Thanks Mario, I mostly use the Bulletin Supplement 20, Spring 1994 for my casemaker ID's. I've found it invaluable, and would recommend you get hold of a copy if possible. The book has a wealth of information in it on casemaking and hallmarking etc.

I think there's a strong likelyhood in the case of Tom's watch, that an owner of it somewhere along the line had it Gold plated.
But if Tom can manage to get a scraping off the band it would confirm one way or the other just what was used.

As you say, to pass off a silver case as Gold would have meant a spell in a dungeon somewhere not very nice, so not worth the risk.

If anyone else has any theories on this, please chip in and add your thoughts.

John

You guys are right, it is a silver case that someone gold plated, after looking it over again, on the back of the case where the shield is that can be engraved there is a small spot where the silver is showing through.

Thanks for your help on this one. I have about got the watch cleaned & back together.

I thought I would add a few photos, these watches just amaze me.

Tom

The fusse back together

The bottom of the fusse

The gears sitting on the top plate

Back together & running.

John, do you know a watchmakers guild in the UK that used a star symbol? That is the only mark I could find on this that might have to do with the maker, the mark is near the outer edge above the balance cock.

The dial side of the movement. I still have to reattach the dial to the brass dial plate & then pin it back onto the movement.

The watch has 6 jewels & a diamond end stone on the balance cock.

Tom

Nice work Tom, it's great to see someone taking on these old fusee's.
I don't really know why folks are scared of them to be honest, they're just like the older Waltham's etc, but with an extra chain and cone for the drive.

I can see that the 'phantom puncher' has got at it at some point too!
Looks like there's also been an issue with the case hinge or plate pillar coming loose at some point.
Nice 'Historical' features

I don't know who used a 'Star' motif Tom, it may even have been a mark used by the foundry which cast the plates for the watchmaker.

Thanks for posting the 'resto' pic's.

John

Well here it is back together, it ran for 24 hours so I will consider that good enough for me.

John, not too sure what damage you were talking about, not that I doubt your word just don't know what to look for. When I took those photos I hadn't put the case hinge plate back on yet.

Thanks again for everyones help with this little project.

By the way, the minute hand must have lost it's tip somewhere in it's life, it was missing the 2nd hand so that is a replacement.

Tom

The dust cover, or whatever those are called.

Nice job Tom!

The punch marks aren't damage as such, but evidence of an historical repair. If you look really closely at a movement during overhaul, they'll often give up little secrets like this.

If you look at the last photo, you'll see where two pillars have plenty of punch marks scattered across them.
My guess is, the riveting of them has worked loose at some point in its life and a watchmaker has peened them to tighten them up.

Difficulty with the pillars, is you can't just whack them on the ends to nip them in the holes again, as it could (would!) crush the pillars and upset the end clearances on train wheels.
Spreading the pillar ends like that would nip them up a touch.
Same thing was done around pivot holes to close them too, which is a botch, but historical nevertheless.
Some of these type repairs were also done way back when blacksmiths were still making clocks too, so they have to be viewed in the context of the era they were done.

Shame about the chip on the dial centre, but again, quite a common thing to see, and it tells me that someone tried to pry the hands off with a screwdriver rather than use a puller.

If you can let me know the distance from the centre of the pinion to the outer chapter, and the size of the square on the cannon pinion, I may well have a Gilt hand to match that will tidy the hands up.
Seconds hands are getting really hard to find now, and I don't think I'll have one of those, but if you give me the radius of the scale I'll take a look for you.

John