Things of Beauty: Antique American Pocket Watches.

[simong]

Jay, that's a beautiful collection. I myself have been looking for a good pocket watch. Any affordable lead? Omega and the such are crazy expensive in Europe..

Harrison & Simmonds, a tobbaconist & emporium in Bedford.
They have a large selection of pocket watches at prices to suit most people's pockets.
Great thread & photos @mawnansmiff .?
Jay, did you see a fairly recent thing on the telly about Marie Antoinette's Clock, with Nicholas Parsons? I'm not into clocks / watchmaking but found it fascinating. You'd love it!

The Incredible Story of Marie Antoinette's Watch with Nicholas Parsons

Nicholas Parsons, Just a Minute host and stalwart of the entertainment world, explores his life-long enthusiasm for clocks when he goes in search of the most...

www.google.co.uk

 

[paulfg]

I too have a collection of about 30 American pocket watches

the oldest an 1880 Hampden Woolwich model 2



a 1914 Waltham Canadian Railway Time Service with beautiful engraving typical of many of the watches of the period

 

[scloyd]

Very nice collection Jay. Thanks for posting some of them. Looking forward to more.

I've posted this 1912 Waltham here before. My grandmother gave it to my grandfather for Christmas in 1914. He passed away in 1958 while my mother was pregnant with me. Even though I've never met him, I cherish the stories, photos and this pocket watch of his.

 

[mawnansmiff]

Harrison & Simmonds, a tobbaconist & emporium in Bedford.
They have a large selection of pocket watches at prices to suit most people's pockets.
Great thread & photos @mawnansmiff .?
Jay, did you see a fairly recent thing on the telly about Marie Antoinette's Clock, with Nicholas Parsons? I'm not into clocks / watchmaking but found it fascinating. You'd love it!

The Incredible Story of Marie Antoinette's Watch with Nicholas Parsons

Nicholas Parsons, Just a Minute host and stalwart of the entertainment world, explores his life-long enthusiasm for clocks when he goes in search of the most...

www.google.co.uk

Simon, the only places I remember in Bedford are the Flower Pot pub & one called The Railway.

And yes, I did see that docu about Marie Antoinette's watch....what a beauty. I'll now watch it again over a coffee so thanks for posting it.

I remember thinking when I first saw it how frail old Parky seemed.

Regards,

Jay.

 

[mawnansmiff]

Very nice collection Jay. Thanks for posting some of them. Looking forward to more.

I've posted this 1912 Waltham here before. My grandmother gave it to my grandfather for Christmas in 1914. He passed away in 1958 while my mother was pregnant with me. Even though I've never met him, I cherish the stories, photos and this pocket watch of his.
View attachment 159482
View attachment 159483

Lovely family heirloom you have there Scott.....hand painted fancy dial too! Nice to have something like that to pass on.

I can't quite see the serial number....else I'd look it up to see what info there is for it.

Regards,

Jay.

 

[simong]

I remember thinking when I first saw it how frail old Parky seemed.

Looking even frailer now, I'll bet.
Still, he had a good innings though bless him. RIP Nicholas.

 

[mawnansmiff]

Just finished watching it again Simon....what a cracking watch eh? Such craftmanship in a age when anything with more than half a dozen moving parts was regarded as being miraculous!

Here is an old (1949) film made by the Hamilton Watch company showing the watch basics plus touring the factory....seen this loads of times but never tire of seeing it.


How a watch works (1949) | Hamilton Watch - YouTube

Regards,

Jay.

 

[timelord]

Harrison & Simmonds, a tobbaconist & emporium in Bedford.
They have a large selection of pocket watches at prices to suit most people's pockets.

I've bought a couple of pipes from them in the past; both were limited edition Petersons that had sold out everywhere else.

 

[kcghost]

What a magnificent collection. Pocket watches have always been a fascination of mine. I've never owned one for various reasons. While not exactly on topic the chronometers of John Harrison have always seemed magical to me.

 

[lraisch]

A slightly off-topic rant.

Am I the only one who takes exception to Rolex having to tell you right on the watch face that a watch is a "Superlative Chronometer"? Let alone an "Officially Certified Cosmograph"?

Or, for that matter, selling for over half a million dollars?

Pre-Owned Rolex Daytona Cosmograph "Rainbow" 116598RBOW (thewatchbox.com)

 

[scloyd]

@mawnansmiff
Hey Jay,
I purchased this pocket watch in Basel, Switzerland in 2008.
I'd like to open and take a peek inside, but I don't know how. Any ideas? There is a hinge on the bottom.
My grandfather's pocket watch twists open.
Thanks.

 

[warren]

Am I the only one who takes exception to Rolex having to tell you right on the watch face that a watch is a "Superlative Chronometer"? Let alone an "Officially Certified Cosmograph"?

Apparently . . . yes.

My health, my life in fact, when I was a diver, depended on my Rolex.

 

[scloyd]

I can't quite see the serial number....else I'd look it up to see what info there is for it.

18299692 Date - 1912 in my book.

 

[edger]

I still use this. It’s probably over 50 years old. I just get it cleaned every once in a while. Not up to your standards, however.

 

[mawnansmiff]

@mawnansmiff
Hey Jay,
I purchased this pocket watch in Basel, Switzerland in 2008.
I'd like to open and take a peek inside, but I don't know how. Any ideas? There is a hinge on the bottom.
My grandfather's pocket watch twists open.
Thanks.
View attachment 159533
View attachment 159534

Scott, try either pushing down on the winding crown to see if that releases the back case cover, or look for a flange where you can use your thumbnail to open it. I would guess the first method would do it.

BTW, F.H.B. = Felix Hoover [of] Basel.

Regards,

Jay.

 

[scloyd]

Scott, try either pushing down on the winding crown to see if that releases the back case cover, or look for a flange where you can use your thumbnail to open it. I would guess the first method would do it.

BTW, F.H.B. = Felix Hoover [of] Basel.

Regards,

Jay.

Thanks Jay. I'll try that when I get home. If I get it open, I'll post a photo of the workings.

 

[mawnansmiff]

I still use this. It’s probably over 50 years old. I just get it cleaned every once in a while. Not up to your standards, however.View attachment 159538

Nice 17 jewel military dialled watch there Edger. Hamilton (now owned by Swatch) made these for L. L. Bean and back in the day cost about $75 (now about $200).

I would guess the lume is Tritium.

Regards,

Jay.

 

[canucklehead]

Beautiful collection Jay.

At the risk of derailing this thread (sorry for the pun)...

Dueber-Hampton has an interesting history and were oddly instrumental in the creation of the Soviet watch industry. Dueber-Hampton failed during the Great Depression; at the same time, Lenin was looking to modernise Russia following the revolution and one thing he identified a need for was a supply of reliable watches.

European governments at the time were not particularly co-operative but in those pre-Cold War times US/USSR relations were cordial. The Soviets bought the machinery, IP rights and all unfinished stock and had them shipped to Moscow in 1930 along with key staff who were given 1 year contracts to train Russian workers.

This became the First Moscow Watch Factory which continued using the Hampton pocket watch movements until into the 1960s (possibly 1970?) when they were finally replaced with locally designed smaller watch movements (these are still made under the 'Vostok' name). They used these movements for dive watches (191-ChS) for the Soviet Navy and wrist watches.

Interesting aside; very few - if any - of the Russian workers could speak English; but fortunately they and the Dueber-Hampton staff could all speak German!

Given the movements are for pocket watches these early Soviet watches are huge...

The 191-ChS dive watch has a 60mm diameter (2 1/4 inches...).

Zlatoust still make ChS watches but using Vostok movements and now in a range of sizes. I bought these two back in 2020 (although thanks to Covid I couldn't have them shipped to Brazil so they are enjoying my brothers hospitality in Suffolk).

My ChS is a slightly smaller 46mm version (so about the size of a large G-Shock). Most of these ChS watches have the winding crown at the 9 o'clock position so as to not impede the wrist; as a left hander who wears my watches on the right hand minehas a 3 o'clock crown.
View attachment 159362

This is modern re-creation of the Type 1; the originals had the Duebur-Hampden pocket watch movement, mine has a modern(ish) Vostok movement designed in the early 1960s

This fella is 'only' 50mm diameter...
View attachment 159363

That reminds me of the old Soviet-era Russian joke:

"Three gulag inmates are telling each other what they’re in for. The first one says: 'I was five minutes late for work, and they charged me with sabotage.' The second says: 'For me it was just the opposite: I was five minutes early for work, and they charged me with espionage.' The third one says: 'I got to work right on time, and they charged me with harming the Soviet economy by acquiring a watch in a capitalist country.'"

 

[mawnansmiff]

18299692 Date - 1912 in my book.
View attachment 159535

Right on Scott. As you say, made in 1912. It's a grade 620 model 1908 and comes from a run of 2000 (354,000 total produced) and is size 16s.

Solid gold centre wheel with beautiful decoration....but I'm sure you already knew all this.

Lovely piece chum & one to treasure, moreso as it has family connections.

Regards,

Jay.

 

[paulfg]

Right on Scott. As you say, made in 1912. It's a grade 620 model 1908 and comes from a run of 2000 (354,000 total produced) and is size 16s.

Solid gold centre wheel with beautiful decoration....but I'm sure you already knew all this.

Lovely piece chum & one to treasure, moreso as it has family connections.

Regards,

Jay.

yep

FROM THE AMERICAN HOROLOGY ARCHIVE:​

American Waltham Watch Co.​

Grade: No. 620​

Manufacturer:	Waltham
Manufacturer Location:	Waltham, Massachusetts
Movement Serial Number:	18299692
Grade:	No. 620
Model:	1908
Estimated Production Year:	1912
Run Quantity:	2,000
Total Production:	354,099
Size:	16s
Jewels:	15j
Movement Configuration:	Openface
Movement Finish:	Gilt
Movement Setting:	Pendant
Plate:	Bridge Plate
Regulator:	Church 1892
Hairspring:	Breguet
Adjusted:	No
Railroad Grade:	No
Data Research:	1954 Waltham "Gray Book" List