I got a 23J Vanguard up/down the other day through my local pawn shop. I have been checking out the watch and the info about it and have a question. The one I have has a red cap jewel in a gold setting on the balance cock that matches the other jewels perfectly but I saw a reference to diamond endstones in this watch. I believe I have one of the gold set diamond endstones available but I would appreciate knowing if the version I have is correct. The serial number is #26615276.
I haven't cleaned the watch yet but I did take off the dial for cleaning. I forgot to note the lower jewel but I think I would have noticed if it were diamond though.
Thanks for any help
-Cort

Cort:

If this is any help...years ago I had one with the diamond end jewel. GONE, GONE, GONE!

Today, I have one with the pressed jewels, I think no damascening, not big fuss due to the war effort.

Dan

Cort,
I wouldn't be in a hurry in replacing those endstones with the diamond ones. Most of the Vanguards that Kent and I have recorded with the diamond endstones are below S/N 23,028,XXX. I don't know if the transition away from them was gradual or at a specific S/N, but I suspect that many of the later Vanguards were "upgraded" with DES by collectors years ago.

I totally agree witgh Ed that you leave this watch alone. The WWWCo. diddled with these all along the way and each run is it's own "breed of cat". Note the 2 Pictured. The "more used" s/n 22m (c.a.1918), certifiably did heavier service (right hand watch in the dial foto) than the older, but "better looking (c.a. 1915). Both have Diamond endstone and Lossier Hairspring but they are hardly the same watches!

S/N 20m

s/n 22m

Sorry about the fuzzies, the camera is an old one my wife dropped in a pitcher of beer which since dried out and lays around my computer waiting for me to see if Canon can fix it. dca

My Vanguard #24570464 has a red endstone. But, the 3rd wheel and the center wheel have white hole jewels. So, I can't tell what was changed on this watch.

Thank you for the opinions folks. I had already decided to let the watch alone. It runs almost incredibly well. I have not set it in a week and it is right on time.

The intent of my question was to determine if these were also made with red jewels and it is apparent they were. This jewel looked too right to be wrong but I am relieved to know this was an original combination.

The only issue I had to deal with concerned the regulator. The keyhole shaped spring was busted and the screw that holds the part that holds the regulator screw was broken off in the bal. cock. I stripped the cock and put it in a water and Alum brew. The rusty remains of the broken screw got poked out with a toothpick the very next day. I'll be sad to see this watch go.
-Cort

Jerry,
Normally any "white" jewel that is either a roller, pallet or hole jewel will be a white sapphire (except for the early KW watches, which used a vareity of clear stones). Diamond end stones will almost always have random flat facets ground on the upper surface, while sapphire cap jewels will have a smooth, rounded upper surface.

Ed: That is an interesting reply. I looked at the cap jewel again, and it has a flat facet on it's top. Is it possible that the red color I see is coming from a red hole jewel under the cap jewel?

Jerry

A single flat facet on the top of the endstone, with other visible surfaces otherwise rounded, does not indicate that it is a diamond. The sapphire and ruby endstones commonly had this flat. A diamond endstone will have multiple facets at odd angles over the entire visible surface.