How Do I "RUB" in a jewel?

[dutyswatchandclock]

Hi my name is Mark, and I’m fairly new to watch repairing, my grandfather was a master of over 50 years, but unfortunately passed away when I was 8 so I never got to learn from him, anywho I have a customers old 18S Waltham pocket watch from around 1901, and there is a shattered (top) balance jewel in a gold and brass setting
The cap jewel is fine, but the hole jewel is broken.
QUESTION 1,
What is the best way to measure the inside of the setting hole to get the circumference of the jewel to be replaced.

QUESTION 2,
Whats the best way to measure, to get the hole size of the jewel for the pivot.

QUESTION 3 (sorry its such a big post)

What measuring system are jewels measured in?

AAANNNDD QUESTION 4…..
How do I replace such jewel into the setting after I get the proper jewel, and also a good selction of books to help me out please
sorry that’s a big request from me, but answering that for me would help me out so much, thanks you
Mark.

[stevefitzwater]

Books, Chicago School of Watchmaking, Bulova School of Watchmaking (both available on line or can be purchased online). Donald DeClare books are a great source.

As far as the dimensions for the jewels, you can pick up Material Lists from most manufactures, so are free online, some you can purchase for nominal fees, just search for Waltham Material Catalogue on google.

If you give me your serial number, I can look it up in my Walthams Material book, and get you the information you require.

As far as replacing the jewel, one of the solutions is to purchase a parts movement identical to your movement, then take the jewel out of the parts movement.

[dutyswatchandclock]

thanks steve we are actually getting the Chicago school of watch making through lulu, but is taking forever!, week and a half now, and they just shipped it today,
the serial number is 9903977, I appreciate the info steve

[stevefitzwater]

Yeah, LULU is a print on demand store, so they are not the fastest, that is where I got my copy from also, it is well worth the wait for it.

there are several websites out there for identifying your movements, I like the NAWWC website- http://www.nawcc-info.org/walthamdb/walsernum.htm

there is also the Pocket Watch Database- https://pocketwatchdatabase.com/

simply fill in the information and you can verify the movement, yours in a Model 1883, Open Face, 15 jewels, size 18, grade 81, from the Waltham Material Catalogue, it was made in 1899.

I have 4 parts movements for 1883, and I am pretty sure I have a extra set of balance jewels, so if your interested, Bob can give you my email and I will send them to you. I will double check tomorrow when I am in my shop. Not looking for anything out of them, if you can use them, then they are yours.

[stevefitzwater]

the first part movement I checked has a good set of upper jewels, let me know if you want them.

[dutyswatchandclock]

steve your a life savor, iv been worried about this watch for months now, the owners are very old and both are sick, I would love to be able to let them see it ticking again, thanks for the information once again that helped me a lot, and if you are not going to need it, I would be gratefull if you sent them to me, you wouldn’t happen to have a good balance or staff for it would you? the watch ticked (sort of) but the staff is wore very badly, and if you need any parts at all please let me know and I will look to see if I have it for you as well, my grandpa built up an extensive collection of parts watches (but none of the 1883’s) he probably used em, anyways thanks again steve
Mark.

[dutyswatchandclock]

and by the way ill pay for it steve, I don’t expect that you give me a handful of free parts haha, but thank you and let me know if you do and how much you want for it
mark.

[stevefitzwater]

sry, been under the weather, hopefully I will get your parts out first part of next week.

no extra balance staffs, but you can order one from Casker or OttoFrei, they cost approx. $20..

there are two different staffs for these watches, 1364 large waist, 1365 small waist, most of the 1883’s I have seen use the wider waist.

When you put the watch back together, I like to use a very small piece of Rodico to hold the pallet when I place the upper plate on, unless someone else has a better suggestion, a piece smaller then a grain of sand works fine and is easy to remove after you have all the pivots in place. I simply place the rodico between the pins, then place the pallet in the upper jewel on the upper plate, it holds the pallet in place when you turn the upper plate over.

[dutyswatchandclock]

yuck, hate to hear you’ve been sick man, that time of the year though, bet its been cold up there in iowa?
alright thank you a bunch, and very good tip with the rodico, never thought of using it to keep gears and the such upright, finally got Chicago S. O. W., wow……you were right when you said it was worth the wait, that’s a butt saver book right there, but anyways thanks steve, and let me know when they’re in the mail please, ill take a picture of the watch when I’m finished and post it here

[stevefitzwater]

Yeah, it has been a tough couple of weeks, I just want to clarify, when I said use Rodico, I meant for the pallet only, the train is easy enough to setup, but the pallet has to extend into the opening in the upper plate to the balance area, so it is extremely time consuming to do with out placing the pallet in the upper plate and securing with Rodico, then setting the upper plate on the lower plate and then set the pivots into the pivot holes. Once I have everything aligned and the screws in the upper plate and tight, then I remove the small piece of rodico from the pallet.

[stevefitzwater]

Ok, the jewels are in the mail, sry again for the delay, but I am disabled, and do not go out of the house, well very seldomly anyway, then the wife got hurt at work, broke her arm near the elbow, so I could of sent it in a plain envelope, but decided to wait and get a padded envelope, it went out this afternoon.

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