I've been working with an Elgin grade 320 recently. I've cleaned and oiled it. It runs great for about an hour and then stops. I noticed if I go to wind it with the bench key and push in, not even turn it, the watch starts right up and runs for a while again.

What do I need to be looking at to keep this watch running? I'm just not making the mental connection with how the parts are all interacting when the key is pushed in and why that starts it up.

Some Elgins,and I don't know what other movements will not run outside the case,because there is a small lever on the side of the movement that pushes in,and disengages the winding parts from the cannon pinion,hour and minute wheels,when placed inside the case. Try running it without the hour and minute wheels,and it should run outside the case.

I can check the cannon pinion.

Cecil, funny enough you might have answered a question I was going to ask later about another Elgin I have. It looks like a lever set watch, but the serial number has it as a pendent set. So I must be looking at that lever you're talking about in that watch. That one is a grade 129. I was going to post a pic but had a technical issue, so I never got around to it.