Setting Waterbury watch

[Don Dahlberg]

I received a question today at the NAWCC Library that has us stumped. How do you set a Series A and E Waterbury Watch Co. Rotary Long Wind pocket watch? ???

It turns out that we have several, but could not find any way to set them. We have a series F that sets by pushing the stem in, but the earlier series seem to have no setting from the stem. They also have no lever or pin that we could find. They are not key set. Perhaps they are set using the hands?

I hope someone other there knows for sure.

Don Dahlberg
NAWCC volunteer

[Don Dahlberg]

I managed to answer my own question. (i)

There is an article on the watch from the Watch and Clock Yearbook, 1963, pa 19. It says “Both hands are friction fitted. To set them one must first take off the bezel and move each hand in the desired position, because the watch is not provided with a hand-setting mechanism.”

The great thing about being a NAWCC volunteer is that I learn so much neat stuff.

The Curator is setting up a display of dollar watches. The question was great timing for him as well.

Don

[4thdimension]

Pretty ridiculous system. I have some of these watches and was stumped as to how to wind them too. Sure enough, the instructions are written right there in the tiny manual included with every watch.

Is there an accompanying printed pamphlet that records and describes the watches that will be displayed in this new exhibit? I'd like a copy.
-Cort

[Don Dahlberg]

There were no pamphlets with any of the watche we have, even though several had the original boxes. Perhaps if we look around the library a bit.

I did find a photo copy of what looked to be such a pamphlet. I could not find any setting instruction in it. You can write research@nawcc.org with your membership number and I can scan it and send you a copy.

Don

[4thdimension]

There were no pamphlets with any of the watche we have, even though several had the original boxes. Perhaps if we look around the library a bit.

I did find a photo copy of what looked to be such a pamphlet. I could not find any setting instruction in it. You can write research@nawcc.org with your membership number and I can scan it and send you a copy.

Don

Don,
Somehow we ended up backwards on this. I have the pamphlets with the setting directions. I will make a copy and send it to the library.

I must admt I was a bit shocked when I learned that, popping off the unhinged bezel and pushing the hands around with your fingers was considered by Waterbury to be a reasonable way to set the hands. It seems almost neolithic.
-Cort

[mch]

The early proto-dollar-watches were all relatively crude. Waterbury's longwind, which was truly long to wind, had a stem that only turned in one direction. During the 1880's, Waterbury Clock and New haven Clock had backwind watches that were also large. Roskopf started out like Waterbury, having to push hands with a finger, but quickly added button setting.

This all left a large market for more sophisticated cheap watches, which is why Manhattan, Cheshire, New Haven Watch and others started during the early 1880's. There was demand for "normal" cheap watches, and when dollar watches finally hit a literal $1 they were stem wind and set.

Mike