Hi yall. funny you bring all this up as I have been thinking about it too. I have the same question Paul about putting these type movements into a case, how do you figure that out, since I am so new to the pocket watch I also like the idea of working on something and getting a finished product somehow, brings a larger sense of satisfaction. 
Yesterday I heard a story that some guys in the watch and clock bus. buy out estates. they had recently debated about selling pocket watch cases for the gold value AND DID. I guess the issue ends up being money instead of preserving a historical timepiece and keeping it all original, pretty sad!!!!!! Kind of hypocritical to have a business in restoring and turn to destroying.!!! 😯 I can see others who are not into horology doing this because they just might not know any better, Although I WILL NOT make any excuse for someone in the watch business melting down watch cases that has cash to spare!!!!! I have to understand times are tough, sort like the depression era and the clock tops were used for heat but they were able to still tell time, now the guys who make replicas are keeping busy restoring. MAYBE we should look into learning how to make new cases and in a few years 
???? in any CASE, when the madness is over, what will be left???? we should start preparing now!!!! I would think the value of these watches without cases now is fairly low, but if fitted to a different case and preserved that way maybe the values will pick up because there wont be any other choice..????? I dont know, William, oh and have a wonderful day everyone
