Jump to content

Small Waltham Watch

Folkvisor
 Share

Recommended Posts

Folkvisor Super WRT Addict

Folkvisor

Posted
Posted

A friend of mine dropped off a small Waltham pocket watch which had belonged to her grandfather. It is only 25mm across so it is more like a small wrist watch.

It is in a drop-down case with the key held in the case. The 'keyless' works are fine and the whole watch seems good except for the balance. The hairspring is a real mess and the impulse jewel plate has come off the balance staff. The safety pin on the pallet fork is bent. I have no idea what happened but it had to have had some kind of accident.

I'm thinking of replacing the balance assembly and the pallet fork because I don't think I can get the watch working otherwise.

Any ideas are welcome. Thank you.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Folkvisor Super WRT Addict

Folkvisor

Posted
  • Author
Posted

The safety pin on the pallet fork looks more like a scorpion's tail. The hairspring is in a bad way and the balance cock has the end on the hairspring still fastened but it looks pretty rusted. I have no idea what caused this mess.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Folkvisor Super WRT Addict

Folkvisor

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Do you think It would be possible to straighten the hairspring and reattach it? 

How about straightening the safety pin. Is that possible without breaking it? 

It got bent without breaking so maybe it can be straightened.

The watch is very good in every other way so it would be nice to get it working again. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites
  • 3 weeks later...
Folkvisor Super WRT Addict

Folkvisor

Posted
  • Author
Posted

I sort of gave up trying to fix this watch. I had a passing notion to buy a junker in the hopes that it might have the parts I need intact and working. However, I did this with a Russian watch and the junker had the same problem, stripped minute wheel teeth. Now I have 2 junker Russian watches.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
 Share
Go to topic listing


  • Recently Browsing

    • No registered users viewing this page.

  • Topics

  • Posts

    • Mallard
      Vintage pocket watches from e-bay (winding stems needed)

      By Mallard · Posted

      Hi nickelsilver, thanks for the great explanation and the links! I'll take a good look in the article.  Especially this is great news to hear! Looking through forums and youtube videos I was informed to 'fist find a case and then fit a movement for it'. But seems that's not the case for pocket watches at least?  I guess I should be looking to find some 'male square bench keys' for now. I was thinking of winding the mainspring using a screwdriver directly, but I found a thread that you've replied on, saying that it could damage the spring. 
    • Waggy
      2813

      By Waggy · Posted

      Murks, The rate and amplitude look OK, and the amplitude should improve once the oils you have used get a chance to move bed-in, also I notice that you are using default 52 degrees for the lift angle, if you get the real lift angle (assuming it's not actually 52) this will change your amplitude - maybe higher, maybe lower. I notice that the beat error is a little high, but not crazy high. At the risk of upsetting the purists, if the balance has an adjustment arm I would go ahead and try and get this <0.3 ms, but if it does not have an adjustable arm then I would probably leave well alone. Just my opinion.
    • Murks
      2813

      By Murks · Posted

      Hi everyone on my timegrapher it showing this do a make anymore adjustment someone let me know ?    
    • Waggy
      Epilame / Fixodrop

      By Waggy · Posted

      Maybe I'm over simplifying this and I'm a little late to the discussion, but just by my looking at oil when I use it on a treated cap jewel  the oil stays in one nice bubble, but when I don't it spreads out to the edges of the jewel. I'm not sure (but could well be wrong) but the analogy of a waxed car and rain is accurate in this case, the wax is very hydrophobic and repels the water, however, the process epilame works by is a different physical process based upon cohesion/adhesion (oleophilic) not repulsion (oleophobic)  at least as far as I have read/observed. If one were to use a oleophobic substance equivalent to wax (hydrophobic) then one would need to create a donut shape to fence in the oil, however if one used such a strategy with a epilame which is oleophilic then the oil would sit on the ring of the donut and not in the 'donut hole', exactly where you don't want it. Even if the oil is smeared then the oleophilic epilame should pull it back to the center (see diagram below). Reference For interest the chemical in epilame is 2-(PERFLUOROHEXYL) ETHYL METHACRYLATE, CAS NO: 2144-53-8
    • Waggy
      Dg 2813

      By Waggy · Posted

      Looks lint the teeth on the hour wheel aren't meshing with the teeth on the calendar intermediate wheel, maybe the hour wheel is sitting on top of this instead of meshing?        
×
×
  • Create New...