Hi, Happy Saturday:

I notice that many folks put paper string tags on their watches for one reason or another and fasten the around the bow.

That can be dangerous, as the string can sometimes get caught beneath the crown when you wind it, and can possibly cause some problems if it gets down far enough.

That has happened to me, and I now put all of my string tags around the base of the stem.

Just thought to pass that tidbit along, as it might save some of you problems.

Marty

As much as they look kind of cool and old school those string tags cause me nothing but grief. I have gone to the Post-it Tape Flags. That coloured part has no adhesive so you can remove them easily and they can be stuck on again many times. If I find the right size I may just cut out some circular ones.

I like string tags. I use Size #2, which has a 3/4" x 1 3/32" tag. They're easy to tuck under the watch so they're virtually out of sight. I put the watch's significant information and a file number on the tags (I keep all the info I have on my watches in a file). I put a second tag with a red warning on watches with case issues (like cross-threading).

It's true that the string can get caught up in the winding button if I'm not careful. It's happened to me a time or two. I'm just careful to hold the string out of the way when I wind a watch.

I find string tags very useful in keeping my collection organized.

I too use string tags to identify my watches but I'm very careful when I'm handling my watches after what happened some time ago. I was putting a watch back on a stand when some dead skin on my finger snagged some strands of the cord and when I removed my hand the watch followed...gravity did the rest and that's why I had to replace the staff on a Crescent Street.
Peter

I use Dennison (of early american watch movemenr and later case fame) style string tags to note the various points of a watch as well keeping the old replaced parts NOS Crystal labels, etc with notes of the work I had to do on them.

Usually I "snip off" the tail of the tag end so it interferes less with winding the watch. I agree the tags can be a liability to the watch and care has to be taken to keep them away from winding fingers and other tags when in a group.

On the plus side, they are a creature of my ID Methodology habit and play an important part in "reading" each watch I have.

Putting String Tags on Your Watches....

may be hazardous to their health, at least on a display table at a show. I once saw a guy pick up a pocket he was considering buying and two more came up out of that case and immediately hit the floor. Two broken crystals one staff and a perfect dial bit the dust.

Maybe for home use only (using caution when lifting out of case) as they are good ids, but I just write price pd on each crystal with a sharpie. If there is paperwork such as a cleaning and timing sheets involved I put those in a small zip bag along with the watch.

I don't know if this will download, but here's a copy of my watch inventory in .rtf form on wordpad ready to print.

You may have to center it, etc on your wordpad, but you now have the basic blueprint.

Get a hole punch if you'd like and put em in a notebook.

I use the small rectangular stickers you can buy anywhere and put one on the back of the watch with the stock #...(use whatever numbering system you'd like)

Then simply make a notebook with pages inside for 16s 18s etc and add any pertinent info on each watch (ser# price pd if sold etc etc)
easy to reference that way, and no strings to worry about. Just an idea I thought I'd share

I agree with Tom, a string with a tag on it on a pocket watch is a disaster waiting to happen. To easy to snag on something, I would never show any of my watches if they were encumbered with a string/tag on them.

My way is like this. Different strokes for different folks, as the old hippies use to say, but strings always around the stem.

Great topic.
Right now my method of id is to open the back and look at the movement.... But then again I only have 50 or so watches in my collection. That doesnt count my 5 carry watches, watches I have yet serviced, those I am waiting on parts, and those I plan on selling.
But I think the idea of strings tags is a good one that I will end up using soon.
Martin you have the right idea on putting it around the stem.
Dave you have a great idea for the service info on the tags.

OK, I get my two cents in here too. As usual I'm the Black Sheep of the lot. I bought a heat seal unit several months ago to make parts bags and now also use it to make storage bags. I have 4 printers on line, 3 are Dymos, so I use one of them to make 1 inch square label and stick the label inside the bag, not on or to the bag. I buy 1 size bag and cut it to the size I need and then seal the edges. All watch information is keep on a 4 x 6 index card. U can poke a hole in the bag so it can breath and it's not a bad idea to put a little bag of Silica Jel in there too.
Buy the way the Bergeon 4000 calipers are for sale too. This is the jeweled pair. $15.00 +.

Machine