Can anyone help me with some information on a watch I'm working on mainly for practice.
I've looked at the Waltham Database and it gives me
Movement Ser. No. 13100437
1903
14s
7j
Mod 1897
It is marked American Waltham, U.S.A, ENSIGN
I have the Mainspring charts which have been kindly sent me by IHC185 members but nowhere do they list 14s sizes.
Is there a reason that this size doesn't seem to be mentioned in any forums. Maybe it's just too cheap to be worthy of any attention. Puzzled

I'm real fond of the 14S Waltham.

They are actually 12S watches with over-sized pillar plates. Stretched to 14S to make a larger watch with a thin profile.

Try measuring the spring and match for thickness and strength to the 12S replacements.

Thanks a lot Paul. Thats a great help. Am I right in thinking from what you say that other parts will also be from a 12s as well.

Mike, your 1897 is a 12-14 s and depending on the barrel details uses a 2224 or 2224A. The parts list goes on to state the 2224A fits both motor barrels.

Mike,

It is my understanding that they are derived from the same chassis. Some of the components will cross over, others might not.

For that matter, parts from one 12s may or may not fit another 12s...

I'm more of a "shade tree mechanic" I tend to go to my donor watches and mic out salvage replacements rather than dive in to the books looking for part number cross overs.

I have the luxury of having accumulated quite a few donor watches... Initially a result of buying every shiny object that seemed like too good a deal to pass up. Later, they accumulated because I find it cheaper to buy a donor watch than to pay spot prices for case screws, dials, hands, nice cases...

Thanks to all of you. The mystery of a 14s has been solved and I now know which way to stumble. There's a lot more to this watch restoring than I realised. I think I would have given up without you guys to help me.

I'm amazed at the knowledge that you all seem to have stored away and are so willing to share.I didn't really get interested in Walthams until I retired which was three years ago, I'm 68 now and wish that I had started many years ago.

Here in the UK there isn't the amount of interest in American watches, which is obvious I suppose, but thanks to the internet, both knowledge and parts are available from all over the globe. Unfortunately we have to contend with the high postal charges that obtaining parts incur. Thank goodness that we don't have to pay for your knowledge!

Another minor difficulty is the time difference, just when people are answering my questions I'm tucked up in bed fast asleep.

Anyway thanks to all off you, such a nice bunch of people.