How to open up an old pocket watch case, screw on and snap on 

As always, your videos are helpful and instructive. Thank you for taking the time to put this pocket watch tutorial together.

The glue on the back of the watch and on the lid worked like a champ! Easy peasy! Great video!

Excellent....remarkable. Thank you so much Sir.

Thank you so much for your fantistic informative video. I had no idea how to take the cover off my Ingersoll Triumph watch. I now have the knowledge but i cannot get it to unscrew as yet as it appears to be stuck solid. I am not a watch collector but found the video so fascinating. Thanks for making the knowledge available to all.

Thanks for this video, very helpful with my English Fusee. All your videos are very helpful thank you.

Thank you! I fashioned a new opening tool after seeing yours, and was able to open the watch I had been trying to gently get open for a year... in 2 minutes. Awesome.

Excellent, really helpful and well explained, thank you

Wow, such a great video. I just received an Illinois pocket watch and this helped me figure out how to open it!

Just want to thank you for this video really helped us.

Great video Sir, very informative. Thank you!

Nice looking pocket watches. They look beautiful.

You saved my day. I was trying to open a "Waltham 1908" model pocket watch. Thanks. :)

Very thorough, very helpful & to the point. You have some nice watches there. I subscribed & liked. Happy New-year!

Great video, really enjoy watching the channel, keep up the good work!

Hi! This was very educational and interesting. I've mostly been educated in that I'm taking my great--grandfather's Waltham to the reputable jeweler near me to open it. Really . . . thanks . . . this was great. No sharp knives will be used by me. I don't want to get slapped silly.

Good videos.I got a pocket watch for my Birthday.I'm learning a lot.

Interesting saying. By the way I have several videos on the 1857. That is my favorite key wind watch.

I do have a hairspring that needs work but I don't have the tweezers for the job. I might have some literature on hairspring repair, I will have to look for it.

Great video you have some beautiful watches.

Great video. I have a double hinged snap on watch that has a small button on the bezel at the one o'clock location , do need to depress that button to open the watch? There are two cut outs that I haven't tried to open yet because I really do not want to damage anything . Thank you.

That sucker's tight! LOL Best videos ever! Thank you!!!!

I have a several videos of me taking apart a full plate watch. I think the videos show a Waltham, Illinois and Elgin.

I have that exact Elgin Nacht pocket watch, did not expect to see one on here

Very informative, I have a Howard watch, series 11, and I was wondering how to open it. You made it look very easy, Do you purchase watches?

Thanks for putting this together! Any chance you could do another with a double hunter pocket watch? My wife got me an inexpensive (expensive at the time) Charles Hubert double hunter skeleton pocket watch that I have no idea how to get out of the case. To mirror the previous commenter, keep up the good work!

Did you do a video on how to take pocket watch movements out?

Hmmm, I have a Howard Sterling pocket watch, with a flower engraving on the back. I can't seem to find it anywhere on the web.

Bravo ! Great.... thorough and to the point. Wish all videos used your's as a templet!!!

I have a Caravelle pocket watch with double hinge - the rear cover opens to reveal the movement and the rear cover has two small wires that come out of the hinge on either side and apparently help hold the cover shut when it is closed. How do I snap the rear cover back on? I cannot seem to get the wires tucked back in correctly. I didn't see an example of this on your otherwise very helpful video.

Thank you I have been trying to find a way to open my pocket watch to change the battery for months so thank you:)

I've always loved clocks and watches, but really mostly collecting them, lol. Your videos have got e interested in a whole new facet of them. They are down to earth, interesting, sometimes funny. I'm going to start keeping my eyes open at garage sales and flea markets! How did you get started with this? A hobby?

Are you saying that you want to purchase the videos you see on this channel?

Thanks for this video :)

Very helpful. Thanks you are the best.

I have a Bulova 97C24 and I'm pretty sure it's a snap on, it's really hard to open the back though, is this normal?

I was wondering if its possible to adjust any mechanical pocket watch? Mine is loosing 4 seconds every 5 hours. It is not the cheapest one out there. But my 15£ german mechanical watch keeps time much better. Is it true that in general mecanical watches varies with 1 minute in 24 hours?

No I don't have any videos to learn about watch repair. The only videos I have are the ones you see on RU-vid.

I was wondering if you offered a set of videos to learn about watch repair.

This was an excellent video...thanks! Any advice for a person just starting to collect pocket watches? (brand/model/etc that would be good to get started with or what to look for when you are looking at a watch to get started?)

Thanks for watching. I don't have any double hunter pocket watches so I looked it up on the internet. If it is like a regular hunter pocket watch the bezel that holds the crystal snaps off, front or back.

.......is there anyway you could possibly do a video on how to straighten a hairspring, even by just using diagrams? thanks, you helped me a lot!

It is a hobby. I bought some old watches. They started breaking. I didn't want to spend the money to have them fixed by a professional. I had some spare time so I started making videos.

Great vid! My pocket watch is a Rotary watch, no cover, silver, but for the life of me, even watching your entire video, I cannot seem to open it, nor find any dents to indicate it can be opened. The whole thing looks completely sealed. Any advice?

Thanks sir this is a great help.

So many beautiful Hamiltons... Have you ever thought about working on Hamilton Electrics?

I found my great grand dads Waltham couldn't figure how to open all day till this thanks!

Great video! Very helpful for this old pocket watch enthusiast. I have an Addison lady's pocket watch that I think is a screw on (no hinges, nothing but two seams) but I can't get it to unscrew either front of back. It's old, so I don't want to mess it up by forcing it. Do you have any suggestions?

That Grandfather clock chime in the background made this special.

They're supposed to be simple, but with a small supply of movements, pretty expensive, I have a few movements laying around... That could use an ultra-sonic wash... They're available if you want to make an assembly / disassembly video

I have an OMEX....just can't get the back off to Change the battery....the front cover has a hinge to open to see the time.

Anyone know the name or where I can get more details on the watch at 28:00 ?

How do you open a Galco stopwatch. It has a hinge back then a snap cover with not indent for opening it

@bunnspecial any idea how to get a Hamilton stop watch back off, do they screw off/on..?

Hi Great video, I have a watch that has a very similar case and dust cover and the mechanism looks the same to the last watch in the video, my face appears to be a machined silver one rather than enamel. Thanks to your video I was able to swing out the mechanism and see it for the first time, can you tell me anything about the mechanism? Any info would be very appreciated. My case is sterling silver and hallmarked for London 1860/6,1 the maker's mark is J.H (Joseph Hirst). Any idea what the watch might be worth? I have a key and it runs but it is missing the second hand. Thanks Bruce

Very informative videos. Especially appreciate, that you do nor edit your videos. Do you take on pocket watches for repair or maintenance?

i have pocket watch and it just didnt move any more and i turned it on like every morning but then in the afternoon it had stopped and i dont know whats wrong with it its a catorex

got several antique Rail Road watches, some lever set, some not. some silverrode cases ,some 20 year gold cases. Waltham,illinois,hampden,westclox,etc. Gotta sell the whole collection for retirement.

I wished that I would have learned watch repair years ago.It may be lost in the future.I surely hope not.I just purchased a Waltham 1857 the other day.It has a few issues but I can handle them I hope.Talking about no time to do the videos.I like this saying:" We don't waste time,time waste us."

mine has the two seems and is very obviously a screw on but its so old it wont screw off, its a well worn very old Trio, it stoped ticking and only ticks when i shake it. I dont know how to get it apart

thank I just got 3 old pocket watch could not open after looking at this i open with a case opener THANK A GOT

What if you can’t get it to open screw off. It’s like it’s completely jammed stuck and there are no dents in it?

great video

I have a elgin natl. watch co. I'm pretty sure it is screw on but I'll be damned if I can get either the front or back to move. Any tips on getting them to unscrew without damaging the case?

I enjoyed your videos ! I have a screw on bezel that has been crossed threaded. What is the best way to open it ?

I have a vintage 1817 Swiss Gold Pocket Watch SIEGLE - Does anyone know anything about this brand?

do you have videos you can purchase?

If the front screws on can I assume the back is screw on also?

what watch is the snap off case at 12 mins?

Some screw off fronts and backs need some help. What should I use? I know one can use a rubber ball, but even that doesn't always work. What next?

i took the back off of my pocket watch and i used a box cutter blade i used the blade by it self to open it and i think i chewed up the sides of the case i only used one time to open it and the back wont go back on it wont snap back on what do i use how do i make it snap back on

How to get the back to screw off when it won't budge

Good job.

Nice vid. I have a pocket watch I bought at the supermarket for 2 bucks. It said bills eye on the front I have to wind it about every 6 hours or so. How often do you have to wind them?

I don't have any Hamilton Electrics. Maybe my next purchase?

I have a woman's rotary watch. How would I find out age and model?

Very helpful - thank you!!

I have to many pocket watches. Maybe I will make a video showing some of the others I have.

Ta-da ! Great video!!!

hi your videos are very good i have a lot of full plate watches smiths empire can you do a video on full plate please thanks noel

I just got a Waltham hinged. Thanks

Just an FYI - The keyed watch (seen in your video at around the 18 minute mark) has ten sides (not an octagon); but the 'swing-out that follows it is an octagon.

nice video thanks

Hammer

Thank you for watching.

how do i put the back back on my pocket wat for my snap on i think i messed up the dial

I have a American Waltham U.S.A. pocket watch. I see no grooved edge, seam, hinge or any giveaway where to open it or where the hinges are. I am assuming it's a snap on/off. The bezel wheel is at 3 and I'm guessing you open it at the bezel? But is very difficult to open. I'm assuming it's never been opened.

got a bun special too!

Thanks, I am always looking for ideas for videos.

No notch's on my pocket watch, very faint line between the case and the back cover. To small of a crack for X-acto knife blades so after watching your video that it was a screw on back. You showed to pull on the crown before trying to un-screw the back. Well the crown came out of the watch, and I can't get it back in place. So now I have a expensive broken watch that was working fine before, and still can't get the back off.

I was at an antique shop and they opened a watch with a screw driver i was like no!!!! And i opened it for them.

you good sir, helped me a lot, tyvm

I have a very slim pocket watch but I don't know how to open it. It just has two little openings on the side

None of these methods work on my pocket watch, also mine does not look like any of the ones you showed. And i know its antique because of the Hampden Watch CO on the front.

i have a f e roskopf 18632 pocket watch but even after this video i cant manage to open it :/. Can you help me?

Thank you kindly!

hi mate i have spent days searching the net for information on a small pocket watch i found in my garage the dial says.. valgine 17 rubis incabloc after opening the rear i found the movement is a peseux 7070 (rather decorated wich suprised me) would you know anything or anyone that could help me with information about this ? as far as I can tell the watch works fine but the original crown is missing cheers from Australia

what kind of watch is that like what's the make

Screwed off! No need for the butter knife

Any idea how to take back off Charles hubert picture frame pocket watch?

Thank you.