New Arrival, Job Number 260041

Follow the album for this watch here:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/b1MF6AuTr9rCKVBC7

New Arrival, Job Number 260040

Follow the album for this project here:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/iDnHiYzmAUAzjCt96

Job Number 200155, Elgin Grade 582, "Jitterbug"

This is a nice example of Elgin's grade 582, 16 size, 15 jewels, a military timer, often called a "jitterbug" (stopwatch) made about 1942.

This one was jammed up somehow so I needed to figure that out before disassembling so that no blocked up tension would send anything flying across the room. Careful inspection step by step through the mechanism reveals that nothing is broken or bent, so I figured the problem had to be the… I’m not sure what it’s called, but there’s a complicated gear-like part at the left that controls the functions start, stop and fly-back. A little gentle coaxing of the lever that is supposed to push that piece around from mode to mode got it all working normally. I guess it’s just in need of a tiny about of strategic grease. It actually doesn’t even look like this piece has seen much use.

Many parts in this piece are off-the-shelf Elgin 16 size pocketwatch parts, but a little different…

This part drives an extra wheel on the dial side that carries the sweep hand. It’s off the 4th wheel, so it’s getting what would be a seconds reading, except on this movement it’s much faster. This is something like watches that have a sweep-second hand except that the extra wheel is under the dial instead of at the back.

Here the movement’s tiny little balance wheel with a normal 16 size double roller assembly and hairspring. Elgin’s design for the timer cleverly used a more or less normal, but much heavier duty, version of their 16 size movement with a balance from, I think, a zero size product? Anyway, the balance is so light it doesn’t even “dangle” from the cock by the hairspring. And it just flies when it runs, at a brisk 144,000 BPH (beats per hour).

A great way to tell that a watch has been treated well by watchmakers is the lack of tool marks on the pallet bridge left by pushing it into place with steel tweezers rather than a stick of pegwood.

At first glance it looks a lot like Elgin’s no-frills automotive and aircraft movements, also based on 16 size designs.

The movement is really, really thick on these timers. The stop works are all under the dial, and very heavy duty - large thick parts. The dial stands high on pillars to make space.

One challenge with these is that in normal operation they ought to be “self-starting”, meaning the escapement starts it’s cycling on its own just through winding. This is not typical of vintage watches, which generally need at least a tiny amount of motion to bump the balance wheel slightly to one side of the other, though getting it all going. Often the movement the watch gets just via the act of winding is enough. 

The problem here is that the balance wheel is so light relative to the hairspring that the hairspring can actually keep the balance still. To even approach self-starting therefore the beat has to be dead center, which is hard to do since a timing machine will not read one of these, or at least mine won’t. It’s much too fast. 

The hairspring will actually pull the tiny balance wheel to dead center when there's no power. Slight wind will then move the pallet and start the cycle. 

It also helps to have pallet locking on the “light” side. This watch looks factory as far as that goes.

Album for this project:
https://photos.app.goo.gl/UvMkyWHT3Wr17dcs6

Project link (all the posts):
https://pluspora.com/tags/200155_et

Follow all the projects in detail here:
https://pluspora.com/tags/elgintime

New Arrival, Job Numbers 200155

Album for this project:
https://photos.app.goo.gl/UvMkyWHT3Wr17dcs6

Project link (all the posts):
https://pluspora.com/tags/200155_et

Follow all the projects in detail here:
https://pluspora.com/tags/elgintime

Job Number 180091

This one is a military issue A11 wristwatch, a grade 557 Elgin, 15/0 size, 15 jewels, made about 1944. 

A-11 is a military Spec, not a specific watch. A-11 watches were issued during to Allied forces during WWII. There are several variations.

A-11 watches were made by Elgin, Bulova, and Waltham.

In this image we can see the black finished parts, and the distinctive extra exposed wheel not found on  typical watch you'll find on this blog (the gear partly covering the word "jewels"). This wheel is riding on the backside of the 4th wheel. The front side of the 4th wheel is were the sub-seconds dial and seconds hand are on a typical vintage watch.

But A-11 watches (mostly) have a sweep-seconds hand - that is the seconds hand is in the center of the dial on top of the minute and hour hands. This extra wheel transfers the motion of the 4th wheel to a pinion in the center, attached to a shaft that runs through to the front. The center wheel on a watch like this is a hollow tube, for that shaft.

Job Number 180091, Elgin Grade 557, A11 Model

Here's a look inside an A11 Elgin, grade 557, 15/0 size, 15 jewels, made about 1944, military wristwatch.

A11 is actually a specification. There are "A11" wristwatches from multiple manufacturers with different characteristics. Some of the best known A11 watches are Elgin grades. A-11 watches were also made by Bulova, and Waltham.

One difference in some military (A11) grades is the presence or absence of a sweep seconds hand. The sweep seconds hand is a hand turning from the center of the dial, as we are used to on modern wristwatches.

This grade 557 has a sweep seconds hand, as do most A11 watches.

Shown here is the extra exposed wheel on the back for the seconds hand, driven by the 4th wheel. The 4th wheel normally provides seconds (60 turns per minute) on an older style watch with an offset sub-seconds dial. That offset is not a style choice on an, for example, a typical pocketwatch, it is the physical location of the 4th wheel in the movement.

On this movement, that extra wheel drives a pinion in the center, attached to a shaft running through a hollow center wheel post though to the front where the long seconds hand rides. The movement is otherwise just like a movement with an offset seconds hand.

The extra seconds wheel has an odd number of arms, five. Removing it gives some watchmakers trouble an sometimes leads to a broken off post. Removing this friction-fit wheel requires a specially designed puller to pull it straight off.

Also notice the characteristic black exposed ratchet and main wheels.

There's the characteristic military description on the case back.

In spite of being widely used in the military, in the field, these are rather primitive wristwatches. They are fragile, lacking the features, not invented at the time, that make wristwatches practical as we thick of them today. For example, there are not shock protected jewel mountings, and very little protection from dust and moisture. In spite of their attractions, they make poor daily use watches for most people. A One good wrap on the edge of a table will break the balance staff.

Interesting, field repair of military watches did exist. It's hard to picture a watchmaker in a foxhole, but I guess it did happen. It's worth noting however that field repair consisted largely of replacing whole assemblies, or even the whole movement. It was practical, but not exactly "repair".

During WWII, the Elgin Watchmakers' College was essentially taken over by a military command and a curriculum suited to field repair of military watches was put in place.

See the album for this project here.

Job Number 180078

This is is an Elgin military timer, grade 469, 16 size, 7 jewels, made about 1945. 

It took awhile, and a couple of tries, to acquire the correct replacement balance staff.

When I finally got the part that was right, I thought for sure I'd have to reduce the pivots. They looked pretty big (original replacement staffs seem to often come that way, with the idea that you cut them down to what you need). But the pivots turned to be perfectly sized. I think they made these timers extra robust.

Here is the broken staff and what's left of the hub.

The new staff is riveted together with the balance wheel.

A "dry fit" has excellent motion.

 Installing the one-piece double roller...

 All set.

Job Number 180079

This is a grade 582, 16 size, 15 jewels, military timer made about 1943. 

The "clutch" on these has no setting mode. There's no teeth at one end. And a simple coil spring holds the clutch in winding position.

Here's the stem parts in place.

On these watches, the minute motion is transferred to a sub-dial, while the seconds are moved to the center. The actual center wheel is minutes as normal, but it is on a hollow tube with the shaft down the middle for the large seconds hand.

Anyway, there is an extra cock and pinion to make this all happen.

Much of this watch looks like a normal 16 size Elgin.

Under the dial is where all the interesting stuff is. The dial is on risers to make room. Start, stop and fly back...

Here's where the staff is for the sub dial on the front.

Elgin used a gold flashed finished to conserve nickel for the war effort. Other parts have a black finish.

Here is the dial side of the 4th wheel. Note that it is a normal 16 size Elgin part. The shaft sticks up where, on a normal watch, the second hand would go. 

See the entire album for this project here.

By the way, this watch is not the same as job number 180078, which is also a timer. That one is waiting for a balance staff.