I am looking for some information on a pocket watch that I inherited from my grandfather. it has a spring loaded slide on the left side that sets off a series of chimes. The movement and the case are by E Koehn, (for J E Caldwell & Co) but I haven't been able to find anything else with a similar movement. I need to have it cleaned and possibly repaired. (it winds and sets but doesn't run) Before I send it somewhere, I would like to know if it is worth repairing and if I should insure it. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Your watch is very interesing and picqued my interest in the heretage.
Here is the history of the jeweler who cased the watch In PA. (From Christies auction house).

J. E. CALDWELL & CO.

James E. Caldwell worked for a short period of time on Maiden Lane, in New York City, before opening a small watchmaker's shop on Fifth and Chestnut Street in Philadelphia, sometime in the early 1830s. In 1848, the firm took on its current name, J. E. Caldwell and Company. In 1953, under the direction of Austïon Homer, who had become president of Caldwell's the previous year, the company began a branch store expansion, opening their second location in the Hotel Dupont in Wilmington, Delaware. Caldwell & Co. was purchased by Henry Birks & Sons, a Montreal-based jeweller and in August 1992, was acquired by Carlyle & Co., a family owned jewellery concern in Greensboro, North Carolina.
The watchMAKER E Koehn is by far a more interesting story. From a search of the net

Edouard Koehn Sr

1839-1908
German clockmaker.
Clockmaker to the court of the Grand Duchy of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach.
Lived in Geneva from 1859.

1859-1891
Employee, then director of Patek Philippe.

1891
Took over the house of Robert Ekegren. Production of flat or extra flat watches and complications.

1892
Improvement of the retrograde display mechanism

He made some very HIGH grade watches for the jewelery market. I suspect your wach is one of these. It looks like a chiming watch.
I am interested in the comments of some of the experts of this post.
Mel

Annie, you watch is a bit surprising to me. I know something about the subject since I collect Ed. Koehns, Ekegrens (made by Koehn after he purchased Ekegren), and minute repeaters (I have a Koehn minute repeater). All these watches, and all other Koehns I recall seeing are high-end, solid gold-cased watches, except your watch.

Your watch is in a low-end gunmetal case. It has a Le Phare-style repeater movement that is not fully jeweled through the hammers -- not a high grade movement.

Yet J.E. Caldwell private labeled many Ed. Koehn and Ekegren watchs (1 of my 6 Ed. Koehns, and 3 of my 4 Ekegrens). Hence, it is entirely possible that your watch is a genuine Koehn, although the signature on your watch, "E. Koehn," differs from the "Ed. Koehn" I have seen on all other Koehns I recall seeing.

I am not saying that your watch is a fake Koehn, only that it is unusually low-grade for Koehn. It's still a nice watch. Treasure it as a memento from your grandfather.

As to whether it is worth repairing, the answer likely is no if you plan to sell it or use it very infrequently, because a quality overhaul likely would cost more than $1000. You probably would not get an extra $1000 if you serviced the watch before selling it.

look at the prices asked for similar items

most are in gold cases but this movement is well made, if sold on ebay, most likely off to eastern europe but a nice price for sure as is



http://www.ebay.com/itm/Mega-r...&hash=item2ec0f17b7c

Agree with Ethan unusuall low end watch from Koehns but its a keeper in my book.
prices are going up on them low end or hi end watch.