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Geeseman
10-26-2005, 02:00 AM
I have an Elgin - serial 545783. Got it off Ebay for $99 the seller said it didn't run, but when I wiggled the balance wheel it's been ticking ever since.
My question is, what size key do I need to get to wind/set this watch?
Geeseman
10-26-2005, 02:00 AM
I have an Elgin - serial 545783. Got it off Ebay for $99 the seller said it didn't run, but when I wiggled the balance wheel it's been ticking ever since.
My question is, what size key do I need to get to wind/set this watch?
Kent
10-26-2005, 02:13 AM
Hi Geeseman:

Welcome to the NAWCC Pocket Watch Message Board!

Key sizes for key-wound, key-set watches are expressed as a number from 1 to 12, with #1 being the smallest, see Barry Parker's Key No. vs. Size Table (http://nawcc-mb.infopop.cc/eve/ubb.x/a/tpc/f/4316035461/m/2571003631/r/4331035631#4331035631). Once the size is known, you can then contact the material suppliers listed below. If you lack a micrometer or caliper, measure as best you can with an ordinary ruler. Fortunately, the keys are inexpensive enough that you can get an assortment of five or six in the neighborhood of your measurement. Or, a whole set of 12 is priced at $20 or less at several of the suppliers.

Watch Materials are available from:
Dashto (http://www.dashto.com/)
Otto Frei (http://www.ofrei.com/index.html)
S. LaRose (http://www.slarose.com/cgi-bin/slarose/)
Uncle Larry's Watch Shop (http://www.execulink.com/~lfoord/index/horology.htm)
Geeseman
10-26-2005, 02:23 AM
Wow speedy!! Thank you for the information & welcome!! This is my new favorite site!

So I need to measure the teensy tiny square the key fits into. *gulp*

One more thing, I'd like to learn more on the repair side. I've seen many dvd courses. Any thoughts on these?
doug sinclair
10-26-2005, 02:37 AM
geeseman,

The inner cover of your Elgin should open. Look for a "lip" about 180 degrees away from the hinge on the inner cover, and see if you can open it with a finger nail. These covers (called a "cuvette") will often open if you insert a thumb nail at the lip and work it around the cuvette, away from the lip. If it doesn't open that way, you may have to use a stout, short blade to open it. If you do, DO NOT SLIP with the tool! You don't want to demolish the movement! When you get the cover open, you may find an escutcheon (sleeve) around the winding arbor which might make measuring the square shaft a bit dicey. Once you are able to measure the winding arbor, you will have to also measure the square in the middle of the minute hand which is used to set the time. In fact, since most of these watches use the same size key to wind and set, it may be sufficient to measure the square on the dial side to determine the correct key for your watch. Let us know how you do, please.
Geeseman
10-26-2005, 03:30 AM
ok unfortunately I don't have my terminology down yet. The square on the back (winding arbor?), and on the hands are both 1mm wide.
Based on the link so nicely provided I am in need of a #11 key? I don't suppose anyone has one of these laying around in the way?

Thanks for all the help!
Geeseman
10-26-2005, 04:32 AM
after remeasuring, it's too hard to determine if it is only 1mm and not 1.1mm etc... so I decided to buy a set of keys for $15.96 there has to be atleast 1 that winds/sets this watch!
Tom McIntyre
10-26-2005, 10:44 AM
On my keys the marks are different from Kent's. :wink: The smallest keys have the largest numbers and the largest keys have the smallest number. #11 is the smallest on my set and #2 the largest. (There are only 10 on the set.)
Kent
10-26-2005, 11:20 AM
Tom, surely you don't mean my key marks, you mean Barry Parker's key numbers, right?
Tom Huber
10-27-2005, 12:45 PM
Hi Geeseman, According to the SN, your Elgin is an 18S. An 18S Elgin takes a #5 key. Good luck.

Tom
Barry Parker
10-28-2005, 07:43 AM
Hi Kent,

I think that the mix up is probably a typo error in that you wrote,

"Key sizes for key-wound, key-set watches are expressed as a number from 1 to 12, with #1 being the smallest,"

It is really the other way around, on the key size list, No.1 is the largest and No.12 the smallest, as Tom points out.

Regards, Barry Parker
Kent
10-28-2005, 03:02 PM
Sonovagun!

My apologies to both Barry Parker and Tom McIntyre!
doug sinclair
10-28-2005, 03:13 PM
Barry,

Actually, "0" and "00" are the second largest and largest, in that order, in my assortment of pocket watch keys! These are larger than a " 1".
Barry Parker
10-29-2005, 12:51 PM
Hi Doug,

Thanks for that info.

The key size figures which I show on the chart, were from a Bergeon ordering form and they didn't mention the 0 and 00 sizes at all.

If you have the actual inch and millimetre measurements, I could add them to the chart ?

Barry Parker
doug sinclair
10-30-2005, 11:13 AM
Barry,

# "0" is 1.90 mm, and # "00" is 2.00 mm. I'm surprised other lists don't show these sizes. Maybe they're only available in Canada where everything is bigger :wink:.
Kent
10-31-2005, 04:45 AM
Thanks Doug:

I'll add this to the "standard blurb" on the subject.
Geeseman
11-01-2005, 11:21 AM
ok well received my keys today!! Yes it took a #5 to both wind & set the watch. Now I assume my watch should've started once I wound it? Unfortunately it doesn't. Now my question is, why would the watch run for an entire day then stop, and not run when fully wound.
I know I know take it to a watchmaker right?