Been trying for a long time,and finally scored a New York Standard worm gear watch. I have quite a collection of NYS watches. I like the odd,and rare models. Been reading all I can find about these,but there is a lot of different and conflicting info out there. The Price guide says 52,000 production of these,but info on the net says 12,000,and only made in 1888. Anyone else have one of these?

Wow,sorry,I had no idea that picture was so big.

Some more information about those early NYSWCo models you can find here.

Regards,
Gerald

Thanks Gerald,I read it all and it all goes with what I figured. I have a model 2,and several model 3s,and all of them as with this worm gear,fall in with their information as to serial numbers.

Hi Cecil,

Nice find a complete one, I have a parts watch, with the train and worm escapment complete also the missing regulator if interested let me know.
May take it apart later and show the upright escape wheel !

Hey Chris,
I didn't think there would be any parts available anywhere for this watch. Yes I am most interested,not only in the parts,but maybe even in your expertise. I am pretty impressed with the work you do,and if this turns out to be over my head I may need your help. I have never even seen one of these watches in the flesh before,so I have no idea what will be involved in restoring it. A simple cleaning I can probably handle,but until I see this movement in person,well you know. I am a little intimidated by the oddity of this one,but it may be just as simple to clean and oil as the rest of them. I'm gonna be like a kid at Christmas waiting for this one.

Well, I always wanted one of these too.

So, I did MY LAME VERSION of a watch with a star on it. (forget the worm gear)

OK, so I'm feeling a little weird!

Sometimes you just gotta improvise...........

Oh! and Cecil, I'm green with envy!

(No disrespect to Waltham lovers)

Hey Sheila,Whats in the little hole in the star?

Well the worm gear watch lives. Needed a little cleaning,and a new fourth wheel,which came via a parts movement supplied by Mr. Chris Abell(thank you very much). I had this two crystal case just lying around,so it will fit there for awhile. It had the original celluloid dial,with no dial feet,just kinda glued to the movement(don't know what those people were thinking back then)it was a disaster waiting to happen.

There was discussion of the dial "snapping" into a grove on the pillar plate,not so. It just kinda fit into the bevel,and was glued. The simple act of screwing on the front bezel could twist the dial,and break the fourth wheel pinion. These watches came in hinged cases originally I am told,but still the pillar plate is drilled for a two footed dial,why not use one? Well I did. I'll keep the original celluloid dial around,but won't use it.

Now for the last delima. The parts movement that I got from Chris,is runnable. In fact it will run now. It just needed a mainspring barrel,arbor,balance wheel,hairspring,and roller table and jewel,and some winding and setting parts. These parts I got from a model 2 movement in my parts drawer. I just need another fourth wheel(the pinion is broken above the pillar plate,so does not affect the watch running),or figure a way to repair this one,and I will have two complete,running worm gear watches. I read in another thread a while back about repairing a fourth wheel,but I don't have the equipment to do that kind of repair.

So,back to square one,needing a fourth wheel for a worm gear drive. Probably lots of those out there. Yea,right.

The front. I found this 2 footed porcelain dial with the repaired chip,and used it. Later I found a perfect 2 footed dial,which I will put on later.

I tried to get a good picture of the worm drive,but this is the best my camera will do.

Very simple drive,don't know why it didn't work out for NYS. Maybe folks just didn't want a "worm in their watch".