[sipnogard]

Hi there

I have recently purchased a 1920 Waltham pocket watch with an octagonal case. It runs well but loses 2 to 3 minutes per 24hr period. Is it worth playing with the adjustment to try and make it more accurate or will it just make things worse (I presume the lever needs to be moved towards the F to make it run faster)?

[sipnogard]

Hopefully these should take you to a couple of pictures.


http://s567.photobuc...07022009243.jpg

This post has been edited by sipnogard: 15 February 2009 - 04:22 PM

[Julian Latham]

Hi there

I have recently purchased a 1920 Waltham pocket watch with an octagonal case. It runs well but loses 2 to 3 minutes per 24hr period. Is it worth playing with the adjustment to try and make it more accurate or will it just make things worse (I presume the lever needs to be moved towards the F to make it run faster)?

What do you know about the source of the watch - was it a careful owner who has treasured it and had it serviced, or a house clearance where it was found in a drawer after 40 years of neglect ? If you have no history, my advice, FWIW, would be to get the watch professionally cleaned and serviced (Steve Burrage ?) and see what the timekeeping is like then.

A tolerance of few minutes a day ain't bad for a ninety year old

Julian (L)

[Shangas]

Waltham was a well-known and respected American watchmaker. I would suggest you send the watch to a watchmaker before you start tinkering with it yourself. Once he's pulled it apart and cleaned it, oiled it and put it back together, THEN you can start fiddling with the regulator.

It IS possible to regulate your own pocket watch. I've done it. I got mine down to an accuracy of 1-2 minutes a week, so I think your watch can be a lot more accurate than that.

For reference, mine's a 7-jewel Waltham. It celebrated its 110th birthday this year.