I'm not even an Elgin guy, but am a total sucker for motor barrels.

The seller knew I was intrigued by a watch jeweled to the 4th wheel with a motor barrel. As I picked the watch up and set it down three different times... he talked himself all the way down to a number I couldn't resist.

The data bases tell me this is an 1898 12s grade 196 HC, 7J mb

The jeweling is confusing to me... I would have guessed it at 11J I do not see jewels on the pallet pivot, but it appears to be jeweled to the 4th wheel.

I'm looking forward to going under the hood on this one.

When you get around to servicing that Elgin Paul it will be interesting to see what serial number is on that motor barrel. I think seriously, that it has had a heart transplant?

Best Regards,
Bila

Complex clutch lockout aids assembly/dis-assembly

Let down the spring and remove the minute wheel/cannon pinion while I'm here

Getting the balance wheel out of harms way... I separate the balance assembly and cap jewels at the end as things are going in to the cleaner

removing the wheels to expose the barrel bushing

Barrel bushing lifts right out

serial numbers match! barrel and center wheel and clutch lift out

Train bridge lifts off

Jewel count actually equals 9 jewels. The pallet pinion is not jeweled... jewels 8 and 9 were added to the train bridge for the escape and 4th wheel.

Cool mustache pallet

My favorite part... coaxing out capped jewels and doing the head count as everything goes in the basket for the cleaner

I always keep the pillar plate jewels in the same zone as the pallet... and the cock jewels in the same zone as the balance wheel and hair spring to avoid mixing up the jewel sets.

The motor barrel opens easily... really cool design. Much friendlier than the Waltham I had open last week.

Last pic... It is indeed a 7J Motor Barrel.

Cool design, great condition... I'll follow up with performance results when I get her back together.

Nice find Paul, apparently they did make a 7 jewel with a motor barrel, Excellent, the database lists only 10,000 of these made! Also the confusing piece of the puzzle is the 9 jewels, instead of 7. Looking at the jewel in the plate they are not rubbed in like they did in the old days. It just looks like someone has done a interference fit straight to the plates with a seitz reamer and a press.

Best Regards,
Bila

Bila,

Balance upper and lower with caps (4), Roller jewel (1), Pallet fork (2) click jewels, Escape at train bridge (1), 4th wheel at train bridge (1)

Wow, this retired Navy Nuc failed both math and attention to detail. There are indeed (9) total jewels. 8 and 9 are quite pretty...

This begs the question on when, who, where and why anyone would add 8&9... The movement is in great condition and by all indications, I am only the second person inside this watch.

There may not be a lot of upside in this one, but I'm having great fun exploring.

Excellent step by step photos - Paul...

Good job!

Paul, I agree with Jon, excellent presentation.
This is good stuff for the new guys who are trying to figure out how to tear a watch down properly.

Paul, there are many features of this movement that set it apart from the "mainstream" Elgins. I am glad you have it and have shown the details. The notch machined under the safety barrel to assist with removal is of special note to me as this was apparently optional on later stuff.

You have a rare piece indeed, I am trying to get ahold of the other Paul B. of Elgin, ILL who may be able to contribute to this discussion.

Getting more interesting by the minute Paul, it will be interesting to see David if you can dig-up more info on this. Paul if you could send me some close-up photo's if possible of the upper and lower side of the plate with the two extra jewels in. The reason I need to look closer at that are as follows; if you look closely at the underside of that plate you can see a slight ridge or raising right at the edge of the plate hole, this is the same thing that happens when you ream a plate or setting to fit a jewel in it, this usually shows that the plate was reamed from the topside. I need a closer look at the topside to see the finish on it, no jewels that I have seen in American watches are installed from the factory as yours' are, I could be wrong but I'd just about bet I am not.

Paul, Bila has a good point. A closeup of the jewel mounting details would help determine if this was used as a "student" watch where jewel fitment using a Jewel setting staking set is required learning. Also, I must note that the "moustache" counterpoised style pallet fork is somewhat unusual as applied to this low jewel count piece.

The only "similar" Elgin production watch that has passed through my collection with factory set "Swiss style" jewels was a post war Elinvar Balance spring and wheel equipped model.

Good morning Bila,

Nice machine work here... looks like a 1 thousandths interference fit to me.

And the back side. I can not discern a lip or hard seat at all. They look dead flush with the bottom face.

Thanks for the up close photos Paul, not like having it your hand but much more detail. Looks to me like an after market fitment, pretty sure they were done with a reamer, others might agree or might not, also have a look at the depth of the jewel looking from the top of the plate down from the surface, too deep. Just about certain Seitz jewels, normally used in a brass or gold settings, a very narrow section (coincidently fitted with clearance of a thousands of an inch). I definitely have not seen factory jewels set like that, only been doing this for 6 years (have about 1500 watches sitting here) which is relatively a short time compared to others, but I will definitely take bets on it.

Cheers,
Bila

Back together.

The movement was a straight forward COA... I didn't even have to make any adjustments to the timing screws.

Cosmetically, an animal of a different color... I believe Dave calls them "ring tailed miscreants".

Actually, I made that up because you guys wont print what he really calls them.

NOS bow, NOS dial, NOS hands, NOS crystal, extensive case restoration.

Microset timer results:
P1 = 17997
P2 = 17997
P3 = 17995
P4 = 18001
P5 = 18001
P6 = 18000

Movement and case marks

Front cover

Inside back cover... note the extensive dent repair to the outer back cover... thankfully done by a previous owner. Part woodpecker I suspect.

I spent hours depthing the stem, fitting a NOS bow, messaging the covers so they laid flat, snapped and captured correctly... The front cover spring nicely pops the front cover open to about a 1/4 inch so you can get at it to open it the rest of the way.

The outer covers do open beyond 90 degrees, but do not cause the covers not to lay flat when closed.

I'm pretty happy with the finished project.

Look for this one on the club auction page soon. I'm enjoying the returns on my efforts as I get in to the swing of selling.

However, I feel pretty strongly that this one should stay with the club.

Great job Paul.
Roger