I got a movement that the seller suspected of being a 16t size, "swiss fake". It came, and I fitted some hands to the perfect dial, and found that it only fits in an old 18s case!

and it is an 18s US Watch of Waltham Movement, usually associated with the design they also made in 16 size. I have yet to research USWofW for this serial number 18348 but expect that not too many of these were made in 1889, their 2nd year of business. Now to exhume all the fossilized fishbrain oil and restore it. Neat way the stem comes out, little reversing slip screw, the one with all the arrows pointing at it. You screw it in and it locks the wind and set wheel so you can unscrew the stem and crown assembly and remove the movement. Took a little fiddling to figure that one out.

Great find. i love a good mis-identification buy. uhm im kindof new to watches could you explain the fishbrain oil? is that what they used in the "oldin'" days?

A great example is on page 412 of "The Book" looks like the 16s on the right, but an 18s 3/4 plate like the one on the left. Says it's in both sizes too! What is that strange bar type part?

Darren, hehehe I love your question. After years at watch collecting you learn that some would use whale blubber if they could!!!!
(only Kidding, like David)

Way to go David!

Thanks Sheila, I think in fell into a nest of creative or fly by night repairs. i bought two mvmnts(together) some yrs back on ebay. i got them in and one was a 17j 16s waltham and the other a hamilton 17j 16. it was some time before i could c&o them. when i did they ran!... however when i changed their positions they would stop or sound funny. i took them to my wtchmkr and he told me that the staffs were good but the upper ont ham and the lower on the waltham balance jewels were replaced with a small piece of some metal and they let the balance kindof move up and down like the balance staf was broken. so much for "runs a little then stops...." ahh live and learn. ive blessed because ive only been "burned" a couple of times on the bay.

This watch was fine until I broke off the bottom balance staff pivot while extracting it from the jewel. So new staff, or try to drill and fix. I will reassemble it and it will run fine "face up" until I get a new staff.
I referred to "fish brain oil", only half jokingly, as there were many lubricants extracted from fish oil by the tribologists of that time, and I think one was specifically extracted from CodFish Brains.

thats using their heads!! just had to say it

I remember a lot of posts that talked about this, and I guess back in the 1880's they were thankful to have it!

I buy lots of parts watches, especially when they have gorgeous plates, but I have to just shake my head when I see some of them, their green and crumbly sometimes. yuck!

Hey David, stuff happens, it's just great to know there is someone that will help to make them better, and tell us what we need to do.

Shoot, I still have to have a list to know the name of parts!!!

Can you even think of reading posts and having to look up to find out what the heck you are talking about.

I just love your brains...........

Just wish they were mine.

Between you and Lindell I feel hopeful though.

Well, I have to say this, I cleaned and reassemblde this guy, and must comment that this design is a totally unique stem wind stem set system. The mechanism sort of reminds me of those old "dippin beak" bird toys that you could mail order from scientific toy places . .

Second, it runs in all positions even with the bottom staff pivot busted off ("my bad" ). . .

So I have a real "purdy" 15 Jewel Adjusted 18s U.S.Watch of Waltham 3/4 plate 1889 (3 years b4 AWWCo.) that I will hope to do the final "fix" when I get home from ALASKA!