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#50689
clam71
Participant

    @c_Kelly + Bob A USB microscope might be a cool thing. Too much fuss for me though.
    I get short of temper with cables and wires all about my workplace.
    I won’t even work on these things while wearing a long sleeved shirt.
    I’ve given myself a moniker… Mr. SNAG ! I can make a snarl from almost nothing.
    As far as my affinity with Walthams, It all started last year when I took my
    deceast Father’s watch back to my house and contemplated fixing it myself.
    While gathering info, I stumbled upon Bob’s course on youtube. (yeah, bob,
    that’s how it happened) I’m still watching those vids and learning..
    I was looking on ebay for parts for Dad’s watch and buying things that couldn’t
    help me. One thing led to another, and I now have almost 15 Waltham movements
    18s, 16s, 12s . I’ve always wanted a genuine antique pocket watch for decades !
    I remember about 30 years ago I went to the mall with my newely wedded wife and
    in the jewelery store window there was a beautiful old pocketwatch in perfect
    condition. The price ? $2500 !!! Out of my league ! Fast forward to now.
    Ebay has changed the antiques and collectables game. But, there is a finite time
    to get what you want even on ebay. It may last for several years but sooner or
    later the “wanters” buy out the seller’s inventories and then if demand outlasts
    supplies the prices will skyrocket. Or, they’ll fall flat as newer generations
    of folks have no desire for the antiques of a certain kind.
    The old wooden tube radios are a good example. Not many there anymore.
    Prices going up.

    I’ve just re-dis-assembled my new OLD 18s waltham #2672918 vintage 1885.
    Bought it about 2 weeks ago, cleaned it (very dirty but good staff) and it kept
    good time for a few days but petered out. Gotta re-inspect parts.
    I knew corrosion and rust had affected some parts but I figured I’d run it in
    for a few days and break it down again to see what happened.

    I think I’ve come to the point of needing a jeweler’s lathe.
    Had a bid on a nice one…4 minutes left…$81 bux.. I waited for the last
    minute and bid $200 bux. I felt pretty confident that was gonna be mine.
    Auction ended… $214 bux and I lost ! And THAT’S without any collets !!!

    Ahh, well… Anyway…

    I post a pic of the fork in this 1885 as an example of why you just can’t really
    SEE details from a loop. This is 20X magnification. Wish I had a 50X option.

    Focus is not optimal but on the long shaft side the pivot has pits from rust.
    No way to polish out these but I’d be happy if I could make it smooth.
    After all, it’s not gonna be used non-stop daily for years but only to be
    displayed at those special occasions or archived to be passed on to kin.

    My 18S 3949617 vintage 1888 is perfect ! A mainspring replacement and a good
    cleaning and lube brought it back to life. The mainspring likely broke early
    in this movement’s life and it was kept in a friendly place for SO many years.
    I wear it daily. It’s timekeeping is astonishing ! A few seconds in 24 hours !
    A lever set. The precision of the manusacture od such tiny parts SO long ago
    …The screw which holds the hairpring ! Microscopic ! But perfect.

    Bob ! Where can I get the youth that you have ?