want to take the movement out of the case and using your bench key make sure it can insert into the square part there may be rust inside there also, if not rust extremely old oil etc. it shouldn't be a tight fit because if it is crown setting you have to be able to pull it out into the setting which you can't do if it sticks.

 

[Folkvisor]

Hi John

It isn't so much as a tight fit but more like it doesn't line up properly. The watch was used a lot and in rough conditions so I'm thinking it got a lot of knocking. 

The key misses the hole in the case by a fraction of a mm. It came out so I am going to try to see if I can ease the case a little so that the hinge will let it go into position. It should be easy to swing it out and drop it back in. If the watch can't be easily serviced it's basically useless.

Dave 

[Folkvisor]

Hi Frenchie and John

I think I'm going to have to file the hole in the case so that it will allow the key in. It looks like there's enough room between the outer and inner case for the key to engage the works.

Dave

[JohnR725]

pictures really would be nice versus description because from description it's hard to tell what I need to see. The movement is held in place usually with two screws. If you loosen the screws you can rotate the movement to get it to line up with the key/stem. So if I'm interpreting correctly is possible that the movement has rotated in the outer ring and it is no longer in alignment with the stem?

[Folkvisor]

I have no way to take adequate photos. It hasn't rotated; however, the key hits just below the hole in the outer case. I'm going to file the hole down a little. I think it's brass so shouldn't be too difficult.

[Folkvisor]

Hi John

I used my moto-tool with a small drill on the end to make the hole a smudge larger et voila! It worked! The key will now go into the case.

Thank you for your help. The rotate thing gave me the idea to make the hole larger - no idea how or why. ;-)

Dave

[frenchie]

[Folkvisor]

It now swings freely! Hurray!

I'm waiting for some hand levers and a larger movement holder before beginning further work.

It's too bad that very few people see the engraving on the 'hidden' side. 

Dave