I have been wanting a Civil War pocket watch for a while now,and just haven't been able to score one. I have a watch collecting hobby,and a truck driver's budget. I saw and bought this on Ebay. Talk about your fixer uppers. I have the needed parts,on several model 57 parts watches,and MAYBE I have the ability. My question is I guess,should I even try to revive this,or add it to my parts bin.

Another question,how can a proper keywind case for this era watch be identified? I have a couple of nice keywind cases,but I'm sure they are from later,maybe the 1870s or 1880s.

Another shot.

Last one. The serial number dates this to 1864.

Cecil you pose a difficult question to answer correctly without knowing more about your'e other parts movements. It was produced in 1866 the year after the Civil War ended and deserves care for that fact.

That said, the watch you picture looks pretty well "out of it". The amount of material it would take to restore it would be considerable.

Even though it is a 7 Jewel movement which may be easier to restore than the "porthole jeweled" types, the result may be a disappointment.

The hand-made Pinned Dial looks repairable, the 4th (seconds hand) wheel looks OK, and there are probably more things in there that are also salvageable. If it were me, I would save it for parts and keep hunting.

Darn, and I like that one too!

Cecil, I will watch for one for you, and I hope we find a really great one.

They are getting scarce these days, but GOOD LUCK!

Wish I knew watches like David!

Hey David,
Here are a couple of my model 57 parts movements. I have a couple of others dismantled,and I have a perfect pinned dial. These movements are a little later,but the parts should work. According to the serial number on this movement,171450,and the information I can find this movement was made between 7/1/1865 and 7/31/1865. I know it kinda looks like 174450,but that number comes up to be a model 1859. The main attraction to this movement to me aside from date of manufacture,is that it looks to be complete,and all my others are missing some vital parts.

Sheila,I haven't given up on it yet. Main problem that I can see,is maybe finding a balance staff for it. It is what I call an undersprung movement,meaning the hairspring is under the balance wheel,and I have never done one like this before. But,I am very patient,and kinda stubborn,so maybe it will (live?) again.

Cecil, I see your point and looking at your parts movements, if the parts are OK, the Home watch movement has top Jewels and Jewel screws, the P.S. Bartlett has a better regulator scale and a Key Winding Guard ring. I would repair the Hand-Drawn dial which is more "original" to the time of manufacture.
You might be able to do some "bartering" for watch hands, etc., with Chris Abell if the "porthole" jewels in the P.S. Bartlett are what He always seems to be looking for.

As the Balance wheel needs a thorough cleaning and re-polishing, I have no idea what else it may need, ceretainly a staff (we are all looking for these), and possibly a Balance spring, a Roller, Roller Jewel, etc.

Quite a project, but "do-able" if you have the fortitude. I have one similar movement just for reference it is pictured below

Cecil,

I'm so happy to hear that!!!!

I can't stand to see a watch that gets no attention.

I realize I don't work on them, and would most likely not bother with some of the bad ones, if I worked on them all the time, but for me, I can't stand to see a watch just sit, and I'm rather glad that, nost of the time, we don't usually share the ones that have been in a drawer for years and years with rust all over them.

You should see the junk I have! Wow, but at one time, I thought I could save all the watches that needed work!!!! Fool that I was...........

Hang in there DUDE! I'm seeing that watch gorgeous as I write, and I can't wait to see it, no matter how long it takes.

Cecil,

we need to breath and a watch needs ticking !

If you are able to do then give it a try !

This is the watch you are looking for so come on and reanimate it. It will be 'your' watch not any watch.

I wish you good luck !

Gerald

Cecil,
This is a Waltham mdl 1857 that I am trying to bring back to life. It isn't as old or as bad a shape as yours but still all of them are worth saving.
It has received a good cleaning and a new main spring so far. My problem now is, the banking pins were bent out in a Y shape. I tried to straighten them but was not satisfied with the results. So I contacted Brian C. and he sent a pair of NOS 18s Waltham banking pins. Now, I know nothing about adjusting them so like most of my work so far it will be "on the job training." I know it will never run as well as the two 1857's I sent to Chris Abell, but if I can get it to run at all I will be very pleased.
Hang in there, they are all worth saving!

The pins are a bit fuzzy.

Ed,

Try a higher f-stop. That will give you more depth of field. It looks like a beautiful watch.

Steve

Steve,
I have a Power Shot A520. How do I get a higher f-stop with it?

Hey Edward, I'm gonna take a stab at your question. I don't know much about cameras,but with mine,on the front the lens turns. It has two outlines on it by the lens. One is mountains,I think this is for long distance shots,and it also has an outline of flowers,which is for closups. I only know that if mine is set to the mountains,I get fuzzy watch pictures,and if set to the flowers,I get clear pictures. Your's my have different numbers,instead of images,but try turning the lens on the front of your camera to a different setting. I hope I have not confused anyone with all this technical instruction. But as mentioned before,I'm a truck driver,not a scientist.

Ed,

I was assuming you had a manual setting or able to use Aperature priority settings but maybe that model does not have those.

Steve

Hi Ed!

I do not have a Powershot A520 but I checked the manual. Here is something you can try:
There is a mode wheel on top of your camera which is normaly set to auto. Move this wheel to ´slow shutter'(it's the symbol between the running man and the SCN writing).Use a tripot or at least fix the camera to a stable base. Take the picture and look if it works. Not forget swich back to auto when you are finished.

Cecil: Most scientists need truck drivers to move their stuff from A to B not the other way round.

Gerald

I have a bunch of images on top, maybe I should get the manual out and read it.
Usually I opt for the fast shutter speed to compensate for it being hand held.

Ed

The fast shutter mode is good for hand held shots but it opens the aperture to the max and this reduces the depth of field. Try the other way. Take a small tripot or rest the camera on a pile of books for trying. Less speed on the shutter closes the aperture, increases the depth of field but also increases the danger of blurring by motion of the camera or of the objekt.

Gerald

Hey Ed, I use a Power Shot A520 also and here's how I have mine setup:

1. Go into Menu and increase the number of photos that you can take, to the maximum....
2. Set the function dial on top to 'Auto'....

Next, look at the display at the rear of the camera, see that control mechanism on the right of the digital screen, the one with the set button, the MF (Flower) and Lightening Bolt....using that for reference do the following;

3. When you turn on the camera, look at the display and push the 'Lightening Bolt'(this will turn off your flash)....
4. Next, push the 'Flower' this will set the camera for closeups....

Now you should be able to get some good close up shots, but as Gerald has suggested, you need something to rest the camera on while shooting the shot....

BTW, steps #3 & #4 need to be executed each time you turn 'ON' the camera if you intend to do closeup shots....

Good luck, this works for me....

Regards,
Jerry

You can find those Mini Tripods cheap, like under $10.00 at Walmart or Staples. They work great for holding the camera steady. If you have a remote fob with the camera use it. You can also use the delay setting so you can press the shutter button, let go and the camera will steady before the shutter releases.

Steve

Hey Guys/Ladies, Well, I got it in the mail this morning,and it is now ticking away on my desk. Would you believe,the staff is good. It needed a mainspring,roller jewel,top jewel,escape wheel,and a pallet fork. I got the needed parts from those other movements,put it all together,dabbed a little oil on the needed spots,wound it up and off it went. I will run it for a few hours,until the mainspring runs down,then it will be disassembled and properly cleaned. I can never do that first. I gotta see em run first. I still get a thrill seeing an old movement like this running again,after who knows how many years. After that,I can take my time and do it properly. I'll put up a picture when it is finished.

Hi Cecil

Is n't this great ?

And Y O U did it.

That's one of the great things working with old watches!

Congratulations! Keep on going!

The more we can do by ourselfs the greater is the respect for the great Masters of horologie.

Regards Gerald

I would love to have that!

We've been looking for civil war remnants for quite a while.

Even though this may have been a post-war watch, it may have some provenance.

Mike

Well,here it is. My version of cleaned up and running strong.

The hairspring is a little out of round,and I can't seem to locate a proper balance bridge screw. I have another good hairspring,but I hate to mess with it,taking a chance of breaking the balance staff pivots,so I'll leave it as is for now,and maybe one of these days when I feel a little more confident with my abilities I'll change the hairspring.

Cecil,
Very nice job. Dosn't it feel good to bring one back to life?
Now for a proper case!

It is finished for now. I still have a couple of small issues with it. David,I took your advice and left the original dial,which I will have to have repaired at a later date,and it still has the minor hairspring issue. I have timed it for 12 hours now and it is still within 1 minute of correct. Not really bad for having no adjustments made to it. I had this Fahy's coin silver hunting case in my case drawer,and it seemed just the perfect one for this watch. I have about 15 hours in this watch,and so I will just be satisfied with what it is for now. I'm pretty satisfied with the end result. Not perfect,but plenty good enough.

another view

another

last one

Very (x100 very's) Nice. Great luck on the staff being good. I am glad you retained the dial as that is certainly the right one for it, and heck the chips are part of the "provenance"! A minute a day for this is like "free lunch"!
I stand corrected on the dates, this is civil war period! looks like a 700 piece run!

A question, does this look like the jewels were re-bushed or are there still two pairs of press jewels in the movement to make the 11 Jewels specified?

Start: 1/1/1866 End: 2/28/1866
First: 174301 Last: 175000
Model: 1859 Name: PS Bartlett
Material: A Grade: P.S.B., NL
Size: 18 Size: 18
Plate: FP Plate: NL
Jewelling: Plain Jewels: 11
Balance: unknown Bal: Assorted
Style: KW

Hey David,
The balance pivots do not look to be worn at all,in fact,it kinda looks like someone put in a new one and never ran the watch after. No evidence that I can see of rebushed jewels. The numbers just don't add up. This is not a model 1859,not 11 jewels,and I have found three different publications,that place the serial number anywhere from late 64 to late 65. Even Shugart's book puts it in 64. I think that model number is just a mistake someone made way back when and it just stuck,or Shugart's book has the wrong picture under the model 1859. It shows the model 1859 as kw ks from the back. I'm so confused. But,at least the watch runs. Also after it was cleaned up the number did turn out to be 174450.

Cecil, I agree that this has to be a P.S.Bartlett according to the data I showed, there is little doubt of that. The Jeweling reported in the Factory production logs may not be absolutely correct for all movments in that run, but the main top plate is correctly marked for the reported movement and the serial number points to that too. My question about the jeweling was regarding the pivots for the 4th wheel and the escape wheels. The 4th wheel top plate pivot bearing looks in the picture like it could have been re-bushed by a watchmaker repairing it with a brass bushing after the jewel had been damaged. Not important, you have a nice piece, expecially with that case.