cap jewel

[bobpat]

summers over and I am back, have a question about cap jewel for my 18s seth Thomas. Are the jewels pressed in to the setting or are they made that way? Of coarse I can’t find the right end cap so it going to be a hit or miss.
I can pick up an assortment of cap jewels with the settings on ebay and hope one fits. I see some end jewels or cap screws or end stones without the settings and got confused which isn’t too difficult when your looking for parts to these watches..

[chris mabbott]

Hey Bob, welcome back..

Well buddy, seeing as it could be either or neither it’s difficult to say without seeing a photo of the bottom side of the jewel housing.
Please post a photo and if you have trouble, use your mobile phone camera with your eye loupe over the lens, you can get a good close up that way..
Oh, if you normally need glasses, don’t do like me and forget to put them on, probably why most of my pics are fuzzy 😆

I never had much luck with assortment packages, they never contained the one I needed even though I spent 7 hours going through a thousand jewels. It’s very frustrating. You’d be better off learning how to rub jewels in and out, it’s surprisingly easy after a few attempts.

[chris mabbott]

Hey Bob, welcome back..

Well buddy, seeing as it could be either or neither it’s difficult to say without seeing a photo of the bottom side of the jewel housing.
Please post a photo and if you have trouble, use your mobile phone camera with your eye loupe over the lens, you can get a good close up that way..
Oh, if you normally need glasses, don’t do like me and forget to put them on, probably why most of my pics are fuzzy 😆

I never had much luck with assortment packages, they never contained the one I needed even though I spent 7 hours going through a thousand jewels. It’s very frustrating. You’d be better off learning how to rub jewels in and out, it’s surprisingly easy after a few attempts.

[chris mabbott]

Hey Bob, welcome back..

Well buddy, seeing as it could be either or neither it’s difficult to say without seeing a photo of the bottom side of the jewel housing.
Please post a photo and if you have trouble, use your mobile phone camera with your eye loupe over the lens, you can get a good close up that way..
Oh, if you normally need glasses, don’t do like me and forget to put them on, probably why most of my pics are fuzzy 😆

I never had much luck with assortment packages, they never contained the one I needed even though I spent 7 hours going through a thousand jewels. It’s very frustrating. You’d be better off learning how to rub jewels in and out, it’s surprisingly easy after a few attempts.

[bobpat]

hey chris, I will get a pic out of the setting

[bobpat]

[chris mabbott]

Yes sir, that thar be a rubbed in sucker. Was it missing Bob, when you got it?

You have two choices, well, three really…

1. Carefully clean it up so it’s nice and shiny, being very careful not to damage the lip, find a new jewel that fits kinda snug, not tight, not loose. Then rub it back in. This will maintain originality. Not sure what tooling you have, but you will need a jewel rubainna

2. If you have a jeweling set, ream it out to the next size up and insert a friction jewel. This is acceptable practice, depends who you ask though. I feel that a running watch is preferable than a broken one.

3. Try to find a similar one from a variety pack, or one of the part shops. You can usually get a replacement jewel in a setting for around $25, $40 if theyre gold settings.

You will need the exact diameter and thickness, if you have a caliper, get an accurate measure.. Good luck, just send up a green flare if you need help :geek:

[bobpat]

Chris ,you forgot my fourth choice. You can teach me all you know about rubbing in a jewel and the tooling I need.. ..
it was all smashed in pieces when I got it and it runs great as long as I don’t turn it over.I would like to try to put in the original, just so I can say I know how to do it.. When does class start?

[chris mabbott]

That fourth option ain’t valid my friend because really i know JS, I just make it up as I go along, and for some strange reason, people believe me, must be the bald head, inspires confidence and pity, Oh, look mommy, that poor poor man, he has no hair, shame 😆

I think there is a thread on here that shows rubbing in. The easy part is done, it’s out. I usually use the brute force method and push the old jewel out which open up the lip without removing material. Is it the right way…. OF course not

I’ll try to find a photo of a jewel setting opening/closing set, they’re fairly common, maybe you can contact my favorite Canadian uncle Larry, he usually has these, or ePay

Main thing is, stay cool and for now, put it on the back burner until you get the parts/tool, ya know, forget about like a cousins birthday gift, Ooops..

[bobpat]

alrighty then, leaves me no choice but to go see Sam Adams..

[maitai11]

Hey Chris –

Never underestimate the power of a good s*** talker. Coming from a fire house setting, I can fool the best of them. One time, we put a guy up on an airport crash truck with a pair of binoculars and an orange vest for “weather watch.” That, and sending a new guy over to the airfield ops office to get “100 yards of flight line,” or a “bucket of steam…” I know you’ve done it, Mr. Rescue Ranger

Hi Bob, nice meeting you. I earned my first watchmaker’s belt notch by screwing up the order of my jewels. I was literally trying to drive the wrong size home, until William **gently** floated the idea of a mix up. I owe him a beer for that one!

Good luck, and let us know how things are going…

Best,

Tim

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