Here's a question for everyone,
How long would a watch be in the ocean before it completely rots out all the steel inside the movement..?
Bob a member here has more info and I'll get him to post it here along with pics and progress to date, remember Bob wanted to resurect this watch, even though he didn't want it perfect but to bring it back from the dead...
Regards paul

a watch that is submerged and stays there will take quite some time to disappear. a lot of damage happens when it hits oxygen again . We live near the ocean and bay , a friends pickup rusted the frame in half in 5 years ,by daily dippimg at the marina

Thanks Kevin, this watch was found by divers off the coast of the Florida keys, if I'm not mistaken, a guy bought it off the divers, listed it on eBay for sale cheap, and Bob ended up with it, he sent me just the plates for a challenge to try and restore this watch to running shape, keep watching for more to be listed here....

There are a lot of variables. Look at the Mary Rose - an English warship that sank in 1545. Items like wooded combs and leather book covers were recovered intact - including half of the warship. Steel on the CSS Hunley remained intact after 140 years and many of the inside the sub were recovered

If the watch was covered in silt and then exposed it might last longer than an item that was exposed to constant currents.

Thank you all for your interest in my project, I have been encouraged me to share this with other members so I will try.
As Paul mentioned,the watch was an eBay purchase, the seller bought it from a diver who had recently recovered it off Key West FL.The rest of it's history is unknown.
I bought it simply for an interesting display, the back cover had been pried off and the brass plates and wheels were loose inside. There were no metal or steel parts remaining. The few pieces that looked like screws were nothing but dust and easily removed with pegwood.The brass was untouched and all the threaded holes looked new. How long did that take...i am still amazed.
The case cleaned up well enough to accept a new sleeve and stem, even a new crystal clicked right in. It survived many soaking,freezing,heating sessions necessary to remove the bezel...who knows how long it was submerged in salt water. A Fahys Oresilver No.1 is some tough case!
I sent the case to Paul for the new stem and sleeve with a note that he must think I'm crazy. He sent the case back with a note that he would like to see the movement plates.It has escalated from there.Paul got it running. He reconditioned the plates leaving some of the deposits as I requested but clean enough to make a reliable watch.He also supplied all the items necessary from his inventory of parts. No running watches were harmed by this project!
The watch is not quite done, I will post a few snapshots.

BACK

COVER

FRONT

INTERNALS

INTERNALS 2

RUNNING AGAIN !!!

Case done

The last photo thanks for lookin

Flat amazing job!!!!
BRAVO!!!!!

From a quick look up of the serial number, this is what I found:
Grade: 73
Manufacturer: Elgin
Manufacturer Location: Elgin, Illinois
Movement Serial Number: 5583653
Grade: 73
Model: 5
Class: 11
Estimated Production Year: 1895
Run Quantity: 18,000
Total Production: 659,000
Size: 18s
Jewels: 7j
Movement Configuration: Openface
Movement Finish: Gilt
Movement Setting: Pendant
Plate: Full Plate
Barrel: Going
Train: Quick
Regulator: Plain
Adjusted: No
Railroad Grade: No

Regard! Mark 

Awesome good to know that there are still people that will try mission impossible and make it works.

Can't wait to see it fully assembled with appropriate dial in case!

This is one of those watches that allows your mind to create all KINDS of scenario's on how it got where it was, it's slow death at the bottom of the ocean, and it's resurrection!

Some people look at our watches and just see the time. We see history AND function.

Regards! Mark

Thanks to all for your input,
Yes this is a piece of history and if it wasn't for the diver selling it and Bob buying it, we might never have seen this watch, every piece and part of this watch had to be put back together like building a new one, some of the pivot holes had to be cleaned and polished, the parts used was actually in my parts drawers, maybe 3-4 different movements that had been parts, along with a good cleaning, new main, new staff, complete, when I first put it together and got it to run it was like 635+ secs a day slow, polished some more pivots and replaced the upper balance jewel and it's down to about 313+, will replace the lower jewel and a little more polishing on the,staff and I think I can get it to under 20+ secs day...should finish it up today and will be shipping it back to Bob to install the dial,hands and install in case, then more pics and info on its running ability will be posted but may be a few days..thank you to all..
Regards paul

Our friend, Paul Davis has "The Master's Touch" . . . he can bring back watches from the dead ...
Nice work, Paul !

I would like to thank all of you for your interest and encouragement as I too was smitten by the watch and can allow my imagination to run wild.

I can think of peglegs, pirates and treasure, perhaps even a parrot... or maybe just a lovers quarrel, the watch was thrown and somebody ducked...a shipwreck? Who knows.
A friend said it looked like an article from the Titanic.
I'd love to embellish on that but I don't think there are icebergs off Key West FL.

Of all the things I imagined, I never thought it could actually run again. But it does and its now ticking away happily in Paul's shop. An amazing feat!

What are your thoughts and scenario's.....I would sure like to know how long it was submerged...

I will post photos again once it is back in the original case...Bob

This whole discussion seems a little fishy!

Nice find and great save by Paul. I think your watch
needed Paul for this fix. Paul is great at bring the impossible back to life.Have fun with your new pocket watch . From the bottom of the ocean

She had to be a very beautiful lady to get him to throw his watch overboard to prove he loved her more than the watch. A very DEEP subject William!

All jokes aside, nice job Paul and Bob!!!

Tim

What can I say, that's why Paul is my watch and clock guy, just wish he lived in Maryland.


Skip

Did the divers ever say where they found it and at what depth?

Finished watch first pic , more pics to come

Really nice - nice to see it got a second life.

I have a different approach when restoring, do not get me wrong but I would stay with the original dial
and not so clean plates,
Great job on restoring it to working order.

Finished 1

Finished 2

Finished 3

Finished 4

Finished 5

Finished 6