henry Molineaux Jewelling

[Tom McIntyre]

I am curious about the pattern of jewels on Seth Thomas Henry Molineaux grades. The watch shown was sold as a 17 jewel. With the big cap on the escape wheel, that was very unlikely. Of course, the claimed original case was equally unlikely and the dial was certainly a replacement. This watch is either 19 or 20 jewels depending on whether the center is jeweled under the dial. The missing jewel (from 21) is the cap jewel on the pallet arbor. It is present under the dial, but not on the pallet cock. The decoration on the pallet cock matches the balance cock and the damaskeening seems the same also. I did not pull off the cock to check the number. If someone knows how to let down this watch without having it fly apart, I would appreciate the information. http://www.nawcc.org/ubb/confused.gif

Does anyone know what sort of jewelling was common on Seth Thomas higher grades? Click on the picture to go to the page on the watch.

http://www.awco.org/OtherHigh/Molineaux/movement_small.jpg (http://www.awco.org/OtherHigh/Molineaux/Molineaux.htm)

I will add a picture of the movement fully assembled as soon as the NCAA tournament is over. :smile:


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Tom McIntyre
Past President, NAWCC Chapter 174
Pocket Horology Web (http://www.pocketwatch.org)
Tommy the JOAT's Web (http://www.AWCo.org)

[This message has been edited by Tom McIntyre (edited 03-30-2002).]

[This message has been edited by Tom McIntyre (edited 04-03-2002).]

[Tom McIntyre]

I am curious about the pattern of jewels on Seth Thomas Henry Molineaux grades. The watch shown was sold as a 17 jewel. With the big cap on the escape wheel, that was very unlikely. Of course, the claimed original case was equally unlikely and the dial was certainly a replacement. This watch is either 19 or 20 jewels depending on whether the center is jeweled under the dial. The missing jewel (from 21) is the cap jewel on the pallet arbor. It is present under the dial, but not on the pallet cock. The decoration on the pallet cock matches the balance cock and the damaskeening seems the same also. I did not pull off the cock to check the number. If someone knows how to let down this watch without having it fly apart, I would appreciate the information. http://www.nawcc.org/ubb/confused.gif

Does anyone know what sort of jewelling was common on Seth Thomas higher grades? Click on the picture to go to the page on the watch.

http://www.awco.org/OtherHigh/Molineaux/movement_small.jpg (http://www.awco.org/OtherHigh/Molineaux/Molineaux.htm)

I will add a picture of the movement fully assembled as soon as the NCAA tournament is over. :smile:


------------------
Tom McIntyre
Past President, NAWCC Chapter 174
Pocket Horology Web (http://www.pocketwatch.org)
Tommy the JOAT's Web (http://www.AWCo.org)

[This message has been edited by Tom McIntyre (edited 03-30-2002).]

[This message has been edited by Tom McIntyre (edited 04-03-2002).]

[Steve Cunningham]

Tom, I think these were made in 17, 18, 19, 20, and 21 jewel models. I have a 19 jewel.When it was restored, Bill Tapp said it must be missing the 20th jewel. But once he got into it, he discovered it was original. The 20th jewel on my watch would have been a cap jewel on the pallet arbor.

[Steve Maddox]

The Henry Molineux I have is a model #3 instead of a model #2, and the pattern of jeweling on it is entirely different. Mine is a 17 jewel model, with cap jewels on each end of the pallet arbor, but the center wheel is not jeweled on either end. The following is a link to a picture: http://members.aol.com/oddwatches/HenryM.JPG

To let down the mainspring in your watch, insert a winding tool into the winding pinion and turn it just a bit to unlock the ratchet click. Next, use your thumbnail to depress the end of the click, which should be exposed at the edge of ratchet wheel cover. Once the click is depressed, you should be able to gently release the power with the winding tool.


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Steve Maddox
President, NAWCC Chapter #62
North Little Rock, Arkansas

[Tom McIntyre]

I did a little more work on the Molineaux and know that the pallet cock is correct with the matching number. I still don't know if it is 19 or 20 jewels because I could not find my cannon pinion remover and was a little reluctant to pull it off anyway since it is so tight.

I still think it is wierd that they would cap jewel the pallet pivot under the dial and not in the cock. Perhaps they just did not have enough room in the cock to increase the jeweling. The same ebauche is found on lower grade movements as well.

When looking for this post, I found the earlier one with Steve's watch pictures. http://www.nawcc.org/ubb/Forum3/HTML/000626.html

Steve's watch is the open face version and mine is the hunting case version. My watch is in a junk recase and the dial has also been replaced. The correct and lovely double sunk dial appears on Steve's watch.

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Tom McIntyre
Past President, NAWCC Chapters 174 and 87
Member Chapters 8, 87, 149, and 174
Pocket Horology Web (http://www.pocketwatch.org)
Tommy the JOAT's Web (http://www.AWCo.org)