Job Number 260032

Screws in watches do not need to be torqued down with all your strength.

The hairspring stud screw was stripped. We can see here that a prior repairer tried to get it to hold by hitting the balance cock above the screw hole with a punch in an attempt the collapse the hole. They could at least have done it on the back side where it wouldn't show. 

At any rate it didn't work, the screw would not tighten. And this isn't a proper fix anyway. The first thing I did was try the different screw. That worked fine.

 

The balance staff, with a pivot broken, was actually just glued on to the wheel with super glue. That won't work, but it did make it easy the get the broken staff off. It practically fell out. Then I removed all the glue easily.

On to the next steps...

Elgin number 21264278 is a grade 303, 12 size, 7 jewels, made about 1919.

Follow the album for this project here:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/aoQ7apUpPD8NLMDt8

Job Number 260012

Getting this part cleaned up after getting that broken jewel screw out, I realized that there was also a glob of CA glue near the bridge screw. I didn't notice it before because it's clear, and because I was pretty focused on the immediate problem of the broken screw. I was afraid that glue was telling me that the bridge screw was striped, but it's not. I have no idea what the glue was all about. It came right off of course.

Ticking... 

I have no doubt the rate will be awful though. There more to do for sure.

The cannon pinion is broken. This is an uncommon part in this instance. I've been searching for one in my inventory all afternoon. No luck so far.

Elgin number 4592421 is a grade 118, 6 size, 11 jewel, made about 1892.

Follow the album for this project here:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/QbpEMAq8b8P2qucn8

Job Number 260012

One of the balance jewel screws was over-tightened and broke off. The body is still in the hole. The head of the screw was just sitting in there. It popped right out when I went to remove the jewels. 

I'll remove the body of the screw by removing the regulator and the hairspring stud screw, then soaking the balance bridge in a corrosive solution the will dissolve the steel but leave the brass unaffected. 

Elgin number 4592421 is a grade 118, 6 size, 11 jewel, made about 1892.

Follow the album for this project here:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/QbpEMAq8b8P2qucn8

Job Number 260012

At first I thought the tail of the click was broken. That would be a strange thing to break, but you see strange things sometimes. On closer examination, someone actually filed to end off. I can not imagine why that would be done. I'm replacing the part with the intact one shown here.

This click's shape, on that end, isn't critical at all to the movement's functioning. But without that little tail there's nothing to push on to let down the mainspring from the outside, for maintenance. The plate has a little hole in that spot so the ratchet can be released. 

 
Elgin number 4592421 is a grade 118, 6 size, 11 jewel, made about 1892.

Follow the album for this project here:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/QbpEMAq8b8P2qucn8

Job Number 260008

This watch has an interesting old repair visible on the click. The pin has been replaced with a brass post it looks like, and riveted down on top to hold it in place.

Elgin number 9845149 is a 16 size, 15 jewel, grade 247, three-fingered bridge model.

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https://photos.app.goo.gl/PsMSbfAMYjLJXmfa8

Job Number 260005

This first red flag here is that the old dial repair, which I will definitely redo, spills over onto the edge of the movement. The patch/fill was done after the dial was in place.

The damaged area is exactly at one of the dial feet, and sure enough the dial did not want to lift up at that location. 

When I finally got the dial off I found that it had been glued on at that spot.

So what sequence of events led to this condition? We can't know for sure, but I can say that it will be much better for the next person that follows me in servicing this watch.

Elgin number 13415400 is a grade 303, 12 size, 7 jewel movement, made about 1908.

Follow the album for this watch here:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/3Usmv18hRqJiYM639

Job Number 250127

This was a rough one.

The movement had slivers of wood inserted in the feet instead of brass pins. Of course the wood has pretty much disintegrated and jammed up the holes in the feet.

That's a "repair" I haven't seen before.

There's rust, but honestly o\it's mostly old oil and dirt.

The guard pin is gone.

As in, completely not there.

The roller pin has been replaced with a steel rod.

Fabricating and finishing a replacement guard pin...

The internal end of the lever was bent in an odd way, fixable though.

Elgin serial number 827968 is a grade 6, 18 size, 7 jewels, made about 1881. 

The album for this project is here:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/yxeWg7MidwDhkRXr7

Job Number 220077

This one is a grade 315, 12 size, 15 jewels, made about 1926.

There was a lot of staining on the plates. Many watches have this. I have always assumed it was from tobacco smoke. 

The first pass at cleaning takes quite a bit off but hand cleaning is called for in these cases.

The movement needed a balance staff. The upper pivot was broken. Funny thing though... The staff that's on here currently is not an Elgin part. It's has a hub more like a European make. This is the underside.

There's nothing at all wrong with making things work with what one has on hand, if the work is done properly. There's an old ethical rule in watchmaking; never alter existing parts to fit a replacement part. The end shake looks OK here, but hopefully the roller table and hairspring were not altered to work with this staff.

The old staff came off easily. The steel was softer than that of a factory part. I also had to reduce the pivot sizes, both upper and lower, on the replacement staff but everything came together fine without further adjustments. 

The old staff and the snapped off remains of the hub, which forms a little washer. I always save these. You never know...

After adjustments to the rate and beat, new dial washer, balance staff, crystal and it ran well.

See the album for this project here: 

https://photos.app.goo.gl/xFwZYjtTJzH7b9TE7

Job Number 220031

Looks like a dot of super glue on the minute hand... That's not a good sign.

This watch is a grade 670, 15/0 size, 21 jewels, made about 1952. It is a Lord Elgin model, really nice watch.

Running well...

I'm not sure why this watch had that tiny dot of glue on the minute hand. The hands went back on just fine.

The album for this project is here:
https://photos.app.goo.gl/ZMofbLFQYvqkZxR16

Job Number 220004

This incorrect screw on the balance cock is a bad sign. Sometimes I find these screws have been over tightened into the soft brass plate and the threads ruined. Then someone puts in a larger screw. Hopefully the correct screw was just lost and I can replace it, or if not, at least find a better looking replacement.

The post on this lever (technically a "vibrating arm") was loose. These parts are actually threaded, and it's odd because the threads on this one were fine. Fairly often I see them jammed back in and dimpled punched in the top to hold it.

For some reason the upper balance jewels were extremely snug. I ended up having to use a surprising amount of force in the staking set to get them out for cleaning. I expanded the setting a little so it won't be an issue for the next person.

The balance cock screw was indeed stripped. I found a better screw with just enough grip, I hope. Running fine now.

See the album for this project here:
https://photos.app.goo.gl/rC4kULz6zUrERdox7

This watch is an Elgin grade 73, 18 size, 7 jewels, made about 1894.