Last week I was the winner of one of Michael Kosinenko's auction items, an old 11j Elgin, grade 87 watch made in 1881....it is a keywind watch housed in a coin silver case (you all know me and silver cases, )

Anyway, when I receive a watch I always give it a full wind to see how long the watch will run before running down and I did this one the same way....I set the watch to my TV cable box clock and was able to set the time, to the second....

The watch ran for 32 hours which isn't real great but it is sufficient, but the amazing part is that at the 31 hour mark, I checked the accuracy and the watch had not gained or lost any time at all....zero seconds....I was totally impressed with it's accuracy.

Here is the photos of the watch that Mike used when he set up the auction last week....

129 Year Old Elgin

Let us hear some of your stories and see the watch that still performs these miracles....

Regards,

Jerry

I won one of Mike's watches in the same auction batch: a 7 jewel Elgin with a great dial. That watch also keeps excellent time.

Of my 20+ watches the clear winner in time keeping is a hamilton 940 I bought off of eBay. I bought it because the movement was absolutely spotless but the case was junk. I placed the movement in a salesman case that I bought from Eric Unselt and turned it back out on my display shelf so I could see the movement. I turn the watch over and look at the face every day when I wind it, and so far, after over a month and a half since setting it last it has lost exactly 10 seconds. It's by far and away the most accurate mechanical watch I've ever owned.

I refer you to my post about the rewards of watch collecting. It is still under 10 seconds deviation from April 11.

You can see the rest at the post;
https://ihc185.infopop.cc/eve/f...86047761/m/845109282

Thanks guy's, for the posts....they are very interesting....
Chris, how about a photo or two of the 940, especially since you recased to the salesman case....

Dave, you're making me reconsider doing mine for a longer time also....I just thought that I would leave well enough alone.... , but now I think I'll do the test all over again and let her run for a month or two....I'll report periodically on how she does....

Thanks for the nudge....

Regards,

Jerry

Sure thing! I don't have my normal lights and tripod set up right now, so these were taken in the harsh midday sun. They make the movement look rougher than it actually is. With the naked eye (and under correct lighting) it looks exceptionally crisp.

2

3

Thanks Chris, that is a nice looking movement....

Don't we have any more watches that at excellent time keepers among us....lets hear about and see them...

Regards

Jerry

Here's another good timekeeper a Hamilton 992B in a Tu-Tone case. Bought it on ebay for 20% under low Price Guide value not running. After completely taking it apart and reinstalling the timing screw that was found in the movement I COA it. It's been running over 2.5 months and the watch is +1 second. This watch has been used as a daily carry watch most of the days it's been running.
RR

Nice find, Richard....there are still good buys to be found on eBay....
Good job on the repair also....

Keep em coming folks....

Regards,

Jerry

I don't know how you guys come up with these super accurate watches, it took me many,many hours to get this 23 jewel Vanguard to within .4 seconds a day in any of three positions, dial up, dial down and pendant up.
Getting a watch accurate in one position is fairly easy, but three positions, for me anyway is a chore.....

Good point, and to be fair, my 940's accuracy is limited to the pendent up position.

Harold,

I regulate the 992B by compensating for personal habits. As long as you know the positional tolerances they can be utilized for accuracy.

Where are other excellent time keepers? I know they're out there.

RR

I also have a tu tone 992b, much like Richard's.
I took it out the other day to time it to check accuracy, and then auction it.
It has kept time to within 1 second for the past week.
I changed my mind about getting rid of it. Amazing.

I picked up this little 12 size 15 jewel Hampden Nathan Hale,on Ebay several years ago. It is the "thin model",made in 1920. Got it for practically nothing. Seller said,"not running,needs a battery" Well, I still haven't found a place to put a battery,but if you wind it every day,like I have been doing for the last few weeks,it keeps time to within 10 seconds a week.

The movement.

Thanks all for your great inputs to this string....

Cecil, that is a nice little Hampden, I have one very similar to it and they are great runners....

Harold, it must be nice to be able to adjust your watches using all the modern equipment and to have the know how to do it, and that is a great looking Vanguard....

I, on the other hand, have no equipment simply because I wouldn't know what to do with it if I did have it....I just buy'em & wind'em....

I find it interesting just to wind a watch that I have recently purchased to see how long it will run and with what accuracy....what ever it is, it is....if they don't run, I send them to Chris and he makes them perfect for me....

Here is one I recently received: I wound it and it ran for 34 hours, not great but acceptable and at the 24 hour mark, in this case 9:30 pm last night, it had lost 3 seconds according to my cable box....not the most scientific proceedure but certainly good enough for me and I may be off +/- a second....
This is an Elgin Convertible, Grade 49, s/n 1326098 and in hand looks NOS, and is a size 14 not 16 as the database implies (it does say that some were 14's)....

Let's keep'em coming....

Regards,

Jerry

I apologize for the photo quality, these are the photos taken off eBay when I purchased the watch....

The movement view....

Regards,

Jerry

Movement #2....