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1913 Silver Trench Watch.

Geo

By Geo
in Your Watch Collection

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Geo Distinguished Member

Geo

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It arrived this morning and it looks better in the metal than the photo.

As Marc and I suspected, it is a cylinder escapement. I was worried that a tooth might be missing from it, as it runs for a couple of seconds and stops, but on close inspection it is perfect. A good clean and a new strap will make it good as new. At £37.85 including postage, I'm well pleased! :)

  • 2 weeks later...
Geo Distinguished Member

Geo

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It transpired that the movement in the watch is a Fontainemelon 602 calibre with cylinder escapement. Here are a few photos, the first two were taken during the dismantling and the rest are the fruits of my labour. I replaced the mainspring and everything else was just given a good clean, lubricated then reassembled.

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After cleaning and assembly.

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The porcelain dial was in excellent condition with only the slightest of damage, luckily under the bezel where a knife has caught it in the past. There was also some brown staining from oil, this was easily removed with some household bleach. The crystal is original, easily identifiable by the small flat spot in the middle. I gave it the usual Autosol polish and it looks like new.

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I decided to leave all the historic marks on the case, and gave it a gentle polish with a silver cloth.

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  • Like 3
bobm12 Distinguished Member

bobm12

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I had missed this thread.

 

Nice job and watch! Amazing how the simplicity and combination of elements in this design make this watch so appealing. Roman numerals and fancy crown...you can't go wrong with those!

 

Cheers,

 

Bob

WillFly Distinguished Member

WillFly

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It was quite the thing to mark the XII in red at that time - gave it that extra "military" feel. You see them in blue occasionally.

  • Like 1
Geo Distinguished Member

Geo

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Nice watch excellent job. Is it a trick of the light but is the X11 a different colour,if so I have never seen it before.

Perfect answer by Will. :)

autowind Distinguished Member

autowind

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Nice work,  looks like new,  well done.

 

Cylinder escapements must be getting a bit rare nowadays.  For high end cylinders they used to use a Ruby cylinder,  how on earth they managed to machine it is as big a mystery as the Great Pyramid.

Geo Distinguished Member

Geo

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For high end cylinders they used to use a Ruby cylinder,  how on earth they managed to machine it is as big a mystery as the Great Pyramid.

Wow, I didn't know that Roger. It beats me how they made the steel ones never mind making them from Ruby. They are really very delicate and fiddly to work with.

No8yogi WRT Addict

No8yogi

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That is great work there! Getting a garden office installed in the summer so should be able to so some more repairs then and have a very similar watch to work on you have inspired me to do that first

Geo Distinguished Member

Geo

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That is great work there! Getting a garden office installed in the summer so should be able to so some more repairs then and have a very similar watch to work on you have inspired me to do that first

Excellent!

Take great care when removing the balance assembly, it bears no resemblance to the anchor escapement and it's very easy to cause damage to the escapement wheel.

autowind Distinguished Member

autowind

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I came across this website  http://www.watchrestoration.com/miniPP1.html  while looking for information on cylinder escapements,  he actually made a new cylinder for a very small Patek Phillipe watch,  amazing.

 

Picture is of a Ruby cylinder,  it's not easy to see but there is a cylindrical piece of Ruby fitted into the steel cylinder.  It's not as I imagined where the whole cylinder was made from Ruby,  they have just used it in the high wear part,  but still amazing work.

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Geo Distinguished Member

Geo

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Thanks for your last post Roger, it is truly fascinating to see what some people make. That is is the kind if thing I just love reading about, there is just so much to learn. :)

Lawson Super WRT Addict

Lawson

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Wonderful job Geo, and great pics as well.

 

I'm glad you left most of the marks on case ... if only some of them could talk: I bet they would have some truly amazing stories to tell.

  • Like 1
Gary Super WRT Addict

Gary

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Geo,

Great job! That is a beauty! May I ask what you used to clean the dial?

 

Thanks!

 

(I'm envious of the skill with which you and all the others clean and reassemble these specimens!) Thank you!

Geo Distinguished Member

Geo

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May I ask what you used to clean the dial?

Because these old dials are porcelain on copper, I use neat household bleach on a cotton bud then rinse with clean water.

Do not use bleach on more modern dials with a paint finish!

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