Illinois 16s. I have this watch that I can not get the stem to pull out to set.It winds and takes off like a greyhoud.Would I damage it if I used pliers to pull it out to setting position.I know probably a"dumb" question but I need to know.Regards Roger

Let's see the varmint first before you tear something up Roger

regards,
bb

Yeah, i'd say pliers might be a little extreme

Can you post a picture or give the serial #

Here is the s/n 2667422 Roger

OK we have a P/S 17J grade 304 from 1914. It should be in a long stem pendant case.....

If you have a sleeve wrench and pliers, I would take the movement out and then pull the stem/sleeve assembly and examine, clean, and oil the ramp and reassemble and see how it works before stabbing the mvmt back in!

If you don't have a sleeve wrench and pliers, see if you can take the mvmt out and then remove the crown and put a small drop of oil down the pendant. Now put the crown back on and tighten and see if you can operate it any easier. If it is new or tight, kick back and work it back and forth for a bit and see if you can work some stiffness out!!

Go here for some top guidance;

Help for Roger !!

regards,
bb

Hey Roger, I have found that sometimes if you turn the crown while pulling up on it,it will pop up.

Hi Roger, a great post by Buster, Also sometimes if you can get the movement out with the stem down you can add a drop of oil down the stem / tube area to loosen it up to allow it to pop up, but you will want to clean, oil and adjust it as Buster's post shows.

Thanks everyone,great link and advice from everyone.I don't have the tools to perform this so I guess off to watchmaker it goes. Thanks again Roger

Hello;

If your watch is a stem wind and lever set, and is housed in a case that's meant to have a stem wind and lever set movement (the lever groove is at the five O'clock position, then there's no way that the stem can be pulled up.

I have a couple of hunter cases here now that the "stem" cannot be pulled up, and I believe these cases are meant to house the stem wind and lever set movemements.

If I'm missing something, I hope someone can tell me.

Bud

Just for general info....

All stem~set and lever~set watches are depending on one thing as to the "setting" capabilities..

If it is a stem~set variety, then it will have a stem AND a sleeve inside the pendant to allow for the transition between winding and setting change over.

If it is a lever~set variety, then it MAY have a stem and a sleeve BUT it may ONLY have a stem and no sleeve.

Roger's watch IS a stem~set watch and one would think that it DOES have a stem and a sleeve or else you could never set the watch....There is a possibility that someone could have put this watch into a case that has no sleeve [one never knows what a seller may have done just to sell a watch] and that is why the above info was given so that the mechanism would not be damaged by attempting to force anything..Pliers would NOT be an alternative choice as damage will occur in the majority of attempts

regards,
bb

Bud,the watch is sw/ps but is housed in a lever set case.That is a slot is cut for lever at abot the 1 o'clock position.It is a Illinois case.I don't believe either of these facts would have any effect on it.Or would it?

quote:

Or would it?

No, it ONLY depends on the stem/sleeve to set/wind your watch.

Try one more thing, try turning the crown in slightly different positions and see if you can get the stem to pull up into setting position. ALSO try to gently turn crown just a bit at the same time as you are trying to pull up on it. If you do get it to "pop`up", since you have no tools, a small small drop of 3in1 machine oil down the pendant tube may alleviate your problems. Let the oil do it's thing by propping the watch up in the stem up positions for 15-20 minutes. Then you can try again !!

regards,
bb

Hi Roger;

I'm no expert by any means and I speak only from my own experience. For example I have a case here that the stem will not pull up at all. It's a hunter case with the groove cut for a lever set movement. I thought that a watch case that has the groove for a lever and does not have a pull up stem is meant for a movement that is Pendant Wound & Lever Set.

Like I said, I'm no expert so I would definitely consider the advice of members like Ray, or Cecil and Buster, before mine.

Bud

quote:

Bud,the watch is sw/ps but is housed in a lever set case.That is a slot is cut for lever at abot the 1 o'clock position.It is a Illinois case.I don't believe either of these facts would have any effect on it.Or would it?

Hi Bud, if the case originally housed a lever set movement then the stem would not pull out as you have pointed out. But, a lot of times a case that originally housed a lever set movement and now houses a pendant set movement would be adjusted to allow the pendant to pull out to set the watch.

This info and interaction between each other is what makes IHC185 so affordable and enjoyable!I would have,not in a million yrs.,thought that a pendant set watch would not work in a lever set case.Or at least requiring adjs.to make it work.Guess what,I have acquired another with same problem.Hamilton 974 p/s sn#2357810 in a Keystone base metal case with two lever slots in it.And to top it off the back cover will not screw down all the way because the movt.does not fit flush or below the case. Thanks everyone!!

Question,would a swing out{no lever cut} work for a pendant set watch? Thanks Roger

Hey Roger, I have several pendant set watches in swingout cases. They work quite well.

Thanks Cecil,I will try that.Roger

Well,I put the Illinois movt.in a pendant set display case and guess what the stem pulls out and I can set the time but now it will not wind up! I put the Hamilton 974 in a swingout pendant case it winds very well and even though the stem pulls out to what should be the setting pos. it does not set! I am alittle perplexed about this.Could it be something to do with the stems themselves?Any advice is appreciated.Oh, by the way this was my first time to take a movt.out of a case or even to put a screwdriver to one.Regards Roger

Well,I got the Illinois running and she is running good.Put it in a display case to show off the 2 tone movt.

movt.2 tone

movt hope this is better!