Do you recall the photographs of your adored granddad wearing plaid and a monocle? You’ll probably see a heavy chain hanging from his lapel if you look attentively at his photos. The pocket watch, the only type of watch available at the period, was fastened to the other end of that chain. Men and women both gave and wore pocket watches as symbols of their riches and status since they were so in style. But as times changed, the value of timepieces increased to the point that practically everyone needed one. The pocket timepieces were simple to operate and kept astonishingly accurate time. So well, in fact, that a few watches were handed down through several generations of family men, and a few very fine old pocket watches still survive today in private homes.
However, cleaning and caring for vintage pocket watches calls for certain techniques. There are a few facts concerning vintage pocket watches that you should know:
Because it was so difficult to produce different forms back then, pocket watch crystals were always fashioned in a round shape.
The crystals were always made of hand-blown glass. Broken glass faces can be repaired, but it’s currently hard to get handcrafted crystals. A “bull’s eye” in the middle, where the original antique glass face was joined to the glassblower’s pipe, will still be visible on each piece. Although the elevated part was filed out, the pocket watch glass face was still distinctive because of it. Depending on your needs, modern glass crystals can also be flat, elevated, or dome-shaped. Additionally, they are made to almost exactly fit. There is no need to file the edges of the glass front to make it fit exactly because several sizes are available. Watchmakers can employ epoxy resin or UV resin to get the watch face to fit precisely and offer a watertight fit if a more precise fit is needed.
The only hunting case crystals that are a bit challenging to locate are those that should be thin and underneath the watch surface. The watch’s hands must also be free from the glass above them. This kind of watch face requires precise calibration for its diameter and thickness to avoid interfering with the operation of the watch.
The challenge of locating components is one that almost every watchmaker will encounter. Swiss watch businesses have a long history and are delighted to offer spare parts that are specially built to fit vintage watch models. To avoid fraud, they do not however provide genuine case components to specific dealers. To get the necessary repairs made, you might have to give the firm your antique watch piece. However, it costs a lot of time and money to do this.
If your pocket watch holds emotional significance, contact watchmakers who can properly perform the required repairs for you.
