Dueber watch case serial numbers
Jim Meadows
was given to him when he was very young and he retired several years ago
so it isn't young. He thought it belonged to a member of his mothers
family. But when I looked up the serial number of the watch, (it's a 17
jewell Elgin with what appears to be a metal face with painted numerals)
it turned out to be made in 1923 which would not fit with the age of the
individual he thought it came from. There is a serial number on the
case as well which is a 20 year Dueber which is badly worn. The serial
number is 118080 and it is a pendent at 12 o'clock type. I don't know a
lot about these things but in examining it, I wondered if the watch may
have been in a different case at some time. It does run, or at least it
was running when I took off the back of the case to look at the
movement. When I tried to wind it the hands turned instead. I tried to
push in the stem, but it felt as though it was on a spring like it would
if it was a hunting case movement. I never succeeded in winding it.
Any way with all these things not seeming to fit, I wondered if it had
been in a different case once.
He would like to have it running and usable, but I think I read once
where wind and set problems were the most expensive and difficult to
fix. Is that true? And is there some place I can find the date of the
case from the serial number?
Thank you very much.
Jim
Scott A. Ekleberry
hasn't screwed up the threads in the pendant. It also may be a lever set
watch, screw off the front bezel and see if there is a little lever you can
pull out and then see if the hands set.
As to serial #'s of the case, they mean practically nothing. Best way to
tell if the case is original to the movement is to look in the back for a
second set of case screw marks, you can't miss them if they are there.
--
Scott A. Ekleberry-Watchmaker
It's About Time! Watch Repair
www.itsabouttimeonline.com
sae...@woh.rr.com
"Jim Meadows" <jimme...@earthlink.net> wrote in message
news:3E1B87D2...@earthlink.net...
Jim Meadows
Thanks for your response. I hope the watch can be repaired as easily as it
sounds.
It is not a lever set. I know what that is. I have two railroad watches and
they are both lever set. There also is no extra set of screw marks on the
case. There is one watchmakers mark which is just a number inside the back of
the case. Nothing else. I assume it only saw the inside of a shop once after
it was purchased if that and that it didn't come out of the case or if it did,
the watchmaker was very careful and put it back in exactly the same place.
Thanks again. We still don't know where it came from, but perhaps it still
can be put in working order and that is good news.
I have only seen two categories of pocketwatches divided in this manner. I
have a 7 jewel Elgin which has no name or adjustments marked on the movement.
And the two railroad watches which both were marked not only as to the number of
jewels (21) but also adjusted in 6 and 5 positions. This one only says 17
jewels, nothing else. It is a movement one could expect reasonably good time
from.
One think I noticed about the 7 jewel I have is that the isochronism is
pronounced and predictable. Is it likely that this movement would have the same
characteristics?
Jim
"Scott A. Ekleberry" wrote:
> Wind and set problems in a pocket watch are easy to fix, provided some idiot
> hasn't screwed up the threads in the pendant. It also may be a lever set
> watch, screw off the front bezel and see if there is a little lever you can
> pull out and then see if the hands set.
>
> As to serial #'s of the case, they mean practically nothing. Best way to
> tell if the case is original to the movement is to look in the back for a
> second set of case screw marks, you can't miss them if they are there.
>
> --
>
> Scott A. Ekleberry-Watchmaker
> It's About Time! Watch Repair
> www.itsabouttimeonline.com
> sae...@woh.rr.com
>
> "Jim Meadows" <jimme...@earthlink.net> wrote in message
> news:3E1B87D2...@earthlink.net...
> > My uncle has a pocket watch which he has had for a very long time. It
> > was given to him when he was very young and he retired several years ago
> > so it isn't young.