jn. burke of dublin

[phh]

this one really kind of intrigues me. i posted a question about jn. burke of dublin on a british forum type site, clocksandwatches.com, i think. so far no response. from the outside this watch is not impressive at all. the case might be silver, but it is very thin, like sheet metal, and has no decoration on it at all. inside the case is marked "WP" and there are four small figures around that. i can't tell what they are. they sort of remind me of zodiac symbols. i don't think they are letters. the dial has arabic numerals and very simple hands. no second hand. it is key wound, but there is no key. i don't know how to set it. maybe you just move the hands with your finger. in addition to the winding post, there is another square post with the numbers 1-6 around it counterclockwise. maybe that is for setting it, but there is no hole in the dustcover for that post. both of those posts are on the movement, which is the interesting part. the whole thing is gold, or gilded i guess. and it is highly engraved and filligreed. i think the movement may be fusee. i don't really know how a fusee movement works (or any other movement, really), but i have gathered that it involves a chain. this has a chain which appears to wind around a spiral cut into a cone. it is completely different from the other watches. i don't see any jewels, but there is a keyhole shaped thing with a screw on it. maybe if that was removed some jewels would be visible. i don't know and i'm afraid to try it. the number on the movement is 10082. all of these watches have spent probably the last 50 years in drawers and i would like to know more about them if anyone can help.

[phh]

this one really kind of intrigues me. i posted a question about jn. burke of dublin on a british forum type site, clocksandwatches.com, i think. so far no response. from the outside this watch is not impressive at all. the case might be silver, but it is very thin, like sheet metal, and has no decoration on it at all. inside the case is marked "WP" and there are four small figures around that. i can't tell what they are. they sort of remind me of zodiac symbols. i don't think they are letters. the dial has arabic numerals and very simple hands. no second hand. it is key wound, but there is no key. i don't know how to set it. maybe you just move the hands with your finger. in addition to the winding post, there is another square post with the numbers 1-6 around it counterclockwise. maybe that is for setting it, but there is no hole in the dustcover for that post. both of those posts are on the movement, which is the interesting part. the whole thing is gold, or gilded i guess. and it is highly engraved and filligreed. i think the movement may be fusee. i don't really know how a fusee movement works (or any other movement, really), but i have gathered that it involves a chain. this has a chain which appears to wind around a spiral cut into a cone. it is completely different from the other watches. i don't see any jewels, but there is a keyhole shaped thing with a screw on it. maybe if that was removed some jewels would be visible. i don't know and i'm afraid to try it. the number on the movement is 10082. all of these watches have spent probably the last 50 years in drawers and i would like to know more about them if anyone can help.

[Jerry Treiman]

There is a James Burke recorded in Dublin around 1820 and a John Burke in Galway around 1824. It sounds like you have a nice fusee watch from this time frame. Don't remove any screws! The cone with the spiral groove is the "fusee" and helps regulate the power of the mainspring while the watch is running. The small disk with 1-6 is for regulating the timekeeping. The marks in the case indicate the quality of the silver, the town where it was assayed and includes a date letter that tells you what year the case was made. When we can see pictures we can tell you more.

[Oliver Mundy]

Setting is done by fitting a key over the squared-off section which protrudes through the centre of the hands. This method was carried over into early American watchmaking, and contrasts with French and Swiss watches which are usually (from about 1800 onward) set from the back.

Note that fusee watches are wound counter-clockwise. This will also apply to the Johnson watch mentioned in another posting.

Oliver Mundy.

[Lionel]

The keyhole-shaped thingy with the screw on it is called a coqueret (sometimes called an
end-plate). It is a piece of polished steel that acts as a bearing for the pivot of the balance-wheel arbour. It doesn't hide jewels underneath. It is basically a steel bearing instead of a jewel bearing. To repeat what Jerry said, don't be tempted to unscrew it, because if you do you may damage the gear-train of the watch.