O.k., I just got this in and thought it really cool. First one I have seen (which isn't saying much). As such, I wanted to see how quickly the pros here identify it. So......lets give this a whirl and have a little contest. To make this all the more interesting the winner will receive this multi-tool lighter, shipped free in the U.S.

Firstly, the rules. The winner will have to accurately answer three questions.
1) What is pictured?
2) What is its purpose?
3) Identify the maker.

I don't know how difficult this will be. So, in the hopes of preventing one of you "Aces" from solving this too quickly, I am requiring that all three questions be answered correctly. You are either right or wrong. To start with, I am not going to tell anyone that they answered question #1 correctly but #3 incorrectly. If you miss any of the questions, you are incorrect. The initial picture is somewhat grainy. Again, this will hopefully keep you stumped for awhile.

After 24 hours, should this prove harder than I think, I may elect to give a clue OR add a slightly more revealing photo depending on how the guesses are going and will continue this every 24 hours until solved.


Alright......here is your first picture!

Well it looks just li ke an illegal substance I used a few times very late at night in college when I had a loooong paper due the next morning--won't say the name for fear of giving offense

must point out this was quite a while ago and I thoroughly reprehend such behavior.

Have to say, though, they looked just like that. Guess it's probably not.

Jessica

I am guessing it is clock related and a clock collector may need to complete part 3.
1) I think the black area is a hole in a flat brass plate on a pendulum rod. The bright spot at the top is a steel post sticking through the hole from the anchor arm.
2) The purpose is to connect the escapement anchor to the pendulum.
3) I would guess it is a regulator clock, perhaps a Vienna regulator, so let me guess a Gustav Becker.

(hmmm ... since this is posted in the pocketwatch section I am probably wrong on at least 2 & 3)

...hmmmm...I'm going to guess that it...

1) is a pw regulator slot w/screw end showing

2) used to adjust the regulator, on a

3) Ball-Hamilton 18s pw...

There's a hole in the black bullet shaped object? okay, now I do need a new computer. All I see is an image the shape of a pill in extremely bad focus, with what looks to be a high-light near the top.

Is it in focus for others?

Jessica

Good and bad news. The bad news is we are still searching for a winner. The good news is that at least for the momement, I have you stumped. At this point, I wouldn't expect anyone to solve it completely. I will post a slightly more revealing photo later this evening.

This should be more fun as the clues unfold themselves. How about the rest of you. Go ahead and take a stab at it. Even if you are guessing, you may give others something else to consider.

BTW, Jessica, these are no longer available over the counter!

David, You need a camera with the auto-focus feature in working order --so what it could be is:

1.) A steel pin rounded and reflecting light on the one end.
2.) Used on each side to hold a Ball stirrup-bow to the pendant of the watch case.
3.) Keystone Watch Case Company.

It is the eyeball to one of those CAT wall clocks. You know, the ones that move their eyes back and forth.

The out of focus or grainy aspect of the photos will reveal itself soon enough. That is all I will say for now.

In the mean time, here is clue #2.

It looks like a blurry picture of a dial foot to me.

I was about to say that could be the edge of a watch plate at the lower righthand corner of the photo. Doesn't look like a dial foot to me--but some sort of slot.

hmmm. waiting for better photo, or better guesses....

Jessica

PS David, they weren't OTC at that time, either.

1) It's a Mars Probe or a suppository or a fuel tank
2) It collects data... or ... or fuels a spaceship.
3) JPL made it.

Frank "407" Kusumoto

It's very blurry, but it looks like a space probe in orbit around a bright celestial body...perhaps the Monolith from 2001 A space odyessy?

Ha, ha, he, he, ho, ho. It is to laugh. You guys a real commedians!

Yeah, I know. It looks like the pictures where taken from the moon. Like I said, you will understand why in due time. Another photo will be coming later this evening. Maybe I'll show you a crater or two.

Here is clue #3. This should start to give you something to work with.

Ah, better focus...the monolith touched down on a watch movement....It now really looks like a caffine tablet in a black capsule upright on a howard watch movement.

quote:

. . . and will continue this every 24 hours until solved.

David, didn't you mean every 2 - 4 hours until solved?

"Caffeine"???? Okay, Matt-- if that's what you call it.


Jessica

Barbara,

I actually thought some would be honing in on it by now. I know the pictures where difficult to decipher but of course, I was trying to make it as hard as possible.

Another picture will follow tomorrow but for now, and for those that haven't guessed already, the item in question is located on a pocket watch movement.

OK, here goes:
1. Its a click release for a mainspring.
2. Its purpose is to let the mainspring down so the movement can be disassembled safely.
3. Manufacturer? I've seen this arrangement on a number of high grade Swiss movemenents, notably Vacheron & Constantin, Patek Philippe and Non Magnetic Watch Co.

Ok, here goes.

1. It is a small toggle

2. It is used to switch between winding and setting on a duplex watch.

3. New England watch company, maybe Waterbury

********WE HAVE A WINNER*********

Ol Eagle Eye Ed Ueberall was one of those "Aces" I spoke about at the beginning of this thread and was one of the ones I thought would have a great shot at pegging it.

This is a Swiss made movement for the Non-Magnetic Watch Co. The click release is located at the bottom of the movement. I had to crop the picture way down to get just the release lever and that is why I lost so much resolution in the photo making it so grainy and out of focus.

BUT, you can also see why I needed to do that. To prevent some of these guys from nailing it right away.

Here is a shot of the dial. This is a great looking watch. It is a 16 size, in a heavy 14K gold hunter case.

Fantastic job Ed!!!!! E-Mail me with your address and I will get your prize mailed off to you.

congrats to Ed... (that's what I thought it was also....)

Ed and Kent have done some research on these, believe some clues to grade are damaskeen pattern.

These were usually a 'higher' grade watch, with interesting jewel counts.... and they received 'full' adjustments (positions)... were ahead of their time...

Great job Ed! So that post is spring loaded so when it's pressed into the movement face it functions as a click release?

Congrats, Ed!

David, thanks for a few hours of fun and suspense!

Thanks to Ed and David. I thought that the photo looked vaguely familiar but, frankly, I didn't have a clue.

I wouldn't mind hearing more about this watch. I have one, also in 14k, HC. I bought it cheap and, since it was gold.....

I know very little about it. I suspect mine was actually shipped to Germany (by the engraving). I was also told to NOT try to service it without some experienced help, as parts are nearly impossible to get. Finally, I've often wondered about the steel-appearing crown on a 14k gold case. Was it original, or should I be searching for a new crown?

I'll include a photo of my watch to show the unusual crown and would appreciate any information anyone might have on it!

I discovered this kind of by accident. I was admiring the watch and noticed the lever sticking up. While looking it over, I actually pulled the lever down by accident and as the mainspring was wound, it made a horrible ratchetting sound. Just about gave me a heart attack!!! Of course, after I realized no harm was done, I said "Cool". I suspect the proper way to let down the spring would be to release the lever while holding the crown. The mainspring can then be released softly using the crown.

Here is another shot of the movement. It appears to be quite high quality. Anyone care to guess the jewel count without me taking the dial off? I would say 17 to 19 jewels?.?.?.?.?.

Take off the dial.....

be careful.. i believe these were a snap on dial .. it is the only way to tell if the center pinion is jeweled on the main plate


mine was 18 jewels .....open face ....

they did make a 20 jewel version

The post is actually part of the click, which is tensioned by a small spring to keep the tip of the click (or pawl) in contact with the winding wheel teeth. Its a simple and elegant way of designing the winding click so that you do not have to remove the movement from the case to let the mainspring down, while still having "hidden" winding wheels.

The ads we have seen for these indicate that they were made in 18 and 20 jewel varients. If both the escape and pallet arbors are cap jeweled, its a 20 jewel, if only the escape arbor is cap jeweled its an 18 jewel, and if there is a center wheel jewel and neither the escape or the pallet arbor is cap jeweled its a 16 jewel. From what I have seen both the 18 and 20 jewel are fairly scarce.