I was going through the remains of a watch shop that my friend bought out and I found an 1892 845 21 j. in a box. What's interesting about this watch is that all that is left of it is the three plates, the main spring barrel and the balance cock. All the numbers match. So I am going to start from scratch. Wish me luck. Besides the 845 I also found both bridges for an 1892 Vanguard 23 j. and another pillar plate for either a 21 j. or a 23 j. 1892.

Good luck.

Harv, we all get this urge to rebuild stuff and those 1892 "bones" are an excellent example of this.

Now what happens if I was where you are is that I would be poring over every Waltham for sale or auction posting here and on eBay for "parts" movements. Sadly I have gone there with the model 1892 and have found the "parts movements" are usually in better shape for restoration themselves, AND, there are TWO distinctly different train/plate layouts for the 1892. And they are NOT interchangeable!

Your best bet is to keep looking until you find a rasty, rusty old parts model 1892 that is hopelessly beyond restoration and hope the wheels and stuff are usable. OR . . . sell your stuff as parts.

Harv-

unless you're deeply in love with the frame you have, you would be better off finding a running 845 waltham. You should be able to find one for about $150-200 with a decent dial and average case. if you were to rebuilding the one you have, you are going to look at $25 ea for the escape wheel and pallet forks. another $50 for the balance. Dial will be $75 + mattering how nice. Thats $175 and we haven't even gotton into the common parts you will need to find. If you find a movement with those parts intact still, you might as well rebuilding it and leave the 845 frame sit. Long story short, it would be cost prohibitive to rebuild the watch. I have about 10 1892 model watches here needing some kind of work that are sitting for the same types of reasons even though I have a material assortment for the 1892s.

Thanks,

Jared

Thanks Guys. But I found a 17 j Appleton with the correct train and it had a bad staff and is missing some jewels but everything else is there. It cost me 20.00 and I found a nice double sunk dial for 45.00. Besides it is something to do even if it takes a while. I am in no rush Sometimes you get the bear and sometimes the bear gets you.