Hampden Pocket Watch

[sweetchildnyc]

I am new to this and I have a few questions:

1) Value . . . I have a Hampden Pocket Watch, that I am trying to date and value. The Serial Number is 98616. I realize that condition is always a consideration so I will take that into account. If someone could either guide me to someplace to do this research, or actually provide information directly about the watch.

2) The watch requires a key to wind it. I purchased it with no key. Can someone recommend where I can purchase a key for it, or alternatively, how I can wind the watch, as I truly have no idea at this point if it is even operational.

3) What kind of chain would go with this watch. The case is marked silverine. What do I need to purchase in order to have the watch look as it should?

4) Finally, if I should find that the watch needs to be repaired, can anyone recommend a quality watch repairer, preferably in NYC?

I really appreciate any help that any of you can provide.

Everyone, have a great day and weekend,
Bruce

[LloydB]

It's most likely an 18-size man's watch from the very late 1870's....
we cannot discuss values of watches here, but if you can post a
picture of the movement (works) several folks here could tell you
more about it.

Your best first step is to locate a collector or retired watch repairman
in your area (NAWCC chapter? What part of NYC ?) That person could
help with the other questions.

Keys are generally available on eBay, and 18-s Hampdens of that
period take a #5 key for both winding and for setting the hands
(from the front, square center of the hands.)

Your Silverine case is one of many alloys of Nickel, and a fairly
large-linked, nickel chain would look fine with that.

[Bill B]

First off we don't do values here , per top left hand corner. You can find a ball park value by looking at completed auctions on ebay. Silverine is nickel and can be polished with any nickel or silver polish. Key can be bought on ebay. I would not run watch with out it being serviced. If you have the serial # on the works not on the case # 98,616 dates to 1879. A picture of watch works will help to further Id what you have. As for a watch repairer others can help you there. Hope this helps you.

[Robert Sweet]

sweetchildnyc,
Welcome to the NAWCC message board. Your "Silverine" watch case was produced by the "Dueber Watch Case Co."

John C. Dueber purchased and relocated the Hampden Watch Co. (formerly of Mass.) to Canton, OH.

The watch movement factory and watch case factory were located side-by-side in Canton.

Robert

[bkerr]

If I may, Your watch was produced around 1880. It should be marked Springfield MA. The model according to the serial number would make it a Hayward 11j The case may have been a Dueber that was produced in Newport KY or later in Canton OH.

Original "good" keys are a little hard to find but reproductions can be purchased through many of the same guys that post here and belong to the NAWCC

[Kent]

Hi Bruce:

Key sizes for key-wound, key-set watches are expressed as a number from 1 to 12, with #1 being the largest, see the table below. Once the size is known, you can then contact the material suppliers listed below. If you lack a micrometer or caliper with which to measure the stud, measure as best you can with an ordinary ruler. Fortunately, the keys are inexpensive enough that you can get an assortment of five or six in the neighborhood of your measurement. Or, a whole set of 12 is priced at $20 or less at several of the suppliers.

Barry Parker's Key No. vs. Size Table
#1 = 1.85 mm. = 0.0728 inches
#2 = 1.75 mm. = 0.0689 inches
#3 = 1.68 mm. = 0.0661 inches
#4 = 1.61 mm. = 0.0634 inches
#5 = 1.54 mm. = 0.0606 inches
#6 = 1.47 mm. = 0.0579 inches
#7 = 1.38 mm. = 0.0543 inches
#8 = 1.29 mm. = 0.0508 inches
#9 = 1.19 mm. = 0.0469 inches
#10 = 1.1 mm. = 0.0433 inches
#11 = 1 mm. = 0.0394 inches
#12 = 0.9 mm. = 0.0354 inches

Watch Materials are available from:
Brian Cavanaugh, pwpartsetc@pwatch.com
Dashto (http://www.dashto.org/)
Otto Frei (http://www.ofrei.com/)
Uncle Larry's Watch Shop (http://www.execulink.com/%7Elfoord/index/horology.htm)

Watches that are carried daily need to be cleaned and oiled at regular intervals. Railroad time service rules varied, but requirements for cleaning on a basis of once every year and a half were typical for railroaders at the turn of the century. By the mid-1920’s this was extended to two year intervals.

The “Sears, Roebuck and Co., Inc. Catalogue No. 104,” Chicago, IL, 1897, reprinted by Chelsea House, Philadelphia, PA, 1968 had this to say on page 371:

“We Guarantee for Five Years All the movements sold by us. This does not refer to the life of the movement, but that we will for five years from date of purchase, correct free of charge any fault which may occur from defective material or workmanship. Any well made movement will run a lifetime if properly cared for.
“Remember That your watch should not run longer than one and one-half years without having the old oil cleaned off and fresh oil supplied. This must be done at the expense of the purchaser.
“The balance wheel of all modern watches makes 18,000 beats or revolutions per hour; 432,000 per day, or 157,788,000 per year. An engine or sewing machine will be oiled several times per day, but we have known people to carry a watch for ten years without having it cleaned or fresh oil applied.
“Usually, a movement thus treated is of no value, being entirely worn out. Take good care of your watch if you wish it to perform its duty properly, for it is a very delicate machine. Our charge for cleaning and oiling is 75 cents. The regular retail price is $1.50.”

Watch cleaning and oiling costs a bit more today than it did a hundred years ago. Check out What You Need To Know About Watch Repair at Wayne Schlitt's Elgin Website:
[color=brown]www.midwestcs.com/elgin/help/watch_repair.html[/colour]
[color=blue]To view, go to the [/colour][color=brown]Elgin Watch Collectors Site Home Page[/colour] [color=blue]at[/colour] [color=brown]elginwatches.org[/colour], [color=blue]then copy and paste the address in your browser's address bar and click on [/colour]'Go'.

Also, check out Frequently Asked Questions (http://www.pocketwatchsite.com/faq.html) on the Pocket Watch Site.

Also, Ed Ueberall, of The Escapement (http://members.aol.com/stdwatch) has put together some notes on the Use And Care of Your Vintage Watch (http://k_singer.home.comcast.net/use_and_care_of_your_vintage_wat.htm) that may be helpful.

Good luck,

[HenryB]

As the other guys said, if the serial number is 98616, then the watch was made around 1879-1880.

Its an early Hampden (Hampden's first year of manufacture was 1877)

http://www.nawcc-ch149.com/pw_dbresearch.html
is the weblink for the Hampden databases, go to the Hampden tables and input your serial number.

Your watch is listed as a "Hayward" grade, and thus it must say "Hayward" on the back of the watch to qualify as a "Hayward".

Note that the early Hampdens are difficult to predict the grade by the serial number alone, due to the scattering of grades, early in the production cycle.

All Haywards are 11 J, and either came in Keywind or Stem wind versions.

The Hayward is a relatively common grade, based upon the estimated production of 35,000 movements.

If it does not say "Hayward" on the back, then we need a picture to identify it.

[lak611]

To find a repairman in NYC, you may wish to contact somebody from Chapter 2Click Here (http://www.nawccnychapter2.com/contact_us.html). The members of that chapter should know some repairmen.

[sweetchildnyc]

It's most likely an 18-size man's watch from the very late 1870's....
we cannot discuss values of watches here, but if you can post a
picture of the movement (works) several folks here could tell you
more about it.

Your best first step is to locate a collector or retired watch repairman
in your area (NAWCC chapter? What part of NYC ?) That person could
help with the other questions.

Keys are generally available on eBay, and 18-s Hampdens of that
period take a #5 key for both winding and for setting the hands
(from the front, square center of the hands.)

Your Silverine case is one of many alloys of Nickel, and a fairly
large-linked, nickel chain would look fine with that.

[sweetchildnyc]

Just wanted to say thank you for the information you provided me. I really appreciate it. I am in New York City, so if you could refer me to a reputable watch repairer, I'd really appreciate it. I will check on eBay for the key, as you suggested, and will try and post a picture of the movement. Again, thanks.

[sweetchildnyc]

First off we don't do values here , per top left hand corner. You can find a ball park value by looking at completed auctions on ebay. Silverine is nickel and can be polished with any nickel or silver polish. Key can be bought on ebay. I would not run watch with out it being serviced. If you have the serial # on the works not on the case # 98,616 dates to 1879. A picture of watch works will help to further Id what you have. As for a watch repairer others can help you there. Hope this helps you.