Internet Horology Club 185
kwks watch/Found the Maker

This topic can be found at:
https://ihc185.infopop.cc/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/2291010082/m/3221064481

May 14, 2006, 23:46
Sheila Gilbert
kwks watch/Found the Maker
Yes this is the old Fusee page which it is NOT!!!
Sorry, must have had Fusee on the brain when I wrote that.
Pictures are bad, but it's all I have. (from the auction)

If you think you know a date on this one, pass it on please, and also if you know the name, let me know that too! Thanks all.

Fuseemvmt20



Sheila
May 14, 2006, 23:47
Sheila Gilbert
2

Fuseepaper30



Sheila
May 14, 2006, 23:49
Sheila Gilbert
3

Fusee10



Sheila
May 15, 2006, 06:47
Peter Stammler
Seems to be from c:a 1870 judging from the style. Could be later or earlier, though. The answer will be in the hall marks, of course. This watch has most certainly not got a fusee, only what is known as a "reversing pinion", a dummy extra barrel which has the sole purpose of making you able to wind the watch backwards, as you would on a real fusee watch.
Seems to be a rather nice watch.
May 15, 2006, 08:45
Sheila Gilbert
Peter,
Sorry about that, I had Fusee on the brain.
Thank you for the information, I will let you know what it is when I get it.

I liked the look of it and it was really cheap.

I was thinking that it looked like a Fusee, but since I don't know anything about them, I must have just posted it that way. Sad when your old brain takes over while your writing huh?

I just love getting a cheap watch, and then finding out what it is. Fun.....


Sheila
May 15, 2006, 09:09
Peter Stammler
The give-away for telling this is not a fusee is the location of the winding square. Here it is on the barrel arbor, wherease it would be on the fusee arbor on a mvt equipped with that. If you don't look closely, it's very easy to take it for a fusee.
As I said before, still a nice watch in my opinion
May 15, 2006, 09:47
Ed Ueberall
Sheila,
If you can remove it carefully, you might want to take a look at the reverse side of the watch paper. Some, but not all, watchmakers would write the owners name and the repair date on the back side of the watch paper. You might also find earlier watch papers under the top one, as the old ones were often not removed.


Ed Ueberall
IHC Member 34
The Escapement
May 18, 2006, 13:40
Sheila Gilbert
Well Guys,
It turns out it's a swing out! and I will show the Hallmarks in the next picture.
There is nothing written on the paper. Poo.
Take a look.

Swing2



Sheila
May 18, 2006, 13:41
Sheila Gilbert
The Marks Innitials are TPH and the case # is 550431

This is a "lion gardant," i.e., a lion that looks over its left shoulder. Chester, York, and Sheffield had always used the "lion gardant;" in London, Exeter, Newcastle, and Birmingham, it was changed from "gardant" to "passant" in the 19th century.

A= 1901

The coat-of-arms of the City of Chester. In this form, it was used from 1884 to 1925.

Coat of Arms = Chester

.925 Silver

Best Marks



Sheila
May 18, 2006, 14:17
Harold Visser
Sheila, The hallmarks indicate the case was made in "Chester" in 1901. The triangle mark is the "Arms of the city symbol" for Chester and the "A" indicate the year. The Lion indicates the assay or purity mark.
May 18, 2006, 14:36
Sheila Gilbert
Harold, OOPS! I inserted the information above, before I saw your post, but.... I also found out that the watch was made by the Lancashire Watch Co. (maybe) that's what I found about the Letters supposidly the makers marks??


Sheila
May 18, 2006, 15:23
Sheila Gilbert
I found something!

The Lancashire Watch Company of Prescot was founded in 1889 by Thomas P. Hewitt as a rival to the large American and Swiss watch companies. It failed in 1910.
Notice Thomas P. Hewitt TPH on case!!!! Eek Big Grin

History

Up until the late 19th century Prescot had been the centre of the watchmaking trade in England. The workers produced watch parts in small workshops attached to their cottages and were paid by piece work. By 1889 the American System of Watch Manufacturing meant that the Waltham Watch Company and others could produce watches at a much lower price and the town fell into decline.In 1889 a company was formed and eventually a large factory was built to create complete watches under a single roof. The products produced had more in common with earlier American designs than traditional English fusee watches. Due to economies of scale the Lancashire Watch Company struggled to compete with the larger American and Swiss factories. It could not make a profit and eventually went bust in 1910.


Sheila
May 23, 2006, 17:45
Sheila Gilbert
I contacted the Museum in Prescot Lancashire England about my watch and they requested information and pictures of it.
John Griffiths, is the Curator of Horology and history, he is the one that I was told to send the pictures to, however he wrote to me before I could get back to him.
I expect to learn more about the watch, and I will share what I learn with everyone when I get the information.
Should I try to wind it? Key wind.
Any important instructions first?


Sheila
May 23, 2006, 20:17
Tom Huber
Yes, Wind counter clockwise. Wind slowly and easily.

Tom
May 24, 2006, 00:16
Sheila Gilbert
Tom,
Thank YOU! It worked GREAT, wound smooth and running fine! WOW!

Now, Two more things, How do I change the time?
and I will post a close up of the hands a little later, so you can see it better. Sorry, I forgot to ask the last time.

Thank you again.

THP



Sheila
May 24, 2006, 00:52
Sheila Gilbert
next

HTP2



Sheila
May 24, 2006, 09:12
Ed Ueberall
Sheila,
The same key you used to wind your watch should fit the square post protruding above the base of the minute hand. Just put the key over the post and turn the hands. The hour and minute hands are geared together under the dial, so both hands will turn correctly. Usually it is better to turn the hands clockwise, especially if the cannon pinion is a little tight. Tom's "slowly and easily" applies here also.


Ed Ueberall
IHC Member 34
The Escapement
May 24, 2006, 09:39
Sheila Gilbert
Ed,
Thank you so much, worked out fine, and now she's all set. Seems to be keeping very good time too!!!

The square post is quite shallow, and it was not easy to wind, but I did get it, with lots of care.
I'm sure the keys I have, are not the right size for this watch, but I did get one to work.

Any suggestions on what keys to use, and are they different? Can I buy them for this watch?


Sheila
May 24, 2006, 17:09
Ed Ueberall
Sheila,
Watch keys do come in sizes, from 00 (largest) to 12 (smallest), If you look on eBay, new sets of keys (one of each size on a ring) are sold frequently. These are quite handy, for if you get a new keywinder, you will always have the right size on hand, and you will also know what size to order if you want to obtain the proper size key to keep with that particular watch.


Ed Ueberall
IHC Member 34
The Escapement
May 25, 2006, 19:21
Sheila Gilbert
First,
I got an e-amil from the Museum and got this information.

Watch with movement 550481 was sold to J Satchwell on 24 June 1902. TPH on the case interior is Thomas P Hewitt, Managing Director of the LWCo Lancashire Watch Company, and the case was hallmarked at the Chester Assay Office 1901/2.

Ed,
Thank you agian, I wasn't sure if the keys for English watches are different or what! I have a set of keys that I use a lot, but need some extra keys to keep with a few of my watches.

I also wanted to find something to put the keys on like a chain or something small.

Any more suggestions for these?


Sheila
May 25, 2006, 20:23
Sam Williamson
Sheila, one problem with many old keys is that the opening is cracked at the corners(one or more cracks), thus they do not fit snugly on the square arbor of the winding/setting mechanism. A problem with some NEW keys is that the ends are beveled inside the hole, so they won't "bottom" on the aforesaid arbors, thus they slip easily. This is easily remedied by filing the ends flat with a medium/fine flat file. Be sure to clean the filed keys carefully and well to eliminate any metal particles. Also blow out the hole well for the same reason. Happy winding!


Sam Williamson

May 26, 2006, 10:50
Sheila Gilbert
Sam,
Yep, I know what you mean, I had that problem, and I usually use new keys all the time now.

It's the getting to the "bottom" like you mentioned, that makes me crazy. I believe that it's the wrong screw on the watch too, it's very, very short. I did get it to turn, but I worry too much about the dial to play with it too much, so I'm going to try your suggestion, now if you can tell me where I can get the right files, I will pick one up right away. Thank you for the information. I didn't know you could file them, that could save a lot of watches!
It's got to be a spacific kind of file I guess, so let me know OK?


Sheila