Very Large Pocket Watch

[clockboy]

I  was asked to look at this very large pocket watch because although serviced a few years ago had stopped running. It was immediately apparent to me why it was not running. Apart from the glass falling out when I opened the front of the case the hour hand was so badly bent it had hooked itself around the subsidiary seconds hand. 

Once unhooked the watch ran but now the hour hand was free wheeling. On closer inspection the hour hand was really badly bent, pitted and the part that attaches it to the cannon pinion (which was also usual as it has a horse shoe shape) had been bent too wide.  Both hands were also had a fair amount of rust. 

I straightened and re-shaped as best as possible and polished them with diamantine powder. Then I had to re-blue the hands. To get a nice even blue I found really difficult because I could not remove all of the pitting & could not get the hands perfectly straight. Also being aware if I broke anything it would be very difficult to find replacement parts so I did the best job possible. I found the best results was by putting the hands in a tray of sand and heating over the gas stove and once blued dropping them into some machine oil. Not a perfect even finish but still I think a fair result. 

The reason the hands were so badly damaged is because the customer was opening the front of the watch and moving the hands with his finger. I have explained to the guy that this is a pin set watch & the pin in the top of the watch should be depressed to adjust.

 

I have done a lot of research but with no ID  marks I could not find the identity of this watch or in fact any pocket watch that was 25 ligne. Perhaps Willfly might have an idea. The customer said it was his grandfathers who worked on the railway so it might be a railway watch. I have attached a few pics (sorry about the quality) for your inspection.

 

 

First Attempted at straightening & polishing

 

 

First attempt at Blueing

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Job Done (I think still on test)

 

 

 

Edited February 1, 2015 by clockboy

[Geo]

Nice job! :)

I don't think it's a railway watch. I'm sure Will will have the answer though.

[clockboy]

Thanks Geo, I don,t think it is either here is another pic of the movement. It is not only large but very heavy possibly the case is silver or silver plate

 

Edited February 1, 2015 by clockboy

[Geo]

Thanks for posting the picture of the movement, definitely not railway in my opinion.

[Marc]

Brilliant end result. Looks like a great job on the bluing which is not easy to get right, and the bigger the hands, the harder it is to get even.

[autowind]

Nicely done.    :thumbsu:

[bobm12]

Excellent job clockboy, I agree about the bluing, very hard to get right and you did it!

[WillFly]

Nice job - not a railway watch - more correctly, not a railroad grade watch, which required:

• 17 jewels at least
• lever setting
• adjusted for 5 or 6 positions
• adjusted for isochronism
• double roller balance
• size 16s or 18s

Still a nice watch!

[Vincent]

Similar if not the same?

[Paul78]

Isn't it a Goliath Pocket Watch? I think they come in 3 different sizes.

[clockboy]

I just did not find out. Some suggested a jumbo Ingresol but I don,t think that is correct. However I returned to the customer this week he,s very happy so job done.

[Geo]

Hi Paul, I would say it is definitely a Goliath if it is measuring 68mm. That is exactly the same size as my own one.

[clockboy]

HI, guys I looked up the Goliath Pocket Watch,s  right size but the movement is different.

[Geo]

That's interesting to know Clockboy. My movement is a three quarter plate, and is different from the one you were working on. I thought Goliath was a generic term used for watches that size. Thanks for posting. :)

[WillFly]

I always assumed that Goliath was a case size, rather than a movement type - a bit like "turnip".