I am in need of an EXPERT. I have this movement and do not know much about it. The dial measures approx a 10 size and the movement 8 size. It appears Swiss and the regulator is very unique. Stem wind and lever set, with the lever being like an earlier Waltham up and down not out. It appears to be 20 jewels. Cap jewels on the steel escape wheel and the fancy lever, but the main wheel is only jeweled from the back and not the dial plate. Huge gold jewel settings. It looks like it has a double roller, but I have not removed the balance yet.. Movement marked Adjusted, and serial number 34015. The name Theodore B. Starr, New York in block lettering... Nickle plates and supurb steel work.. Any ideas or opinions......

2nd picture. Dail is unsigned...

For what it's worth, I have a Longines with the exact same style regulator, also no center jewel on dial side. The center wheel pinion shaft also extends out a bit similar to the one on your movement. So my un-educated guess is that your movement probably is a Longines. In-as-much as it's not an early Howard, all I can do guess....
Harold

Interesting regulator. On mine, the arm is one piece, and rides on the cam. Yours is 2 piece. I have a few Longines, but this on this movement the serial numbers do not jive. Also the plate layout is very different than Longines. Thanks for the GUESS or is IT a secretive Howard experimental If that is what it turns out to be....

John

John, the plate style and click spring are indicative to me of an early Agassiz movement. Here is a picture of an 0-size example. Theo.B.Starr was a New York jeweler who usually sold high-quality watches.

From the shape of the plates and the serial number your movement is most likely made by Agassiz. The "nautilus" style micrometer regulator was used by a number of Swiss makers, including Longines, Omega, Agassiz and others. Gruen used a similiar system on their Dresden (Assmann) made early movements.

Harold - FWIW, Longines changed over to the one piece regulator arm on their later production.

Ed Ueberall
NAWCC 49688
IHC Member 34
The Escapement

Yep, this is what happens when I stray away from the Howard stuff......

Jerry, thanks it looks almost identical. Some subtle differences but that is to be expected on different sizes and age. Must be a left over from key wind. The center post is hollow and has a shaft much like a key wind that runs up thru the cannon pinion, but is rounded off on top plate.

Ed, thanks for the information on the regulator. It make it easier to ID Swiss movement when you know they might share a common regulator style..

Harold, I do the same thing when I get away from fusees.........

John Pavlik

I just realized I had the same kind of regulator on an old watch I had laying around here....Don't know what it is, but it runs well for a junker!

Bill,
Thats no 'junker', although I beleive that someone substituted a brass bushing for the original center wheel jewel. If the symbol in the crest on the pillar plate is a standing lion with a bow, your watch is either a J. J. Badollet or a C. H Meylan, both of which are high grade Swiss makers.

Ed Ueberall
NAWCC 49688
IHC Member 34
The Escapement

Whoa Nellie!

NOTE TO SELF:

Show Ed the "clunkers" you were planning to dump!

So that's what that crest is....I just took a closer look at it and yes...It's a standing something with a bow....

and this is what the dial says. Is the watch worth working on?

From a quality standpoint, yes, I believe that the watch should be restored to GRO, and the center jewel should be replaced. As far as value goes, this may be one of those watches which are fairly high grade, scarce to almost rare in quantity, but which falls into the "who cares" category. Of course forty years ago most high grade RR watches were in the same boat, look at their values now.
Kathy Pritchard lists C. or G. (but not E.) Leonville, Le Locle as being on watches imported early in the 20th Century by Mathey Bros, New York.

Lindell,
I'll tell you all about those "clunkers" after you dump them to me.

Ed Ueberall
NAWCC 49688
IHC Member 34
The Escapement

I seem to remember a private label for Black, Starr & Frost. Same Starr maybe?