Newbie needs help with Westclox Bull's eye

[Grr Said Leonard]

I'm embarrassed even to ask this: I'm new to the world of quality pocket watches (versus the cheap knock-arounds I've owned over the years). I just received a vintage Westclox Bull's Eyes stem-winder, and it's my first. So my completely ignorant question is, "How do I set the time?" I don't want to pull the stem too hard if that's not the way to do it, so I figure it's better to be thought a fool than to damage this beautiful watch. Anyone able/willing to help?

[Grr Said Leonard]

I'm embarrassed even to ask this: I'm new to the world of quality pocket watches (versus the cheap knock-arounds I've owned over the years). I just received a vintage Westclox Bull's Eyes stem-winder, and it's my first. So my completely ignorant question is, "How do I set the time?" I don't want to pull the stem too hard if that's not the way to do it, so I figure it's better to be thought a fool than to damage this beautiful watch. Anyone able/willing to help?

[Sbro]

I have the same dumb question, but in my case it's a Dueber-Hampden (Case # 3534915, Movement # 1173832, c.1898) that I inherited from my Great Uncle 10 or so years ago. I think he got it from his father. It wasn't working when I got it. My wife took it to a fine watch repair shop and they got it running, but after a few weeks(perhaps because I over-wound it?) it stopped working, or rather would only run for a few minutes then would die.

Fast forward to today, when I brought it to work to show an interested colleague. I thought of Googling its serial number, and opened the back to see the movement number. It started ticking and hasn't stopped now for over two hours. Yeah!

But back to the dumb question(s): I also am afraid of forcing the stem, but that's the only way I can think of the set the time -- can I give it a good yank? Also, could I have over-wound it, and how do I avoid that in the future?

Thanks in advance.

[Sbro]

I found an answer (at least to my first question) here: http://barrygoldberg.net/watchinfo2.htm#set
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Lever Set -- Often found in railroad grade watches, but also in other watches, the lever setting mechanism requires you to remove the front crystal and pull out a little lever [usually found near the 2:00 position]. You then turn the stem to move the hands. This was a safety feature to prevent the watch from being accidentally reset when someone pulled on the stem. This is primarily found on American pocket watches.
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In my case, the crystal did not need removal, the lever is accessible from outside the glass's edge.

[Kent]

Sbro:

Welcome to the NAWCC Pocket Watch Message Board!

You can wind a watch fairly tight, without really bearing down with your thumb on the crown. There is no such thing as "overwinding a watch." Uninformed people use that phrase to describe a non-running watch with a good mainspring. When the watch doesn't run (releasing the mainspring), the mainspring is pulled up tight and stays that way. Then, since people can't wind the mainspring any tighter, they say (or are told) that they overwound the watch.