While climbing up the "learning curve" of "Watching", I often looked at hazy eBay pictures of un-cased movements for sale and was baffled how to learn if they were Hunter or Open Face types. Reason being, it is MUCH EASIER to recase an Open Face movement. But not knowing which was which made me feel kinda dumb. Sorta like the time (long ago) I thought of learning how to sex freshly hatched Chickens. (Pay is good, but don't even think about that job.)

While I am still puzzled from time to time, I wanted to pass on to you some simple pictorial hints of how to to recognize HC from OF movments with nothing else to go on. Firstly, here they are in the "case"! . . .

That was easy, right! Generally most 3/4 plate watches with external winding wheels are pretty straightforward too. Hunter Movmeents are made with the 4th wheel (seconds hand) at right angles to an imaginary line through the main wheel and the center wheel. The Open Face movment has the 4th wheel IN LINE with the main wheel and center wheel . . .

Full Plate movements are a little different. The Open Face movments have the wheel train (unless there is a "5th Pinion") going in a Clockwise direction from the center wheel . . .

While the Hunter case movments have the wheel train pivots in a counter-clockwise direction out from the main wheel . . .

I used a number of different movements so you can see that it matters little with the full plate movments where the Balance cock is in relation to the rest of the stuff, just remember "Normal" clockwise wheel train is Open Face. (Then there are E Howards, but that is a different story altogether ).

Thanks, Dave. I have often wondered the same thing when just presented with a picture of the movement. This will be of big help to me and, I am sure, lots of others as well. I always like to see your pictorials. I quite often have to see something to understand.

Thanks Dave
The clockwise and counter clockwise train spotting on 'full-plates' was new to me. Some day you should make a study-programm out of this stuff !

Have fun
Gerald

Thanks
David, I knew that was the difference on the waltham mdl 1883 18s but didn't realize it was for all mfg's, except the E Howards.