Waltham Full Plate Reassembly

[jcrawford52]

I have a Waltham pocket watch with a full top plate. It’s cleaned and now time to reassemble. But, the top plate does not seem to line up with the three posts on the bottom plate. I noticed when I took it apart that the top plate was a little difficult to remove. Putting the plates together for a fit check, even without the train of wheels installed, it is somewhat difficult to get them together. If I press hard they will mate, but then it is pretty difficult to separate them. I’m afraid to try to put everything together with the wheels for fear that I may bend pivots trying to force the plates together. Has anyone else experienced this and have any idea what is wrong?

[c.kelly]

Hi,
I don’t know if a picture will help but something doesn’t sound right. Sounds like something has gotten bent sometime in the past. Usually when you think you are forcing something with a watch then look to see what may be wrong.
Charles K

[randy]

Charles is dead on about the possibility of one or more of the posts being bent. If they aren’t look for fine burrs within the holes on the opposite plate. It’s possible that others have forced the two plates together in the past, causing burrs to raise up. If you suspect this, you might consider very carefully burnishing the holes, and then try again to fit them together.
Either way, when you get to the point of reassembly, you’ll want to coax the plates back together slowly while watching under magnification,… to avoid damaging the pivots.
Randy

[stevefitzwater]

Another trick that Bob shared with me awhile back was to assemble it upside down, (i.e. top plate on the bottom), this works well with older full plate movements that have the escapement that has to pass into the well on the top plate.

[jcrawford52]

Thanks for the replies. There is no obvious bending of the posts and I don’t see any burrs. Still working on it.

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