Reply To: Jewel issue for pocket watch

[tmac1956]

@willofiam wrote:

hey tmac1956, what do you think the previous smith was trying to accomplish? hold the jewel or the setting, or did he put in a different setting with jewel and try to hold it in place? William

It looks to me as though the jewel was put in without a setting and the watchmaker simply gouged metal up and around it to hold it in place. Not exactly a rubbed in jewel, but maybe something like it… its just nasty looking. Now i’ve got to replace it. I’ll probably use the reamers in my staking set and try to clean it up. My plan is to increase reamer sizes incrementally in order not to lose the center until I can pop in an oversized jewel and setting. I might have to buy the jewels seperately and the brass settings in order to custom fit the thing. I’ve just about rebuilt this one from sratch. I’ts been a real learning experience for me.

Am I on the correct path here?

Thanks!
tmac