In another thread about Hampdens, Ethan Lipsig asked if I could explain a hanging barrel. Rather than extend that thread, it seemed a new one would be easier as you may go to sleep before finishing a longer diatribe.

Early in the production of Waltham's model 1888 they tried a Hanging barrel and it failed. So with one small change they produced the first real "Motor Barrel" design. The primary parts are;
1. Spring Barrel with square connect socket
2. Motor arbor with square connects at both ends.
3. A motor wheel that was free spinning when assembled to the motor arbor.

This way you could put the motor (spring) barrel in the main movement plate with the motor arbor connected to it via the square hole interface.

The free hanging version of this had no pin extending from the bottom of the arbor motor barrel connect. Instead the arbor was intended to hold the assembly together and ride in a top bearing only. The pin and bottom bearing were added to prevent so many failures of the single bearing hanging motor barrel design.

As the motor wheel is only connected to the main spring via a torque spur on its inner "hub", all you have to do is wind the spring into the motor barrel, insert the motor wheel so the spur connects to the inner spring end and Viola, you have a motor ready to insert the arbor into for assembly to the movement!

Then all you have to do is drop the main wheel on, assemble the barrel cover and install the winding wheel so it connects to the top square end of the motor arbor. Thusly, the motor arbor carries the "winding" of the mainspring through the hollow shaft of the motor wheel and to the connect with the motor barrel where it winds up the main spring. The winding is then held by the Barrel Cover "click" engaging the winding wheel.

With ALL OF THIS . . . the motor wheel is fully "floating" on the winding arbor, only pulled by the mainspring and free to power the watch without interruption of gravity or friction.

In later Waltham models (1908, etc.), this motor wheel had jewels at both ends of its hollow shaft so that it was actually a truly jeweled motor barrel. This required the Motor Arbor to be made in two pieces that screw together and hold the final motor assembly together. I warn you BE CAREFUL how you disassemble one of those. I have some suggestions, but that is not relevant here.

All Buttoned up!

These old model 1888 were kinda "Purdy"

Dave,
Very interesting, thank you for the education.
Do you know about what # Waltham went with the motor bbl?

Ed, right now, I have no idea when they did NOT have a motor barrel on this model.

I was thinking,(I wonder if any survived)
I did find the first mdl 1888 was # 357401, in a run of only 10 watches. From 12/1/1889 - 10/31/1890.
Eleven months to build 10 watches!

Ed, You mean 3574001, I think.

The 1888 models I have are s/n 4599812 ~ 1889 to 12388408 ~ 1903. Going to lower numbers the only one I have is a model 1872 (looks like an 88 predecessor design) s/n 3157204 ~ 1886. The 1872 series ended with 3381001 - 1200 a 16j Hunting movement, and very rare.

Great reading here! More!

Dave,
Sorry about the other zero.
I have been looking for a nice Waltham mdl 1888 for a while.
Finally found a nice one, only 11j but a nice watch,

#7229766

Ed You got the "Creme-de-creme" of that run of 1888's with that being a "Royal 17 Jewel" grade 28 that is not even listed by AWWCo. in that run.

It will clean up real "Purdy"!

You will enjoy this watch very much for its reliability and simplicity. Also the cases tend to be all original to the watches because of the "FYI" things you should know about the movement;
1. It is a 17 size and only fits in special cases.

2. It is a "Pinned" movment, (similar to the KW type) requiring only one case screw, and it will "tilt out" at the place where the case screw is removed because the pin holds the movement in at the opposite side of the case.

3. Do NOT try to tilt it out until you have released and removed the winding stem by unscrewing the small locking screw out to it's internal "stop", and can remove the crown and stem. THAT releases the movement for safe removal.

Wnen you take it out check the movement mounted case pin, sometimes they have been known to fall out and "diasppear"

Very interesting, thank you David!

David,
Thank you for the enlightenment on the 1888. I didn't know about the case marriage with the movement, or the pin for that matter.
When I saw the movement it said "buy me." The Waltham data base has it listed as a 11-15J, but I imagine that was generic for the run.
It winds very smoothly and runs fine but could use a cleaning.
Thanks again!

In an eBay listing right now at;

http://cgi.ebay.com/Waltham-Mo...&hash=item2a06d0f9fa

there is a true Waltham Model 1888 with Hanging Barrel, and the seller describes it this way:
"Utilizes the Hanging Mainspring Barrel which is only found on movements with serial numbers below 4,000,000. In this arrangement,the bottom of the barrel arbor is rigidly attached to the bottom of the barrel. The top of the barrel arbor is attached to the winding wheel such that the mainspring barrel assembly and the barrel bridge become one piece with the mainspring barrel hanging below the bridge. There is a large round hole in the bottom plate that allows the bottom of the barrel to pass through it as shown in the above photograph. In later runs after 4,000,000, a conventional mainspring barrel assembly is used where the bottom pivot of the barrel arbor turns in a much smaller hole in the bottom plate."

This is the Movement and Barrel parts discussed. You can see the bottom of the barrel looking out through the dial plates where there is adequate clearance for it not to touch the plate;

A little more detail on the Barrel parts themselves (Note the mainspring is in a retainer ring that is not used in the watch but only to illustrate what the mainspring looks like when installed into the hanging barrel assembly.);

Nice watch!

I really like these Model 88s..... For years I've been looking for the Maximus hunter version, finally acquired one recently. Total production of the hunter Maximus 88 is 700... Yes, it kinda makes me forget the old Howards that I've been collecting the last 15 years or so.....
Harold

Harold, That is spectacular! I just learned that no-one bid up my shot at the Hanging barrel I discussed earlier today, so it comes here for the "Core" collection. A Non-Magnetic Waltham AWWCo. Riverside 17J. All I can afford for now, but just think! This is a extra rare model 1888, made in 1888 as s/n 3999550! Hanging Motor Barrel 30 years before the "competition could dream of such a thing!

David, I have learned a bit more about 88s I didn't know before, thanks for bringing new life to this old thread.
Do you have any idea what the ratio of non-magnetic to conventional is on the 88 model? Have you ever seen or heard of a non-magnetic Maximus grade?
Harold

David, to bring up an old topic, is this one of the 88 models? Serial #7229175

WOW!! I didn't even realize that it was only 591 digits lower than Eds. The case and dial are in perfect condition on it also.

Regards,
Larry

Harold Beautiful watch i think the model 88 maximus is one the best and most beautiful american watches ever made.