Identifying old Pocket Watch
david.c...@gmail.com
lately to put it back in working order and I was wondering if anyone
could point me in a direction to find out if anyone can help identify
the watch. The fellow who worked on it said there were no markings
inside to help so I am not sure if just photos of the exterior will do
anything. Thanks in advance!
david.c...@gmail.com
> In article
> <dc87a901-8cac-4150-9dcb-7be1f9cf8...@j8g2000yql.googlegroups.com>,
>
> The dial and hands
> Inside the case back
> The plate/bridges of the movement (what you see if you open the back)
I took a few photos and you can see them here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/36348627@N02/
I don't really feel comfortable removing any more of the back of the
watch! Perhaps I can bring it down to the watch fellow and take some
photos there if I need to get more.
> And very important, the diameters of the dial and plate in millimeters.
I am guessing the dial is the face of the watch, but I am not sure
what the plate is. Is that the body of the watch?
> Also if it is key-wound or pendant wound; key set, pendant set, or lever
> set
The winder, as you can see from the photos, is on the top of he
watch. Would this be called pendant set? I am not familiar with all
the terms sorry!
I did a search for the type of watch as it is printed on the face -
'J.G. Graves Sheffield - and found some information on he fellow J.G.
Graves anyway. I didn't see any watches that looked exactly like this
one though.
david.c...@gmail.com
> In article
> Anchor: Birmingham Assay Office
> Lion: Sterling Silver
> Date Letter "F": 1854
> Case maker: E.W.C. Co. ["E___" Watch Case Company?]
>
> Movement: Swiss Import
>
> Jeweler (Name on dial): J. G. Graves, Sheffield, England, well respected
> firm selling silverware and pocket watches.
>
> Common for English watches to have an imported movement, an English
> case, and the jeweler's name on the dial.
>
> Everyone was a beginner once. Net time you're in a bookstore look at
> "The Complete Price Guide To Watches" by Gilbert, Engle, and Shugart.
> Except for the prices, which are unreliable, it has a wealth of
> information and descriptive terminology.
>
> Enjoy your watch.
That's excellent information j.f.! I appreciate the response. I
would never have figured out 1854 from an 'F' on the case. I will
have to check out that book as a friend of mine also has an old watch
that belongs to his father.
The sound of this watch ticking is great. I am glad I got it fixed up
and put back in working order. I am going to get a desk stand for it
and use it as a desk clock as I don't see carrying a pocket watch as
being all that practical :)
Ian Partridge
<david.c...@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:dc87a901-8cac-4150...@j8g2000yql.googlegroups.com...
Your pocket watch is a late one - the Birmingham date letter 'F' is for
1930. (Note the two cusp shapes of the halmark bottom).
Your great grandfather bought a new watch not an 1854 antique one? This
ties in with the pendant hand settting and winding, Swiss export number, and
'Swiss Made' fired on the enamel dial. Imported items into the United States
had to have country of origin markings on them by law. The protectionist
McKinley Tariff Act of 1890 was amended in 1921 so U.S. imports then had to
have 'Made in....'
The hands on your watch would suit a demi-hunter case as the minute hand has
a thin waist where the small outer dial would show.
J.G. Graves, I believe, did make English lever pocket watches in the 19th
century. They had an interesting feature of an extra barrel wheel between
the plates of the keywind watches to mimic fusee (anti-clockwise) winding.
This was to appease customers who wound their new going-barrel watches the
'old' way and broke them!
Ian
.
david.c...@gmail.com
> Your pocket watch is a late one - the Birmingham date letter 'F' is for
> 1930. (Note the two cusp shapes of the halmark bottom).
Yes I found the stamp information online and noticed that shape on the
bottom which suggested 1930 to me as well.
> Your great grandfather bought a new watch not an 1854 antique one? This
> ties in with the pendant hand settting and winding, Swiss export number, and
> 'Swiss Made' fired on the enamel dial. Imported items into the United States
> had to have country of origin markings on them by law. The protectionist
> McKinley Tariff Act of 1890 was amended in 1921 so U.S. imports then had to
> have 'Made in....'
I have no idea how the watch came in to my great-grandfather's hands.
He lived in Ireland and so I am guessing the watch came from there.
> The hands on your watch would suit a demi-hunter case as the minute hand has
> a thin waist where the small outer dial would show.
Interesting - I just google'd "demi-hunter case" as I had never heard
of that before. A nice way to protect the watch!
> J.G. Graves, I believe, did make English lever pocket watches in the 19th
> century. They had an interesting feature of an extra barrel wheel between
> the plates of the keywind watches to mimic fusee (anti-clockwise) winding.
> This was to appease customers who wound their new going-barrel watches the
> 'old' way and broke them!
Thanks for the additional information, Ian!
Dave . . .
Moka Java
"Swiss Made" on the dial is a dead give away as to age or lack of it.
Stem wind was pretty rare in 1854 too. The hands don't match, one or
both are replacements.
Steve R.
two keywind watches made by them. Look under the balance cock/bridge. If
there is a decimalised number there, it's a Longenes movement. Other brands
may be harder to identify.
Steve R.
Ian Partridge
"Steve R." wrote: > J.G. Graves made watches until the end of the 19th
Coincidentally I saw one today that reminded me that the Graves going barrel
pocket watches I have seen were "The Express English Lever" and "J.G Graves,
Sheffield" on the dial. I believe the 'Express' was intended as railway
(railroad) watch.
Ian
.
