For fun, I bought one of those ten dollar packets of surprise stuff from Dashto when I needed to get ahold of some other parts.

It came with a complete Ingraham Bristol pocket watch. It's a full plate movement with a pin lever escapement. It has a good mainspring, and other than having 120 years of oil and dirt, I think it might work.

Problem is, I cannot get the thing back together. I can get all of the train wheels in, but when it comes to lining up the pallet and the balance staff, well I just can't get all the parts into their holes and get it together.

Ccan any of you guys give me some tips to how to get the thing back together? Can you somehow use Rodico to hold pinions in their holes or something? There must be some trick...

I'd love to get this old beast to work again.

Key to any repairs etc is patience and tons of it. This Bristol is moer likely from the 1950's and it is stamped metal and aren't meant to be taken apart really. But you've got it apart so what it comes down to is getting all the gears into one plate along with the mainspring barrel and slowly one by one with tweezers line up the train into their holes. At least you don't have any jewels to worry about. Start at the ecsape wheel nearest the balance and work your way arounf to the 4th wheel next to the mainspring and as you are lining them into their holes squeeze the plates together and slowly tighten down the plate screws or metal tabs.

Again lots of patience and if you still can't get it back together, hmmm hopefully others have some tips too.

have fun and keep it that way with these old timers.

Roland.

Thanks for the help. I guess when I looked it up I was looking at the wrong movement because I thought it was much older.

Doesn't matter though. I still want to get it working.

Dale, I've just encountered the same problem on an Ingraham dollar watch. I received it with the balance completely loose in the watch. So.. I took it all apart cleaned it and spent several hours and finally got it all back together. It takes a lot of PATIENCE, but can be done. Now, the problem is the mainspring won't catch on the arbor!! So, back to the drawing board.
Just wondering if you got yours assembled?

Hi Dale,

The trick with these dollar watches is putting the balance and hairspring in last after everything else is sandwiched together. You'll need to back out the threaded conical balance setting on the dial side just enough to put the balance pivot in place, then tighten it back in just until the balance has a little play. Then rotate the balance around (with no power to the train) to engage the pallet and roller straight on, and pin the hairspring in place after making sure it has been threaded through the regulator. Wind it up, give it a shake and see what happens!

Hope this helps.

William

William,
Thanks for this info. I assembled mine pretty much the same way with the balance last, but left the top plate slightly loose on the balance side with all four screws in, in order to install the balance. Didn't know the conical balance setting was threaded and could be loosened.
I have to take it apart again to deal with the mainspring so I'll give it a try. By the way how does the center wheel come out?

Dale,

I don't believe the center wheel does come out.

William

Wow! Here you guys are trying to re-assemble a dollar watch and I have been told they can't be taken out of the case without breaking the stem and probably doing more damage. I am not a watch maker by any stretch of anyone's imagination but, I sure would like to get one apart to recase it. Any advice would be appreciated.

Larry, I just finished an Ingraham and working on an Ingersoll. If they have screws in the back plate they can be serviced. You need a lot of patience to line up all the pivot points.
Dale, Thanks for the confirmation on the center wheel, I never did get mine out either.