I got a call from one of the local gold buyers, he said he had taken in a 14K pocket watch that I could have the movement out of if I wanted it.

I went down to his shop & he had a 14K BWCCo. hunter case with a 15 jewel Elgin made in 1891 inside.

Looking at it the watch wanted to run but appeared to need a cleaning.

So after looking it over I removed the movement from the case & he weighed the case minus the front bezel & the weight was 38.2 DWT or 59.40 grams this converts to 1.114 troy oz of pure gold.

Looking it over I could only see one set of case screw marks, the dial looked perfect & the hands matched. The bow was as firm as the day it was made.

Generally I couldn't spend this kind of money but I also seldom get the chance to keep something like this from going to the smelter.

I have seen what the dealer normally does to watch cases after the fact, where he bends the covers back & forth until they snap off.

He agreed give me the movement & sell me the case at scrap value with a little knocked off due to the stem & springs still being in the case.

Got it home & took the movement apart & cleaned it, by luck I had a new mainspring & now it has been humming along for a couple days.

The crown is worn but still can be gripped fine for winding, it appears it might be 14k also.

I tried to photograph the floral pattern on the case but my photos don't do it justice.

I plan to hang onto it as long as I can but since it is out of the normal amount I can spend on a watch I might have to pass it on.

Thanks for listening.

Nice save, nice early watch that probably saw a few trains go by Tom ! And all at a great buy too!!

regards,
bb

Nice, Tom. That's one for the good guys.

Nice one, the gilt movement really looks good in a gold case.

Thanks for the comments. It is such a shame what happens to these things, the business owner also gave me a plastic bag with wrist watch movements he had ripped out of other gold cases. Unfortunately the movements were pretty well destroyed by doing so.

One was a Hamilton 500 that from what I have read was the 1st electric watch made & was made from 1957-59.

Another was an Omega 1100. I am not a wrist watch collector so I don't really know if there is a value to these movements but I am sure with 14 or 18k cases they were nice at one time.

Depending on the case of the 500 movement. It is like wristwatches it could of been a 14 kt Ventura by Hamiton [ Look this one up on ebay ] or a dozen or so other one,s that would of brought 5 to 10 over scrap. Or it could of been one of those you would be lucky to sell and get scrap for. By the way get save. I'm trying to liquidate some funds my self to save a 16sz 14 k Waltham. I guess to buy it I'll have to sell my Model 3 that was a post earlier some where.

Way to go Tom, it's hard to pass those up, but unfortunately, some do....

You didn't give it's S/N but looked like a G M Wheeler....I've a soft spot for him....

Regards,

Jerry

Eugene

The cases for the wrist watches were long gone, so I don't know what it was the dial is black & round with gold hands & markings on the dial, but all it says is Hamilton Electric.

Jerry

It is a Wheeler, serial # 4806569 I checked the jewel count while it was disassembled & it is 15 jewels.