My gorgeous 24j Maiden Lane was procured at a domestic auction house a couple of months ago. Seth Thomas apparently blocked out a total of 160 serial numbers for this grade, evenly split between straight nickel and the two-tone variant pictured here. That means this watch is one of only 80 ever produced.

It was damaged by previous "repairs" to the point where it would barely run, let alone keep time. The balance wheel was out of round, the upper and lower jewels had been replaced, the staff was too short, and worst of all, someone had used pliers to bend the balance cock down to accomodate the shorter staff.

But all the serial numbers matched.

My reprobate Amish watchmaker went to work.

First he trued the balance wheel, re-staffed it, vibrated the hairspring, and replaced the damaged jewels. He had to fabricate new jewel-setting screws to match the rest of the plate screws.

But the plier damage to the balance cock? After straightening it on an arbor press, he re-lapped the plateau, removing all but the deepest gouge marks. Then using the hand-cranked pantograph you see pictured here, he re-milled the original 12-point star pattern. He hand-carved several templates (red arrow) out of Corian, and did a few dry runs with each before he was satisfied with the results.

The balance plateau on the left is a factory original on another Seth. The one on the right is the rebuilt one on the Maiden Lane. The red arrows show the remnants of the plier damage. If he’d gone any deeper, the regulator whip wouldn’t have stayed on the plateau.

The Keystone case was damaged, too. Someone had filed down the ledge that the movement sits on to accommodate a Howard, which has a slightly larger pillar plate (the Maiden Lane could actually fall through the case frame). My Amish man turned the inner wall smooth, cut a dado in the case wall, and fabricated a steel snap-ring to replace the missing original.

This is the result of nearly 30 hours of labor, many of it done by lamplight, and on a foot-powered lathe. He even fabricated the matching beveled case screws to replicate the originals. You can believe that it now keeps Stoner time.

It is stunning work, and I am enormously proud of this man - not only for the tenacity that he imparts to every project which with I present him, but also for his ability to overcome obstacles and find outside-the-box solutions time and time again.

My, My....What a wonderful restoration, by you both, Eric.... and you said it very well when you said,"It is stunning work...."

You have every right to proud of this piece and the person who produced it....

Well Done my Friend....

Regards,

Jerry

What a true craftsman that Amish gentleman is!

Beautiful watch Eric,it's nice to know that there are still some true craftsmen left like your watchmaker!If you hadn't pointed out that damage, few would ever notice it.What a nice job!!! Best regards, Ted.

Eric,

You need to spend more time with this Amishman and learn all he knows.....Your wife must understand you are on a mission and you can't let this opportunity slip by. She will totally understand I am sure of it.

Just tell her you want to learn Amish majic.... show her this watch....that's how it is done.

Steve

Steve, I'm an honorary Amish.

My pseudo-name is Jakob, and they gave me my own straw hat.

Of this I know you must be extremelly proud.Well done!! Roger

Eric, It is just wonderful. Your photographic skills have reached the professional level. I am proud to call you my friend and brother.

Eric, a beautiful watch. Your watchmaker must have the patience of a saint and the ingenuity of a Seabee

Hi Eric,This is an awesome watch that has been restored by a man that not only is true craftsman,but a man who truly loves his work.I don't know how expensive he is or if you could even put a true value on his work as it looks to me like he's worth his weight in gold.Regards.Norm

Good going Eric. Your Amish watchmaker is a priceless treasure!

Very nice finished work Eric. As you know I love those 18s Seth's also.

Hi again Eric,Is this man exclusive to you or does he work for others?I have a rare watch that needs a balance staff.Thanks Norm

Thanks, boys.

Norm, it's a different scale of economics with the Amish. For instance, he charges $5 for hand-bluing.

Like all Amish, he guards his privacy and his anonymity very seriously. When I first met him, it was fifteen minutes before he would even admit to being the Watchmaker. As far as working for others, all I can do is ask him if he's taking on additional customers.

Thanks Eric,It's just hard to find some one I can afford.I'm 72 and on a limited income so I have to watch my expenses.I grew up in Illinois and lived in Wisconsin and have known some Amish people.They make the best cheese you'll ever eat.Sometimes I think we would all be better off living like they do.I have a lot of respect for them.Regards.Norm

Eric,
Your watch is nothing short of BREATHTAKING!

I so admire anyone that will go the extra mile for any timepiece.

Bless you both, for a job well done.