This is something I've been doing more lately than I have in the past. I have been buying pocket watches that I feel I am buying at or a little above gold filled scrap prices and seeing what I get it. Some of them are literally scrap, some are better and are "saved from the scrapper". This is one of them. I picked up this nice Rockford off ebay for $67.00, or right at scrap value for a bigger 18s gold filled case like this. Here is the before pictures from ebay.

I tore down the movement and gave it a cleaning in the ultra sonic and put her back together. To my surprise, nothing was broken on the movement. A little oiling after cleaning and she took right off. I am going to have to locate a regulator as I couldn't find any in my parts... hmm I think i'm going to have to call my dad for that one....

This dial was dirty, but a good toothbrush cleaning with a little soap did the trick as always. The hands? thats another story. I was able to locate a new hour hand to match the minute hand in one of my assortments. the minute hand is the original one that was bent above. Its amazing how well they can be straightened sometimes.

and last but not least, the back of the case. There is some wear on the high points of this Fahys Montauk case, but there is plenty of life left in this one! This will make someone a very nice watch for their collection. But first, I am going to have to hit my dad up for a favor on the regulator. I don't know what I would do sometimes without his vast inventory of parts...

Yet another save from being scrapped!

I will keep posting some of these watches as I have them come in. I just bought an 18s elgin for $25.00 in a gold filled case. We'll see how that one turns out when it comes in.

Thanks,

Jared

I like those hour and minutes hands.

This would be a good topic to continue posting watches that have been saved for posterity.

Don

Very nice save, and the case looks good. This is an example of something that would have been scrapped that some collectors (including myself) would count as collectible shape. As more gold filled cases disappear, the remaining ones will look all the better.