Fusee watch - HELP

[MartinMe]

Hi,
I have been fixing clocks for quite a while, however my Dad left me a silver Fusee pocket watch with a broken mainsping, broken fusee chain and no glass. I have tried to find a watchmaker to repair it in the UK but no takers. I decided to teach myself and to this end I bought two similar watches from Ebay.
Now this is where I need help...
1: I cant seem to find parts (mainspring and glass)supplers in the UK for pocket watches are there any?
2: During trying to put practice watch one together I managed to break the lower pinnion of the escape wheel (perhaps I should stick to clocks) my original plan was to drill the shaft, put a pin in it and fit it but good god it is so small my smallest drill is .3 mm and that is much too large (the existing pinnion on the other end is two small to even mic up relaibly...

any advice apresiated (other than stick to clocks) before I accidentally distroy another 1870's pocket watch?

[MartinMe]

Hi,
I have been fixing clocks for quite a while, however my Dad left me a silver Fusee pocket watch with a broken mainsping, broken fusee chain and no glass. I have tried to find a watchmaker to repair it in the UK but no takers. I decided to teach myself and to this end I bought two similar watches from Ebay.
Now this is where I need help...
1: I cant seem to find parts (mainspring and glass)supplers in the UK for pocket watches are there any?
2: During trying to put practice watch one together I managed to break the lower pinnion of the escape wheel (perhaps I should stick to clocks) my original plan was to drill the shaft, put a pin in it and fit it but good god it is so small my smallest drill is .3 mm and that is much too large (the existing pinnion on the other end is two small to even mic up relaibly...

any advice apresiated (other than stick to clocks) before I accidentally distroy another 1870's pocket watch?

[John Pavlik]

As far as Suppliers, used material is what I usually use.. Not many Standard sized parts were used...

I usually break the lever pivot :biggrin:...Repivoting is a challenge to say the least..There are accomplished watch makers that can, but it is usually cost prohibitive unless it is a high grade watch or a family heirlom..Try finding an escape wheel with the same size pinion and pivot or close and modify it to work with your wheel would be what I would do..

Watches are more fun than clocks, so keep trying..

[RON in PA]

While I can't help you, perhaps two of your fellow countrymen that post here regularly can.

Mr. Jerry Matthews and Mr. Oliver Mundy (http://www.horologia.co.uk/).

[Keith H]

If you want to contact me off list with the size of glass you need I'm pretty sure I'll have one that you can have.
Have you looked at the possibility of putting the existing wheel on a replacement arbour.

[Oliver Mundy]

Mainsprings are usually not too difficult to interchange. Anything which comes out of a barrel of the same depth and diameter should work. (I have even had a Waltham [American] of 1865 running happily for the past two years with an English mainspring dating from the 1840s.) If you would like to let me know the barrel measurements (diameter, both including and excluding any flange surrounding one end, and depth), I may be able to find something that will match.

Fusee chains still turn up quite frequently on eBay. Much depends on the length of chain required; those over 8.5 inches long are much harder to find than shorter ones. As a rough guide, the length of the chain should be between 4 and 4.5 times the diameter of the spring-barrel.

Oliver Mundy.

[Jerry Matthews]

Martin, In case you decide in the end not to tackle the watch yourself, you should be able to find someone who can on the BHI site

http://www.bhi.co.uk/repairer.htm

There is a guy listed in Bishopston, Bristol who says he does antique clocks and watches. Or I can give you the phone number of one in Bognor Regis who has repaired several fusee movements for me and I would highly recommend. You can email me by clicking on my name above left, then personal profile and you will find my email address there.

Jerry

[Jeff Hess]

As an aside, please let me interject that Oliver rules!

this guy is a font of information.

And the Brits, in spite of their penchant to look down on us, :smile: have the ability and the old world tenacity to fix just about anything.

Jeff, spent many years running the
fields of Bermondsey and Portobello

[MartinMe]

Wow, thank you each for your individual help and comments, I have replied to individuals off list (or at least I have tried to) you realy are a top group of people.

Thanks again

M

[Jon Hanson]

ole Bud Jeff,

Could you share some of your stories with us here about your Eng haunts for watches?