Plastic crystals, factory supplied?

August 25, 2007, 14:53

Mortimer Schwartz

Did some pocket watches come with plastic crystals or have they been added later. I read that size differences on the bezel or the crystal or both makes it difficult or impossible to switch from plastic to glass. Is this true?

August 25, 2007, 15:32

Lindell V. Riddle

Mort,

Plastic crystals usually did not come originally on the better civilian watches.

We often find the Hamilton 4992B during World War II and beyond with a lucite, or plastic crystal. I often wonder if some of the earliest production Stainless-Steel Model 15 Cases with 992B movements may have come with plastic crystals originally installed, I say that only because we find so many that way. Perhaps others can think of additional examples.

It was most likely a common thing to use plastic on military pocket watches in order to avoid breakage, but most of the Railroad Timing requirements down through the years called for glass crystals. That requirement had to do with plastic "clouding" issues and the fact that once a plastic surface becomes scratched it is difficult to read the time.

So far as sizing, glass crystals in the popular sizes can be difficult to locate.

Lindell

August 26, 2007, 05:26

Brian C.

Mort,
I might add that most dollar watches came with plastic crystals. These often turned yellow with age. The newer plastic crystals don't turn yellow and can be installed on most watch cases, even hunter cases. I've had many people that are hard on watches(construction workers) request plastic instead off glass, because of the glass breaking.
I use a G-S flexo round crystal gauge to measure bezels for plastic crystals.
Brian C.