A couple months ago, I made a thread on a "Democrat" watch that I "found" on eBay. . . . Well for my recovery from the flu, and to get back into "rythm", I disassembled, cleaned, oiled and reassembled this "21" Jewel "Democrat" before getting into "real stuff".

The inexpensive Gold-Plated Canadian-made case "hides" a 12 Jewel movement that is surprisingly well-made, but is "Americanized" with 8 fake jewel caps and a fake center wheel jewel. The "caps" are only "dust covers" for the swiss-jeweled pivots, and an outright sham on the center wheel. The only "truth" in the 21 Jewel claim is they are all there albeit 40% have no purpose. Then there is the "balance wheel" all fake weights, and a completely flat balance spring that is too fragile to touch. I have no idea how this balance wheel stays in, as the "cap Jewels" are Fakes.

Interesting, the Stem Wind & Set stuff is all assembled to the Barrel cover. They are pretty rough stampings, but they do work OK.

Talk about a lot of work! This thing has 6 separate "Bridges (counting the Pallet Fork and Balance wheel Cocks)

Oddly though this thing has a "beat rate" of 17,750 BPH, it actually keeps time! Nice dial too, but NOT a "Democrat"!

I am amazed at how much work these people went to to make a "fake". The same amount of time could have been spent making a really good timepiece!

David
Would this be a swiss fake? I know a lot of fake's were made by the swiss.Or what other countries made fake's.

I would presume from the "SWISS" mark at the base of the dial that it was swiss made. If it were more recent, maybe China? This seems to be pre WWII vintage.