Elgintime Vintage Horological: H. H. Taylor

Showing posts with label H. H. Taylor. Show all posts

Job Number 250142

Here are a few before images. This one is a bit rough around the edges.

This is an H.H. Taylor model, Elgin serial number 287949, grade 58, 18 size, 15 jewels, made about 1873.

Follow the album for this project here:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/ZQ3PAD7DhUEud9Sp6

As sometimes is the case with early, slow beat movements, my timing machine is useless. It somehow fails to lock on and give a valid reading. The machine never tells the whole story anyway. It's just for getting in the ballpark. I always do practical 24 hour tests in positions. In instances like this though, I can't even get it in the ballpark without putting the hands on and letting it run.

I was pleasantly surprised, it's almost perfect, with in minute, as-is 24 hours after assembly.

I had to file off a bit of a case washer to make it narrow enough to fit against the hinge.

New Arrival, Job Numbers 210085

See the album for this project here:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/xrRKiBe8eHs6S8AK6

Project link (all the posts):
https://pluspora.com/tags/210085_et

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

Job Number 210004

Here's a nice image showing the English style, tangential, pallet used in earlier American watches. The pallet stones are on the side of the lever and the lever is tangential to the escape wheel.

This design was largely supperceded by the Swiss style lever by 1900 or so.

This is an older watch, is a grade 58, 18 size, 15 jewels, made about 1873.

I have always liked the ratchet in these. Beautiful and completely functional…

Crisp engraving, completely hand done…

As is often the case with the older, 14,400 beats per hour, movements, my timing machine (not the best) had trouble locking in. I couldn't use it to see if the rate is in the ballpark. This means to see what’s going on I had to put the hands and dial on. That’s extra effort, aligning the hands, with these key-set watches. The minute hand has a square hole. The arbor has to align correctly when you put the hands on. Usually you just have to align the hands only.

Anyway after getting the hands on and running for an hour, sure enough, the cannon pinion was slipping. Bad news… There is, technically, no way to tighten the cannon pinion on one of these. The correct procedure is to replace it with a new one. So I’ll just pop on down to the telegraph office and wire the factory. I should be able to get the new part by the first train in April.

Meanwhile, I tried some other approaches.

Notice close up, you can tell these dials were all hand painted. Wish I could do that…

Surprisingly, after a bit more work, the watch was just a couple minutes off running over night. That’s not bad as it is for one of these, and well within the range of the regulator, so I cased it up for a more rigorous test.

More H.H. Taylor examples here:

https://elgintime.blogspot.com/search/label/H. H. Taylor

Album for this project:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/puRfzW4aQS34c3wv8

New Arrival, Job Number 190034

Elgin Grade 80

Here is an Elgin grade 80, 18 size, 15 jewels, lever setting. It's an early watch, made about 1885.

Here are the various stamps on the underside of the top plate, including the secondary serial number stamps.

These earlier Elgin designs have an interesting setting mechanism under the dial. In setting mode, a ring shaped gear with teeth on both the inside and the outside moves over and engages the cannon pinion to turn the hands.

This is an interesting idea, but it is problematic. Since the cannon pinion is driven from the opposite side as that ring is being driven, the spring that holds the ring inward has to be of exactly the right strength or the gearing inside skips. In my experience, most of these watches do not set smoothly without quite a bit of tinkering with the setting spring.

This is an H.H. Taylor edition. It also includes an early, for Elgin, micro-regulator.

Elgin Grade 80

This grade 80 is an H. H. Taylor named movement. Taylor was a director of the Elgin National Watch Co. in 1867. You can find more about the early years of the company here.

This is a lever-set, 18 size watch with 15 jewels, this one made about 1893.

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Making the Elgin Grade 55, H.H. Taylor Model

Here's a detailed look at an early and unusual 18 size, grade 55, Elgin movement.

Take a look here for much more on this watch.

Do you have a vintage watch to be serviced?

Maybe I can help. Take a look here for information - specializing in Elgin, Hamilton, Waltham and other antique American makes.

http://www.elgintime.com

Elgin National
American Waltham
Rockford
Hamilton
New York Standard
Illinois Watch Company
Hampden
And Others

Jeff,
I received my grandfather's watch which you restored for me yesterday. It is gratifying to see this watch in action after many years. It has probably not been working since 1912.
R. Z.

Hi Jeff!
Thank you so much! My watch looks great! The CD is great too…again,
Thanks so much,
Anna

Hey jeff. I got the watch safe and sound and the cd today. The watch looks better than I had anticipated. Another good job again.
Steve

Thanks Jeff, I am so happy I found you for repairs on my watches.
A. T.

Hello Jeff
The watch came today works great, it`s neat to hear it run. I wonder how long its been since it ran, my great grandfather who owned the watch died in 1925. I want thank you for bringing it back to life
J. S.

Dear Jeff,
My Elgin pocket watch arrived today. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you. My family will treasure it.
D. L.

Jeff,
Just a quick note to let you know the watch is back home. It is an absolute joy to see and hear it run again after all these years. It was extremely emotional for me. I remember playing with it as a small boy, and never known it to work. My father would be very proud and humbled to know it was working again. I'm sure he knows. Thank you.
S. Welsh

Jeff,
Watches look fantastic, run great. I can see why you're in high demand, you're a class act. You provide detail historical summary and preliminary review of watch prior to work, fair estimate, provide post work summary, along with high res images of watches to boot. Thanks again and will certainly share your name around.
Thanks!
D. H.

Jeff,
I received the watches today and must say I couldn't be more pleased. Thank you so much. It was wonderful to wind them up and here them tic again.
G. M.

I'm very pleased with the outcome and want to thank you for a job well done. The watch looks and runs great, and the hands you replaced are very much more in keeping with an Elgin watch of this time period.
As you might imagine, to send such a precious family heirloom all the way across the country to someone who I really didn't know, or know anything about, took a lot of faith and courage. You really measured up to my expectations.
Thanks and best wishes,
B. H.

Good Morning Jeff
I got the watch back and I'm thrilled! I really appreciate your professionalism and workmanship. It's really nice to have the watch back in working order! Especially since the local repair indicated that it couldn't be fixed! Thanks so much for everything. I'll certainly be back in touch when it needs maintenance.
M. H.

Hi Jeff –
I just received the watch you repaired for me. It’s absolutely fantastic! Thanks so much for your excellent service.
A. C.

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Classic watches, watchmaking, antique tools, history, vintage ephemera and more!

Learn about mechanical timepieces and how they work, the history of the American watch industry and especially all about the Elgin National Watch Company! Check back for new content daily.

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