No maker indentification I can see - Any ideas

[OldFatBikerBloke]

Bought this for 50p from a second-hand stall and it's sparked an interest.  Have managed to strip, clean and rebuild with minimal tools - lesson learned so far is to take many, MANY more photos during disassembly!!

Can't find any clues to the maker - does anyone know what it is?  Need to try and find a replacement hairspring for it - (yeah, I know, not easy).

Complete newbie by the way but what I lack in knowledge is outweighed by curiosity & enthusiasm.

[RichardHarris123]

We need photos of the  movement. 

[rossjackson01]

When you take the mainspring out. Measure and not end connections. Then go to CousinsUK and look up Mainsprings. Good visual information there.

https://www.cousinsuk.com/category/filter/mainsprings-by-size-search-watch-pocket

[Kalanag]

If you search the WWW using Google Lens and the picture provided you will find some identical or at least very similar watches for sale. None of the offers has a brand name mentioned. The era is about 1930 and price is below 100€ (or $).

[OldFatBikerBloke]

Thanks for replies.

Movement photos added, minus hairspring which I'm trying hard to straighten with basic tools and a loupe.

Thanks for Cousins advice, I have an account - This is my practice watch, mainspring seemed OK so cleaned, greased and refilled.

I did search Google but my results weren't impressive, I'll have another go!

 

[CYCLOPS]

that's what is called dollar watch, like an Ingraham or New Haven, there are other makes too...

[OldFatBikerBloke]

Thanks Cyclops - It's a pain trying to find a donor when there's no maker to look for.  Strip down & rebuild went OK (I think) for a first attempt but the hairspring is shot so still a non-runner...

[spectre6000]

The thing about the very low end watches is that they wear out quickly, and didn't hold enough value for people to take especially good care of them, thus exacerbating the aforementioned tendency. They were more or less disposable. That there's not even anything on the movement to indicate who made it puts it even lower on the totem pole, as the more well known dollar watch manufacturers at least cared enough to sign their name to it.

That's not to denigrate the watch in any way. I like cheap watches, and play with them almost exclusively as a source of good clean fun. Just making sure to acknowledge the reality of the situation.

You essentially have three options:

1) Begin the hunt! Search far and wide and deep and long for a suitable donor. You might get lucky and find one quickly, or it could take years and many false starts.

2) Put it in a drawer, and keep a more casual eye out while you move on to other more easily accomplished goals in watchmaking. There are a lot of inexpensive watches out there that will be much easier to salvage in terms of hairspring deborkulation or parts sourcing. 

2.5) Same drawer, casual eye optional. Wait until you've gathered the experience/skill to deborkulate the hairspring. Then salvage it using the original parts.

3) Bin it. Well... Not quite. Part it out. Screws and such go into a little tin, and when you come upon a movement down the road in need, you'll be ready. Learning experience achieved, you're out less than a buck, upward and onward! 

Edited February 10, 2024 by spectre6000

[OldFatBikerBloke]

Yes Spectre6000 you are quite right and thank you for your wise words!

This was my very first attempt at a much smaller engine than I'm used to and I'm chuffed it went reasonably well. 

Strangely I decided earlier today to go for your No:2 option and am going to tackle the Ingersoll below next.

As you say, onwards & upward - the anonymous will be eating no grass, virtually worthless but also priceless as a starting point.