Antique RR watch

[JOHN COOK]

Fellows, great post... My dad had a pocket watch that was traded to him for a shotgun by a Southern Railroad conductor (SC) in the early 40"s. It was a Elgin and I know nothing else about it. When he passed my sister got her hands on it and I have never seen it again. He told me about the trade when I was about 10-12 years old. He was extremely pound of that watch. He wore a vest with his suits and had a chain attached where by you could see the chain and he loved to take it out and check the time. I think he was kinda showing off.

john in SC

[Jiminvirginia]

I read several articles on the subject. It appears that the use of radium paint on watch dials and aircraft instruments continued through WW2. Radium levels the women dial painters were exposed to still persisted but at much lower levels than before. They knew by then what activity to avoid in order to minimize exposure. At least they weren’t swallowing a dose of radiation hundreds of times daily.

When I worked at Waltham Precision Inst some of the old Waltham Watch folks talked about "the girls" downstairs that painted the watch faces back in the day. People they personally knew.

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So Waltham Watch became Waltham Precision Instruments, who then became the Waltham Aircraft Clock Company. Still in business down in Alabama I believe making and repairing aircraft clocks, the legacy of which can be traced back to the original Waltham Watch Company.

[Merc]

When I worked at Waltham Precision Inst some of the old Waltham Watch folks talked about "the girls" downstairs that painted the watch faces back in the day. People they personally knew.

- - - Updated - - -

So Waltham Watch became Waltham Precision Instruments, who then became the Waltham Aircraft Clock Company. Still in business down in Alabama I believe making and repairing aircraft clocks, the legacy of which can be traced back to the original Waltham Watch Company.

We’re fortunate to have you share some Waltham history with us. Anything else you can think of would be greatly appreciated. Can you share photos of company related items?

This thread will soon blow past 1000 hits so a lot of guys are interested and watching.

[Jiminvirginia]

Sorry no photos. There is a small museum in Waltham, Ma. I think if you Google Waltham Watch Museum it brings it up. They have some of the watchmaker lathes and a couple of other machines that I recognize but can't precisely remember what they did. I worked in the burnishing department, where a hard carbide wheel put a smooth finish on a bearing surface. Worked on a lot of A 13 Barrel Arbors. Interesting note on jewels. The old watchmakers told me anything over 9 jewels is just for show.

[Merc]

Fellows, great post... My dad had a pocket watch that was traded to him for a shotgun by a Southern Railroad conductor (SC) in the early 40"s. It was a Elgin and I know nothing else about it. When he passed my sister got her hands on it and I have never seen it again. He told me about the trade when I was about 10-12 years old. He was extremely pound of that watch. He wore a vest with his suits and had a chain attached where by you could see the chain and he loved to take it out and check the time. I think he was kinda showing off.

john in SC

John,

The conductor probably paid $2100 in today’s dollars for the watch if he bought it new. It sounds like your dad enjoyed wearing the watch so I’d say he did OK on the trade.

[Merc]

Sorry no photos. There is a small museum in Waltham, Ma. I think if you Google Waltham Watch Museum it brings it up. They have some of the watchmaker lathes and a couple of other machines that I recognize but can't precisely remember what they did. I worked in the burnishing department, where a hard carbide wheel put a smooth finish on a bearing surface. Worked on a lot of A 13 Barrel Arbors. Interesting note on jewels. The old watchmakers told me anything over 9 jewels is just for show.

I’ve always wondered about the jewel count. I wound up with four 7 jewel watches, three of them are from the 1880s and 1890s and one from 1907 and they run just fine. Those 7 jewels must be located in the absolute most critical areas of the movement that require minimal friction.

[Jiminvirginia]

I’ve always wondered about the jewel count. I wound up with four 7 jewel watches, three of them are from the 1880s and 1890s and one from 1907 and they run just fine. Those 7 jewels must be located in the absolute most critical areas of the movement that require minimal friction.

Some parts of a watch movement move extremely slowly and as I understood did not require the jewelled bearing surface. I am no expert in this though. Another note, I was told that because the aircraft clocks were a government contract the jewells were required by law to come from any Indian reservation.

[Art]

I’ve always wondered about the jewel count. I wound up with four 7 jewel watches, three of them are from the 1880s and 1890s and one from 1907 and they run just fine. Those 7 jewels must be located in the absolute most critical areas of the movement that require minimal friction.

Disclaimer: I'm not close to being a real horologist but I know some and I am a curious sort.

I once read an article on this. They said that jewels went on the hardest working surfaces first, that considered a 7 jewel watch should work just fine, though maybe for not as long as one with more of the little rock bearings. A 17j watch was considered "fully jeweled," and 21 jewel watch covered every vaguely important moving surface. Above that is truly just for show. Jewel count became such a status symbol that I understand that there are 100 jewel watches with the little rocks scattered all over their insides most bearing on nothing.

I read that Waltham would take out of spec staffs and jewels and other parts and put the compatible out of spec parts in their 7j watches, for instance staffs that were out of spec on the large side would be matched up with compatible jewels, thus avoiding waste.

Something that really cut cost was the development of synthetic rubies in the last quarter of the 19th century which almost eliminated the need for the more expensive mined gem stones for technical and industrial use by 1900.

[Merc]

The 22nd and 23rd jewels are on the mainspring barrel.

www.pocketwatchdatabase.com/reference/jewels

My 1966 Seiko automatic winder wristwatch has 26 jewels. Two of those jewels are probably for the weight that spins the mainspring barrel and keeps the watch wound. The highest jewel count watch that Seiko made in the mid 1960s had an amazing 31 jewels.

[Jiminvirginia]

For some old photos of Waltham Watch pull up www.pocketwatchrepair.com.
Or just look up Waltham Watch. Brings back memories. The photos were taken in the late 1800s but it still looked similar in the late 1970s.
Another tidbit I remember. We worked in both the metric and English measuring systems. I think I had a broken machine one day and had to clean up some threads. Could not find a tap that fit. Asked for help from one of the machinists and he remarked that it must be a "Waltham size". Turns out they used custom sizes to prevent copying.
Seems I remember a lot about that place. Only worked there for a year or so.