please help me...

[webs110733]

Hi I have an antique pocket watch that I would like to try to find the age and market value of It here is what I know...

it is a locust swiss mad pocket watch with the number "2093435" on the inside of both the front and back "cover"... it also has seemingly hand inscribed on the inside of the front "cover" really small the number "727" and "B15065" OR "B15665" I lean more toward the first one... all else I know is that it is 24 carrot gold if you have any more questions or maybe some pictures I may be able to get you just ask oh and also another question... the hands are not attached correctly but are still intact inside the glass will it depreciate the value to get it cleaned and repaired???

thanks in advance
~Mike~

[Kent]

Hi Mike:

Swiss watch manufacture was made up of a large number of small shops. Many would buy movements in the rough (known as ebauches) from factories who mass-produced them, and finish the movements to the grade (quality) contracted for by the distributor/exporter. The distributor/exporter would probably have specified the name on the movement and/or dial to meet a retailer's requirement. The result is that there are a large number of generic Swiss watches whose origins may never be fully known. Don Dahlberg has written a old ref ::Good Description of the process. Also, Dr. Roland Ranfft has an online description about European watch manufacture and dates, entitled Date and Origin of a Watch (http://www.ranfft.de/uhr/info-e.htm#D1).

Having said all of that, iwould be helpful if you could post a picture of the movement (the "works"), the clearer and sharper, the better, other pictures will help a little, but this is the most important. We may be able to identify it by the shape of the plates. In trying to open the watch, you might find the information in How To Open A Pocket Watch Case" (http://k_singer.home.comcast.net/opening_pocket_watch_cases__k.htm), or Opening the Case (http://www.ozdoba.net/swisswatch/pocket_howto.html#open) useful.

Currently, it is recommended that those who do not have web space in which to post pictures register for a free account at flickr.com (http://flickr.com/register.gne). This may now open a Yahoo page, but it will still let you register to post pictures. Their menu-driven procedure for loading pictures is about as easy as it gets. After you enlarge the picture, using flickr's magnifying glass icon (the magnifying glass icon appears in a toolbar above the loaded & saved picture once you've clicked on the picture), scroll down below the picture to find the field labeled "1. Grab the photo's URL:" The link in that field is the one to post on the NAWCC Pocket Watch Message Board. Vic Rose has posted an excellent old ref::Description on How to Post a Picture on the NAWCC Clock Message Board, which of course also works on for posting a picture on the pocket watch message board.

If you have a problem posting the picture(s), you can attach it (them) to an e-mail to me (you can get my email address by clicking on my name in the upper left-hand corner of this post and viewing my Public Profile) and I'll post it (them) for you.

Its also helpful if you can post all the markings that are on the movement (the "works") in case they can't be seen in the picture(s).

I have doubts about the gold being 24K. That would be too soft for a watch case.

As it says in the upper left-hand corner of this page, we don’t provide timepiece values. However, once you know the proper description of your watch, you can use a Google Search (http://www.google.com/advanced_search?hl=en) to find similar watches offered by internet dealers, or on eBay, and see what they are selling for. Alternately, check the value in the "Complete Price Guide to Watches, No 26," C. Shugart, T. Engle and R. Gilbert, Cooksey Shugart Publications, Cleveland, TN, 2006. A new edition comes out each year in February. The book is available at libraries, at most major booksellers and online at the NAWCC Gift Shop (http://www.nawcc.org/giftshop/americart/bk_watch.htm). Condition matters!

Good luck,