COA is not a drop of oil through the holes. It is a full strip, clean, inspection, fresh lubrication, assembly, and timing — the job behind a 3-month repair warranty. … Continue readingWhat “clean, oil, and adjust” actually includes
Waltham, Elgin, Hamilton, and Illinois stamped serial numbers on the movement — not the case. Those numbers are how you get a year, and why a case date can disagree. … Continue readingHow to date an American pocket watch from its serial number
A mechanical watch fails more often from the nightstand than from the movement. Speakers, phones, attics, and bathrooms do more damage than a year of honest wear. … Continue readingMagnetism, heat, and moisture: where not to leave a mechanical watch
An 1891 collision at Kipton, Ohio, blamed on a stopped watch, put Webb C. Ball in charge of railroad time and produced the inspection system collectors still talk about. … Continue readingThe Kipton wreck and how Webb C. Ball set railroad watch standards
Railroad rules wanted the time locked until you opened the crystal and pulled a lever. Pendant-set watches change the time from the crown — convenient, and easier to bump by accident. … Continue readingWhy railroad pocket watches are lever-set (and what pendant-set means)
Jewel count, Lancashire size (16s, 18s), and the word “Adjusted” are the three markings that tell you whether an American pocket watch is a tool or a display piece. … Continue readingHow to read jewel count, size, and “adjusted” on an American pocket watch movement
Not every old watch should be opened tomorrow. “Fully serviced” should mean cleaned, oiled, timed, and tested — not a quick oil through the holes. Here is when to wait, and what to ask for. … Continue readingWhen not to service a vintage watch (and what “fully serviced” should mean)
Open-face watches show the dial all the time and were required for railroad use. Hunter-cases have a spring lid. The first watch you buy should match how you will actually carry it. … Continue readingOpen-face vs hunter-case: which pocket watch style to buy first
The Hamilton 992 and later 992B became the textbook American railroad watch: 16 size, 21 jewels, lever-set, and adjusted to five positions. Here is why they still sit at the center of collecting. … Continue readingHamilton 992 and 992B: why collectors still chase these railroad watches
Before you sell an antique watch, you want more than a guess at price. A useful evaluation names the maker, grade, case, condition, and what would actually change the number. … Continue readingWhat a free watch evaluation report should include before you sell