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| Old Watch - 82-T/A [At Work]? (Page 1/2) |
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williegoat
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JAN 19, 03:28 PM
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mike-ohio
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JAN 19, 04:18 PM
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williegoat
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JAN 19, 04:34 PM
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Thanks!
It is practically identical to that watch except the word "shockabsorber" is replaced by "incabloc". I understand that Incabloc is a name for a method of shockabsorber.
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Jake_Dragon
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JAN 19, 05:33 PM
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That thing is in rough shape.
Does it even wind? Scratch that don't even try you could break something.
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williegoat
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JAN 19, 05:40 PM
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| quote | Originally posted by Jake_Dragon:
That thing is in rough shape.
Does it even wind? Scratch that don't even try you could break something. |
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Yeah, that's probably why he gave it to me when I was still a kid. He probably wore it while he was working. It just has sentimental value to me.
I know that 82-T/A knows about old watches and thought he might know some interesting facts about this one. It could be very "run of the mill" or unusual. I just don't know.[This message has been edited by williegoat (edited 01-19-2021).]
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cliffw
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JAN 20, 02:18 AM
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| quote | Originally posted by williegoat:
It could be very "run of the mill" or unusual. I just don't know.
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I hope your Grandfather didn't hear you say that. I think it is special.
Mike, I never had the chance to decide how I would rate you. You just got a positive.[This message has been edited by cliffw (edited 01-20-2021).]
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82-T/A [At Work]
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JAN 20, 04:48 PM
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Hi, "run of the mill" is subjective... there's a lot of watches out there today, some high quality, some not... but the precision is still there.
The movement is made by A. Schild S.A, a company that produced Swiss watch movements from the late 1800s all the way until the mid 1970s. It's a decent "quality" 17 jewel movement.
Incabloc refers to the bracket that's holding on the "jewel" over the balance bridge. e.g. the big red dot over the bridge with the large spinny thing that has the little weights on it.
It's a good quality movement, and the balance is quality (not single, but actually weighted and balanced).
Fully restored, the watch would be worth perhaps ~$175. In it's current condition, it's worth about $20.
The hardest part to restore is the case... which needs to be stripped and replated (not something I can do).
The crown (winding knob) would be replaced (they sell replacement ones) and the crystal (glass) is a $7 item on www.esslinger.com
Easy to change out the crystal.
I'd need to see a few more things to really determine its age, but based purely on looks, I would say late 1940s to early 1950s. Incabloc was invented in the mid to late 1930s, but didn't become popular in watches until the early to mid 1940s (like 1943-1945). If the watch says "WATERPROOF" on the back, then you can be absolutely sure it is older than 1963... that's because in 1963, there was a Federal class-action lawsuit against watch manufacturers that stopped them from putting waterproof. Most watches that were water proof were not at all waterproof, and instead barely splash proof. After 1963, watches said "Water Resistant."
There's also something called an "Import Code" ... unfortunately, I cannot see yours, but it's in the picture below (circled in red). If you can figure out what it is, or take a better picture, I can look up the code. Essentially, there were a lot of watch brands that were sold from Switzerland, but sold under different names. The "import code" is a 3-letter code that references the import company. This would be the actual company that likely produced the watch, and would let me know what the parent company was... whether Marcel & Cie, or something of the sort.
If you were interested in fixing this watch, I can tell you right now that the movement looks solid. I do not see a broken balance shaft, and it likely just needs to be serviced. You would simply replace the crystal (which is very easy) and have the crown replaced (which is also not hard). To have it serviced and have the crystal replaced would likely cost you around $300 I would guess. Which isn't worth it financially, but totally worth it for something that belonged to your grandfather.
As for the case... that's another matter... it requires stripping of the current metal and having it replated. Super easy for a lot of people, but really not something I've personally done.
I would offer to service the watch for free and charge you only for parts and shipping... but I've made it a point to never work on someone else's watch because there's always a chance that I could break something in the rebuilding process. That said... the movement is a common movement (common good quality), so there are plenty of parts.
My recommendation would be to get it cleaned up and replated, and put a new strap on it... and enjoy it. Do NOT have anyone attempt to refinish the face... that originality is important. Don't bother reluming the hands either... there was probably Radium on there, which won't hurt you now, but just leave it skeleton-like.
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82-T/A [At Work]
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JAN 20, 04:49 PM
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Sorry... picture. if you can get me the import code from here, I can tell you more history of the watch and likely what jewelry stores it was sold in:
EDIT: This is the history of the company: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bovet_Fleurier
Which is confirmed by this advertisement that links the old and new "complete" name with the old and new owners:
 [This message has been edited by 82-T/A [At Work] (edited 01-20-2021).]
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williegoat
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JAN 20, 05:10 PM
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Thank you very much! 
The import code is SXK.
I will leave it just the way it is because to me, that is the way it has always been. I have had it since the early to mid sixties along with a very worn 1889 silver dollar that he also gave me around the same time.
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82-T/A [At Work]
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JAN 20, 06:37 PM
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| quote | Originally posted by williegoat:
Thank you very much!
The import code is SXK.
I will leave it just the way it is because to me, that is the way it has always been. I have had it since the early to mid sixties along with a very worn 1889 silver dollar that he also gave me around the same time. |
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SXK = "Eska, Sylvan, Kocher & Cie"
For what it's worth... the crystal (made of acrylic) is a wear item and is considered replaceable just as you might replace the watch strap. So... if you decided you wanted to start wearing it, you could certainly replace the crystal with a new one that is identical, and you wouldn't be ruining the origonality of the watch. For what it's worth, it would be like having an original 1942 Packard, and replacing the old shredded dried out rubber tires with brand new ones from Coker Tire that looked exactly the same, but new.
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