Category Archives: Pocket Watches

Repair: Ingersoll desk / travel watch

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IMG_0328Usually, it’s not worth fixing so called “dollar watches”, but this one is an exception for two reasons. The first one being that it’s a very unusual piece, and the second, and more important one, is that it belongs to my host mother Connie. I stayed with her and her family for a year in 1979-1980 in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, and I will be forever grateful for the hospitality and kindness received.

Connie received the watch as a gift from her mother when she was 5, so most likely, the watch had already been handed down once from her grandmother to her mother.

As you can see in the photo, the crown is missing, and the winding stem is broken. Continue reading →

Service – Cortébert Pocket Watch

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So, a few months ago Christian very kindly offered to open his blog up to his fans, and i’ve decided to take him up on this offer! My name is Sean and I live in the North West of England. I’m an electrical engineer by trade, but have spent the last 6 months indulging myself in the world of watch repair and renovation, and have begun to reach the point where I repair more watches than I destroy!

Over this period, I have learn’t much of what I know from 2 things. Firstly from my own costly mistakes (usually where the best lessons are learned!), and secondly from the wealth of information available online, and in the second instance, nowhere more than Christians blog. I hope that by adding a few of my own projects, I can pass on some of the things i’ve learned along the way.

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The first project i’d like to show everyone is a rather fine pocket watch I serviced for a colleague. It’s a swiss made Cortébert movement in a Dennison gold-filled Half-Hunter case. I’ve dated it vaguely at about 1930’s to 1940’s, and the movement is somewhere between a Cal. 526 through to a Cal. 548, but a highly decorated version. It needs a service and the dial needs cleaning up due to what appears to be a glue mark. Here we go… Continue reading →

Service: Thomas Russell & Son pocket watch

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This is another one of my friend Mick’s watches. Very early 20th century, and a central second pocket watch! It’s a keyless movement, and it even has a hacking second. 7 jewels will do the trick, as that covers the most important places where you want to see one.

It’s ticking, but barely, and it is in bad need of a service. Too much oil, and a very poor amplitude.

Continue reading →

Reassembly: Waltham Pocket Watch 1865

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My attempt at soft soldering the hour hand of Constantine’s Waltham failed miserably. Wondering where I could find a hand that fits, I asked some friends at the BHI Cheltenham if they knew who could help. Everyone agreed that Philip Priestley would be my man. I wrote him an e-mail, detailing what hand I was looking for, and giving the measurements.

I waited a couple of days, and just thought that it had been a bit daring to just ask out of the blue. Well, I was in for a surprise!

Continue reading →