Elgin Grade 289

It took some very careful work to get the hairspring stud out of the balance cock to get the balance assembly off. It was covered with glue. Not sure why, the set screw that holds it normally works fine.

The hole where the stud goes is chewed up around the edges and side for some.

The owner stated that the watch had been at another shop (local brick and mortar) for a couple months before they gave up and returned it.

It was also a real challenge to get the balance wheel back on. Obviously this is permanent damage, but if the stud is in at the right height and angle, the screw will hold it.

The rest of the movement does not look like it's seen much work. But there were also two dial washers under the balance cock intended to raise it, to lower friction. With the jewels and pivots cleaned and re-lubricated, it runs perfectly well without them.

 Here are some of the secondary serial number marks, with the usual symbolic prefix for the first couple of digits.

The watch is an Elgin grade 289, 6 size, 7 jewels, made about 1907.