Old Pocket Watch

[Hladnopivo]

Found this old pocket watch while looking for bottles!

Wish I knew more about it. I can't open it yet, although I'm trying to clean it off in hope of finding out the manufacturer.
But I haven't seen that pattern in the sears roebuck catalog (but there are many years I haven't checked). I think it might be gold-plated with zinc or some other metal that oxidizes green underneath.
Any ideas about how to clean & or identify this?

 

[Hladnopivo]

Update. After some cleaning, I can tell you that the watch has a buck design, but not much more. It appears to be quite cheap, but was found near several former mansion sites. Thus I would assume that it most likely belonged to either a servant, a worker, a hunter or a child.

 

[Hladnopivo]

 

[Fenndango]

Waltham was big back then. It might say on the workings?

 

[Hladnopivo]

Waltham was big back then. It might say on the workings?

The thing is I can't pry the darn thing open. Normally a watch will have a tiny hinge at the bottom. No hinge visible here. There is no visible means of opening it at all. The part that would have the watch face is filled with black mystery liquid, which blocks me from seeing anything until I can open it.

 

[embe]

Back might screw off. Check for a seam between the back and the face and give it a turn if it isn't rusted shut

 

[THE BEAR]

Found this old pocket watch while looking for bottles!
View attachment 250674View attachment 250675
Wish I knew more about it. I can't open it yet, although I'm trying to clean it off in hope of finding out the manufacturer.
But I haven't seen that pattern in the sears roebuck catalog (but there are many years I haven't checked). I think it might be gold-plated with zinc or some other metal that oxidizes green underneath.
Any ideas about how to clean & or identify this?

Try soaking it in Superzillo.

 

[smith382]

The cheaper "dollar watches" had pop on and off backs that you can open with a watch case opener (or a dull knife, if you're VERY careful to not cut yourself in the process). The quality of the engraving on this case leads me to believe that this is a higher quality watch, probably in a gold filled case with a screw on front bezel and back. The construction of the case had fairly thick plates of gold over the brass case underneath, so areas where the brass is exposed would indeed turn green. The watch will never run again but, this has a really great "cool" factor to it, so I can understand you not wanting to destroy it trying to open it. Low level heat (from a hair dryer for example) a lot of times will expand the metal enough to open the case. This however is for watch cases that haven't spent many years in the weather, not sure if it would work here. Also, you want to get a good grip on the watch to put some torque into twisting off the covers. I've found those cheap gloves from the dollar store with the rubber black dots on them give you an excellent grip. Try twisting with the fingers on the edge of the covers, it this doesn't work, put the watch in the palm of your hands and twist your hands in opposite directions to try to open the case. I usually recommend doing this over a bed so that if the watch slips, it doesn't fall and hit a hard surface. In this case, however, I don't think that matters. Also, after all these years outside, the cement holding the front crystal in place could break free and the crystal might come loose. Good luck!

 

[Hladnopivo]

Thank you guys so much for your helpful feedback! This thing was just so encased in rust that it took a long time to get it out from the tiny space between the case and the body. So, since the last post I actually got it open! The thing finally popped off after using a little screwdriver. — I'm working with the tools I've got (;

As I don't know much about watches, I still don't know exactly what it is, but the patent date matches a quite similar looking watch I found online made by the Ingersoll watch company.




So above you can see the opened watch with the movement plate visible and some patent dates that are identical to this Ingersoll watch I found for sale online. Patent dates are consistent with a watch from about 1910, as I kind of suspected. Everything else at the site is from about 15 years before or after that.



While the watch face and the hands are pure rust, I can see that it had one of those little subdials.

I can't tell you much about the movement, but I can tell you there isn't much movement in this movement! Here's what I can see.




So it could certainly be an Ingersoll watch, perhaps one of the mid-price ones. Although I must say that it bears a close resemblance to this $1 Ingersoll "Yankee" pocket watch, although I'm fairly confident that mine is a more expensive model.



Deer designs are a very common feature on Ingersoll watches of the 1910's but I have not found this exact variant.
But here is a page from a 1911 catalog with similar designs.


That's all I've got for now. Glad to hear what y'all have got to say! Merry Christmas y'all