On my RR watch (a Hamilton), front and back are same size and thread. A spare front bezel could be screwed on the back and you could watch it work. I've thought about doing that...
Waltham and Hamilton, among others, produced a very limited run of salesmen/dealer sample watches with crystals front and back in the 19th century. That way they could show off the movement to potential customers without ever exposing it to moisture, dust, damage, etc. These sample pieces are quite rare, but they do come up now and then if you have the money... It's insane the level of decoration they did just as a matter of course back then; simple good workmanship even though it'd never be seen except by the occasional watchmaker (this was long before the invention of acrylic or sapphire; so putting literal glass on the back just to show off the movement was a major potential damage liability for 99% of customers). Nowadays though they do sell new display backs with your choice of acrylic, mineral or sapphire crystal. Ebay has the most reasonable prices, just search for "exhibition" cases. If they don't have one for your brand/model, then you'll need the measurements and thread pitch to know which one to buy. Alternatively like @chowardlaw said, most case makers used identical threading front and back, and there's lots of vintage "parts" watches and cases you can get fairly cheaply. The upside is that'll match the rest of the watch well compared to a new, purpose-built exhibition back, but the downside is original glass is easily broken. Thus what I usually do is pull a vintage front bezel from a similar period case, and then fit a modern sapphire crystal in it. Problem solved, but not nearly as quick, easy or cheap as just sticking with the original glass. Also keep in mind for some case/watch combinations you'd need to replace the original crystal anyway, as the height isn't enough to clear the movement.
@@chowardlaw8417 My 992B is exactly that. When I belonged to a watch and clock association (we moved since then) a person attended a meeting to sell some inherited watches. I picked up a second 992B just to get the second bezel and crystal. It looks stunning. The second watch (in perfect running condition) has both "backs" on it to keep it in good condition. If you can locate a bezel, I advise you to buy it and install it. You will love the results.
I had my dad's old railroad watch serviced fairly recently after a long time of neglect (probably 40 years) and got it running. He was born in 1918 and his time with the railroad was during the 1940s (which kept him out of the war). I was about to explain the whole lever setting under the screw-down bezel aspect, but you got there right as I was starting to type. Thanks for passing along that history. I have a bit of an addition. They would set these in a central location to a standard clock, and they were sealed with wax (like a letter) to show whether they were tampered with or not, and then they would go out to the conductors. Part of their job was to wind their watches in very precise, standard ways to keep the watches as consistent as possible. Think about the importance of time keeping in this way: imagine two trains going opposite directions at speed on the same track. Each train has to hit certain mile markers at specific times so they can both both be in the right place at the right time so one train can pull over onto a siding while the other passes.
and this is too be able to save a lot of money and creating a more faster running railwal without LARGE investments in fixed equipment ie interlocking for all train tracks (passing tracks/switches to industrial sidings/etc) For a railway with a more controlled approach - fixed equipment preventing drivers from leaving an area without resetting and locking points in safe positions is feasible and profitable. Especially if a driver or local switchman risks losing their head to the executioner if they fail in their duty.
Wow! Thank you for that information. It is truly great to learn more about the intricacy of the precision of time that had to have in the railroad system.
@@TheStefanskoglund1 trains can always run late due to mechanical or other problems (e.g., cows on the tracks), so there's no way around needing reliable mechanisms to prevent collisions when schedules go off.
That’s nuts my father was also born in 1918 and my grandparents gave him this watch in 1936 for his graduation gift and he gave it to me on my wedding day 7/4/1982. I still have the watch today and have been married for 40 years.
Hey Marshall, Your videos directly contributed to me taking on an apprenticeship with a master watchmaker here in Los Angeles. Thanks for your contributions to the community, Winston
that's why I rewatch these over and over again this is the second time for this one what an interesting barrel besides the whole watch being interesting in itself‼️®™️
I'm always blown away by the fact that these 100 plus year old watches, not just because their beauty, but because someone made all those very tiny very accurate parts many by hand. Imagine making those tiny screws and threading them. And small pivot shafts. The talent they had back then. I'd love to see a video for how they built the watches
A piece of art actually, some people get a watch for the brand, how it looks like etc. I have a Seiko 5 Automatic. It's almost 30 years old today. Got it for my 18 birthday from my father, only item I will never sell in my life..
100 years ago there were screw making machines. I mean, ingenious, complex mechanical machines, but still… Invented somewhere around 1870 I think, and companies like Waltham were all in on the automation.
@rayjohnson4395 Ask and you shall receive! I know your comment is pretty old, but this is an in-depth look at how watches were made by an industry leader in the 1920s. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-IivaogyL4KE.html As another commenter pointed out, they're not machining screws, but a lot of the automation that is in place is still overseen by a human hand. For example, the train assembly is made up of parts stamped from a sheet of metal, but there's a person manually feeding the sheet and pulling the lever. I imagine they would catch defects a lot more quickly, and there would be some hand finishing of edges to remove burrs and other imperfections that may cause extra friction or mechanical impedance.
Hi Marshall, great job. Apparently in the late 1800s,there was a bad train crash causing loss of life. This was down to a stopped pocket watch!, so the train company had to up their game with time pieces. They approached a few companies to make really high end pocket watches with all of the standards you mentioned for their workers, these really were the rolexes of the day!. I own an 1918 Illinois pocket watch, love it to bits!. Thanks a lot. Adrian.
I have my Grandfather's Washington Watch Company Lafayette 24 jewel which was made for Montgomery Ward by Illinois Watch Company. I love it also. The Lafayette was the premium watch sold by Montgomery Ward. I do understand the problem that Marshall had on setting the hands. I had to figure that out myself.
yesterday was my birthday and today I got a pocketwatch as a present! Its honestly nothing shiny or expensive but there is something in its ticking and visible inside that is just so dear and charming!
The railroads and time-keeping are intimately connected. Our time zones were a result of railroad lobbying. Engineers and conductors had to have their watches inspected on a regular basis. Accurate timekeeping was necessary to avoid train collisions. I am a big fan of the Montgomery dial. Railroad watch collecting is its own separate rabbit hole.
@@bostonrailfan2427 I lived in Waltham very near the old Watch Factory for about 14 years. I remember when they redid the site to become office space and residential lofts. One of the biggest issues with the renovation was when they found barrels of radioactive luminous material buried under the floor. Keep in mind the Watch Factory literally sits on the river. So the material was no more than 200 feet from an active waterway. It delayed the project heavily and increased cost by quite a bit to properly remove and dispose of it.
It actually wasn't so much railroad lobbying as it was just general convenience. Originally when the railroads transitioned to the timezone system in 1883 the Postmaster General made an announcement that those were only a railroad thing and that the government was going to continue with the old system. He then proceeded to go miss his train because he was using the wrong time. It wasn't until 1918 that the US government officially adopted the timezone system. Prior to that most major towns and cities would calculate their exact local time controlled by a famous clock in the area as the master time keeper and the surrounding area around them would all use that time. Which was obviously a nightmare for the railroads trying to run a train through dozens of these mini-timezones.
You can water witch with this PW. I believe the blued hair spring is the key. Cases don’t seem to matter. You put a silk pocket square across your palm and slowly walk over the terrain. Water veins and metal pipes carrying liquids will momentarily freeze your second hand. So be approaching and egressing the target you declared, means the PW runs normally. You are dowsing, flowing waters, not just water tables. The neato part of this is a gentleman discreetly carries these two implements c without raising bystanders’ curiosity, and stiff breezes don’t affect the second hand inside the crystal face. My PW is a 21j BW Raymond movement in a cheap gold filled case, marked Elgin, without any RR approved banner on it’s face. Benjamin Wright Raymond founded the Illinois Watch Co. and his name on a movement meant it is their very best. And yes it has a lever set, and spade hands. Mine was made in 1937, before they went to silver non magnetic hair springs. An old water witch showed my seven year old dad this bit of the Art, in 1923, witching flowing water veins at the top of a buried muskeg, seventy feet down. The water flowed like veins in a leaf, and previous well holes got plugged with mud in the first five minutes.
AT least in the case of Sweden, the railway meant that society for the first time in our history had a demand for a fixed time reference for a whole country. Before that everyone used 'sun time' ie they sat the clock to 1200 when the sun was in its highest position.
Years ago, I was given a non-working Elgin pocket watch my grandfather was given by his dad in 1927. Kids had played with it. I took it apart in 2002. I knew there was nothing I could do until I learned about watch making and bought necessary tooling. 21 years later, I am nearly ready to start. I purchased several similar Elgin movements on EBay in preparation. Thanks for your videos-they have helped me get to this point
I'm a relatively late addition to the army of your admirers. I enjoy your channel very much. Although not a future watch repairman, or watch anything, I still enjoy watching. Keep it up and thank you.
There is a zen to this sort of thing I love. I found a shoe repair channel during lockdown, and I've just added this to the list of "apparently I'm a watcher now. I didn't know that about myself before" channels. 😃
After the Kipton train crash of 1891, American watchmaking was spurred on to create ever more reliable and accurate watches. Very well-finished aesthetically and technically ahead of Swiss watchmaking. For this I love them very much. Thanks Marshall because you are a point of reference for me.
Absolutely gorgeous watch! I literally gasped when you opened the case. It’s so nice to see a thing of such beauty that has been around for so long restored to working order!
I Started watching your watch revivals about two weeks ago and i am hooked on them. I have a few non running watches and have been tempted to have a go at reviving them but my eyes are not what they used to be and some of those parts are way to small. But really enjoy watching these. As for the waltham pocket watch, that movement is amazing and is crying out for a glass case back. Well done marshall.
As a 12-13 year old, I ruined my father's and my watch, by taking them apart to "clean, oil and adjust" them, but got the parts to both mixed up and also lost a few parts. My father's watch was a pocket watch and mine was a wrist watch. My father took the bag of parts to an old watchmaker and got his reassembled, but I never saw my watch again. Needless to say, he wasn't very happy with me. I'm almost 80 years old now and remember it as if it were yesterday!
Ive picked up a few different makes at auction, a few in lots of 3. Honestly, extremely cheap. A Waltham 7 day for 35 bucks, lot of 3 hamiltons for 250, Elgins, 3 Hunter Case. All amazing. Just keep your eyes open.
Gorgeous watch that exemplifies the epitome of American watchmaking -- mass produced, high quality, exquisitely accurate timepieces. It's a shame that it doesn't have an exhibition back so the owner can be mesmerized by the beauty beneath the case. Fine job, Marshall.
My grandfather was a telegraph operator for the railroad from the 1920's to the 1950's. I have his Waltham watch. How I would love to see it work again. The train on the front dial is a steam train, and on the back is a Diesel Streamliner .
I've been watching for ages, hoping to see that perfect , for me, pocket watch . Everything around just now seems all glitz and glitter. But that's beautiful, that's the right sort of watch. Thank you letting me join you on the journey.
Ive purchased over a dozen pocket watches at auction for cheap. Have several Walthams, Hamiltons, Elgins, Hunter Cas etc. None ran me more than 200. Got some in lots of threes for $30 a piece. Keep your eyes open.
This is now my favourite channel! It's a bit like watching Bob Ross; every video is similar to the last one, but it is so relaxing to watch and always amazing t see the finished projects.
That pocket watch just screams out for a clear back to the case! Just gorgeous!! But I totally get not replacing it and using the original. Keep up the good work!
Yes & no. I have an 18S 23J Waltham that has a clear back, or 'Display' case as its generally known, and the worry has always been when putting the watch down on a hard surface, especially since it has a (maybe original?) glass crystal.
@@Hvtesla I would probably want to get a acrylic caseback crystal so it's easy to polish, idealy. Or *maybe* Sapphire if scratches were the only major concern for the use case
My dad was a watchmaker for years when I was a kid and your videos bring back those memories. I can tell that you are very good at this based on how you use your tools.
I've spent the past 5 hours watching this guy repair these absolutely stunning pieces of craftsmanship and am... amazed. That railroad watch, if cared for, can last for several more centuries to come in the right hands. You just.... don't really get that sort of thing anymore. Really makes me want to start collecting these. Beautiful, and stunning. Living testaments to the ingenuity and skill of the people who designed and made these.
What a stunning piece of art wrapped in time . Nice to see another great service Marshall . I now have some tools , and am looking for a microscope and a few more important tools, before I decide to tackle my first opening . I've always known that one day I would try . So I have a handful that I've collected over the years . You'll laugh because one of the ladies watches fits on the tip of my baby finger , soooo , I'll be patient and wait . See you soon Marshall . Cheers
great work. the multi position for timing, the railroad time telegraph with stations and railroad authorized watch service Jewlers is a real part of history
Aww man! Upon binge watching these for the last few days, you're really making me want an old pocket watch, and not even necessarily to restore. I just always liked pocket watches.
Wonderful video! As I understood it, lever-set models were set-up that way to avoid accidentally pulling out the crown and messing up the time while in the pocket. I was honored to inherit my great-grandfather's railroad watch from the 30's. He said before he got that one, he was issued a pocket watch from the railroad and only the station master could adjust it (with a key). It was required that they report to the station master once a day to have the time reset for accuracy to the second. Failure to do this would result in a fine garnished from their pay. A sticker seal was put on the watch case when given back to the user, so if the worker forgot to have it set and opened it themselves, the station master would know. Keep up the great videos!
You’re exactly correct. I have two railroad-grade pocket watches and both have the lever set mechanism protected by the bezel like that. You could never accidentally change the time setting by fumbling around in your pocket. They require that very deliberate removal of the bezel to be approved for use on the railroad.
Greetings from Scotland. Thank you, Marshall, for these amazing videos - I am obsessed with them! I await each new video with mounting excitement. Funnily enough, I am one of those people that routinely carry a pocket watch - it sits nicely in my waistcoat pocket and is so much quicker to glance at than my phone. I have a 1918 Waltham 17-Jewel movement in a Dennison Moon case and it is beautiful, though I must get round to having it serviced as it can lose as much as 5 minutes a day at the moment..!
I held that watch in my hand as a child. That watch hasn't run properly in likely almost 50 years. The man who owned that watch was from the place that had a huge train explosion in recent years, destroying a small town on the shores of a beautiful lake.
Marshall: love your site and love watching you! ❤️ FYI: the maker is pronounced "wall-tham, rhyming with ham". The watch factory building in Waltham MA is still standing, and is beautiful ❤️
Thank you! I was looking to see if someone would correct him. I saw the title and said to myself "I bet he mispronounces it" I grew up near and worked in Waltham for 20 yrs.
The moment you noticed the lever-set I thought "oh the mainspring must be snapped from folks trying to set it too much." I'm glad to see it wasn't catastrophic, just a simple replacement. Gorgeous piece of engineering!
I have a Hamilton Pocket watch Model 925 (Lever set) from my Great Grandfather purchased in March 1901.Thanks to the Hamilton Watch Company for verifying the manufacture date and year of purchase. It still runs and holds time. My Great Grandfather was an Engineer on the MSStM&A Railroad(then became the Soo Line Railroad) in Minnesota. Great video
Perfect timing! I just found an old Waltham Traveller belonging to my dad a couple of days ago with broken hands. I’ve ordered up replacements and will refer to your video should I need to! The watch isn’t a railroad grade watch but the engraving on the movement is very ornate. Thanks for the videos ;)
Your videos are entrancing and enjoyable. Your work on this Waltham Railroad connected me more with my grandfather's 1918 Waltham 14k pocket watch with a beautifully engraved 225 movement. What a wonderful thing!
Great video, Marshall. As a Massachusetts native aware of Waltham, Massachusetts' watchmaking history, this was really cool to watch. One tiny little thing, though: Waltham is pronounced "Wal-thAM'", not "Wal-thum". Great video, great content, love the channel!
These videos have become the highlight of my Monday mornings. Mondays are the first day of *my* weekend, and I love waking up, sitting down with a cup of coffee or three, and watching a WR video. So chill and stress free. This channel really given me a huge sense of appreciation for the craftsmanship in these watches, so much so I recently got my first one.
Id normally prefer you go further when it comes to cleaning up weathering, but this is one watch where I saw that back and *Immediately* went "please keep all of that."
Generally, no. Depending on the specific clock, some components may require a larger cleaning machine/setup or more manual cleaning steps. For example, my commercial (e.g., old dental) ultrasonic is great, but it has a relatively small, roughly 3”x3”x3” usable area (volume). Then again, you said “small”, so I’m guessing you’ll be just fine. Some components, such as the power source/winding mechanism may be different, but the basic design should be recognizable. Long story short, given the large available size in the case & movement, there’s no real need to have speck of dust-sized screws and springs. So, overall, servicing & repair will simply be easier - more akin to pocket watches than ladies wristwatches. It’s worth noting that some clocks use actual watch movements, just making the dial and hands larger. The project on my bench right now is a clock that was constructed using this very technique.
I never have, I've never found myself interested in clocks for some reason. And the tools are similar but much bigger so I would need to track those down as well yeah.
Question , is it not bad for the balance wheel/hairspring assembly to e “free to move” in the parts cleaner. I feel like the force of the cleaning liquid and turning motion could cause the hairspring to be “over-sprung”
You would think so. The spring is the only thing stopping the balance from spinning all the way around, but for some reason it does not harm it. Not sure what the physics behind it is, but it's a safe way to clean the balance assembly. 😕
@@2076649 I figured it would be the way the cleaning machine works. 14:19, you can see the machine in action and at .25 playback speed its only rotating three or four times before it goes the other way. Probably not putting too much pressure on the spring before losing the tension and stretching it out again.
Nobodies talking about the shellac on escape levers and roller tables and the respective jewels popping out cuz some idiot put them in the wash... 😆😆😆 the balance swishing in the machine is a hazard... but amateurs dont know what Bergeon one dip is... and dont like servicing the cap jewels... Again this is not a professional channel... Duh... Dude said he researched the movement but didnt know that it was lever set... again ameture 😆😆😆🇨🇦🌍☮️
I'm so so so glad you finally had a WWCo pocket watch on your bench! I grew up in Waltham, my elementary school was right across from the "watch factory". It's a beautiful building that still stands to this day.
You can kind of see that the spinning basket slows down gradually before it spins the other direction. I think this is by design, so that pieces are shuffled/orientated differently, but it doesn't become a rock tumbler 🤔
Thanks for the great video. Just started getting into pocket watches and wanted to really see/explore the inner workings. I have purchased my first one; a Waltham 1894, 12s w/ 15 jewels manufactured in 1917. Looking forward to getting it cleaned up and serviced and carrying it daily. I really want to add a railroad grade piece to my collection.
Usually I find your videos fascinating, soothing, and engaging....this one excites me very much as just a few days ago I found my great grandfathers Waltham railroad grade watch from the Lehigh Valley Railroad...Im hopeful I can find someone nearby who is as good as you are to get it cleaned up and running. It has the same wear in the gold plating but also has the Lehigh Valley flag and laurel decoration on the face between the 12 and the hands. The lever for setting it does move but springs right back in. The current situation is that turning the crown just moves the hour and minute hands with the lever in and doesnt wind as I think its overwound. Not sure what the problem is but I aint gonna venture a tool myself....not with my 10 thumbs and bad eyes. Thanks for this video man! I now have hope for it!
Love these old movements. They used to put a nice pearlage on pretty much everything. Now you get a Tudor movement that is nice and sturdy, but honestly lacking big time in terms of finish and barely as technically designed. Thanks for doing this and showing us these awesome movements, Marshall!
I've had a beautiful Waltham model 92 lever set for about 40 years, and it really needs a service. Can you recommend who I might turn to? I'm in the northern rockies / pacific northwest. I would probably carry it often, as I don't like wearing wristwatches but need a good timepiece as a private pilot.
@@oscarosullivan4513 Why? Railroad watches were carried by the engineer and conductor every working day of their lives, and in 1912 train crews served 16 hour days, usually about 5 days a week. Trains of that era were a fairly harsh environment in regards to dirt, being bumped around continuously, and temperature changes. I don't know why flying an airplane should be any worse.
@@oscarosullivan4513 I have to disagree on it being to fragile for everyday use. Just make sure you have a good chain so it won't accidently fall and use the pocket watch pocket in your jeans.
Paul Davis is the guy for the job, hes well known on the facebook groups for his work, he often is used by collectors and also for auction houses that sell these types of watches. I'd link his site but i think yt still doesnt allow links to be posted.
I just found I have 3 railroad watches that belonged to my great grandfather - 2 Hamilton's and a Waltham like this one. One Hamilton is running! The insides of the Waltham are just like your example with all the ornate workings, but the case is silver plated and still in great shape. I inherited these in 1998 and haven't thought about them since. Thank you for piquing my interest!
The gorgeous finishing on that movement really makes me wish it had a exhibition caseback, dear goodness it's beautiful. You've already convinced me to collect a few mechanical watches, but now I must hunt down a nice pocket watch for sure
It is so exhilerating to see someone that becomes so involved in a "hobby." There is real skill here -- and real passion! I am grateful that I found this video. I was hooked on every moment! Thank you!
Hi Marshall, thank you for another great video. Amongst all other things, I appreciate how you explain in detail, the oiling of the jewels. Please keep them rolling. Regards Mark Maddison, South Africa.
I’m amazed how people restore watches like you. It’s not so much the taking them apart, it’s putting them back together that amazes me. How do you do it? The watch itself is beautiful. It must have a lot of history to it. I’ve never seen a watch like this, and I’ve learnt something new about railway history today.
I have one of these here in the uk...the main spring broke in two on mine ..works fine now ..the history of these watches is beautiful...working pieces that helped progress throughout the USA and Eastern countries...grt video 👍😎
I LOVE pocket watches. I could get myself into serious financial jeopardy if I allowed myself to spend freely on all the pocket watches I covet. But I can enjoy a huge amount of vicarious pleasure from seeing you restore this handsome Waltham Railroad watch. Many thanks!
A Badge of Honor marking the owner as a man entrusted with great responsibility. A vital tool to ensure not only timely operations, but an important safety device. Rugged, reliable, and a testimony to the craftsmanship of those who made it. Thank you for sharing.
I’m going to say that I’ve never been a fan of American watchmaking but these old railroad grade watches are something else. There were so many great ones: the Hamilton 990/992, Waltham, Elgin, South Bend, Illinois, Ball and Hampden. They were all brilliantly engineered for their time and can be very accurate even today. They are not without their problems - they have no shock protection and spares can be hard to find - but they were all good.