Great job on the watch. I have a 1910 Elgin pocket watch that belonged to my great grandfather. Watch in good condition, but needs to be serviced someday.
Thank you for this. I wish i had the skills to do this years ago. Such a satisfying skill. I have an Elgin on my table but i can't tackle it. It runs for an hour and stops i reckon its just needing a service. 😢😢
Yes, it is quite satisfying! Especially when everything works correctly! If you'd like, I may be able to help get your watch up and running. Shoot me a message via the Bracken ClockWorks Facebook page, or email me at brackenclockworks@gmail.com to discuss. Cheers!
Nice job. Very watchable (excuse the pun - unintentional at first, but now on a second read, I'm leaving it in); your presentation is great. I have a watch from the era that will run for about 5 hours, I suspect the works are in dire need of a good cleaning. After watching your video, I don't think I will undertake it myself, but the video has given me an appreciation for the detail required in a good cleaning.
Hi, I just got an Elgin 313 pocket watch that has a bad mainspring. My watch looks exactly like the 314 that you just serviced. I’m very new to pocket watch repair so I intend to follow along and do exactly what you did. Thanks so much for doing this video! -Thomas
I noticed that there was no mention of removing the wind in the main spring before getting too far into the disassembly. Maybe I just missed that part.
Yes!! Sorry it's taken me so long! Been busy! Lot's of life changes, including moving to a new place and getting married. However, I'm back at it and lots of video plans coming together! Keep an eye out, and thanks for sticking around!
I wonder about the advisability of your using bare fingertips on the dial. Finger cots may be overkill on the inside of a pocket watch, but the dial...?
This was very good, but how do you get that protective ring off? I have an Elgin that would run and stop. The dial was loose, so the second hand was dragging on it. When I received it, the second hand was off, probably knocked off by the loose dial. I've tried to get the ring off, and I believe I could tear my thumbnail off on it. There's just no way this one comes off that I can see. Someone worked on the watch, obviously, and left the dial screws loose. There three small holes in the ring that allowed me access to two of the dial screws, but one screw is missing. I'm worried about where it might have gone.
Usually the protective ring has to come off to gain access to the dial screws. If you can already access them, then the ring must have holes in it to allow that. However, the protective ring can be carefully pried off with a small screwdriver. You can use the hole for where the winding stem goes to help get it started. It's not uncommon for one or more of those dial screws to go missing. As long as 2 out of the 3 are tight, it should be good enough to keep from being loose. If you have any more questions, you can shoot me a message via brackenclockworks@gmail.com, or through my Bracken ClockWorks Facebook messenger. Pictures can help determine the next course of action, as well!
Hello, I love your passion and the work you do. I'm sure you get request all the time. But I have an old pocket watch that was my grandfathers, possibly my great grandfather. There is no name on the watch face. However , the name engraved on the movement is J. W. Keil and Clinton Mo. Can you tell me anything about it? Thank you so much.
I am not familiar with that company, and a brief internet search didn't turn anything up on that name, nor any watch companies from Clinton, MO. My guess is it's a private label made by a larger company. If you can, send a couple pictures of the movement to my facebook page (link on my channel page).
That is entirely dependent on model, grade, whether railroad approved or not, and rarity. I've seen some sell for as little as $25, or as much as $1500 for the super rare ones. A good middle range rests between $100 - $300 if in full working condition, but it all boils down to whatever someone is willing to pay for it. Keep in mind, though: Elgin manufactured more than half of the total number of watches made in the US, so there's a lot of them out there still, which can effect the pricing. However, they were a good brand that made pretty decent watches.
