hands go in one direction!

[steveboy033149]

Before I take apart the Elgin pocket watch that I have cleaned and oiled, which runs for about 36 hours and keeps good time……the movement winds OK but the hands only set in an anticlockwise direction….have I assembled something wrong, or do some of the old pocket watches just set in the anticlockwise direction?
Kind Regards, Steve.

[david pierce]

Steve,
The good news is you are about to embark upon a wonderful learning experience. The bad news is the winding train is underneath the dial face and you are going to have to remove the front of the watch to get to it. The winding stem has a square section on it that has two gears. The top gear looks like a normal gear and engages the winding train. The bottom gear looks like a crown and when the watch is put into the setting position it slides down the square shaft and engages the setting train. If it is a lever set watch, the gear is pushed into the setting position when the lever is pulled out. If it is a stem set watch, a spring pushes the gear down when the stem is pulled out. Bob has some videos on these mechanisms and they should be reviewed. If something is worn or not engaging properly or slipping out of place when wound in one direction and not the other, you will be able to see it once the dial face of the watch has been removed.
david

[steveboy033149]

Thank you, I replaced the bottom gear and all seems good now….Steve

[Author]

Posts