Another watch that I am trying to research for a friend. Don't have much info, so any help would be appreciated.
Most visitors online was 1660 , on 12 Dec 2020
Unidentified early repeater
- Thread starter 5woodluther
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This at one time was a pretty nice watch.. it is a most likely Swiss 1/4 repeater from around 1800 -1830 time period.. the reason I say was, is that in the photos, the complete balance and the balance bridge is missing.. Never could figure out why the whole assembly would be missing from such a nice watch .. have seen that before ...Very nice dial ...
It is a nice watch and I agree with John's dating. As for the missing parts, I wonder if the watch might have developed a problem with its balance and some time later someone nicked the balance bridge (more commonly but incorrectly known as a "coq" in French) for its pretty pierced design. There are people who seem to collect these bridges without the rest of the watch. 
It may be possible to locate a suitable replacement bridge along with a new balance, staff and spring but you would need the help of an expert watchrepairer. The parts must be correctly sized and fitted.
Michael
It may be possible to locate a suitable replacement bridge along with a new balance, staff and spring but you would need the help of an expert watchrepairer. The parts must be correctly sized and fitted.
Michael
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It seems that this move completely or partially absent train repeating.
Is it possible to see the picture movement from dial removed?
http://i026.radikal.ru/0910/24/626fb5833e0c.jpg
Is it possible to see the picture movement from dial removed?
http://i026.radikal.ru/0910/24/626fb5833e0c.jpg
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Many watchmakers in the late 18 early 19 th century moved to Switzerland, so the movement is very similar.
Make the initial it has French roots.
Make the initial it has French roots.
Marty, I think mine is either French or Swiss. There is actually a maker's stamp on the front plate of my movement... "PM•F".
I think it stands for maker's initials "PM" and the location "F" which may be "Ferney". You may also notice the extra ornamentation on other parts on the back plate. Ferney was famous for the watch manufacturing that Voltaire brought to the little town in the late 18C. They exported many watches to the Turkish market... which, interestingly, favoured more ornamented watches. And my watch is actually missing its dial. So perhaps these are other connections which point to Ferney. Ferney is on the French side, just a stone's throw from Geneva.
In any case, I am not an expert on these watches and don't have extensive references to work off from. I'm believe these movements are also not all that uncommon. So, it may take quite a bit of work to identify an anonymous specimen.
Marty, I notice your watch has a very stylish and attractive dial displaying the skeletonized front plate. Such a design probably targeted the Parisian market and your watch looks very contemporary for its period. It was probably sold with a Paris label. The movement could still be French or Swiss. The older full-plate style of the movement certainly agrees with that possibility.
Michael
I think it stands for maker's initials "PM" and the location "F" which may be "Ferney". You may also notice the extra ornamentation on other parts on the back plate. Ferney was famous for the watch manufacturing that Voltaire brought to the little town in the late 18C. They exported many watches to the Turkish market... which, interestingly, favoured more ornamented watches. And my watch is actually missing its dial. So perhaps these are other connections which point to Ferney. Ferney is on the French side, just a stone's throw from Geneva.
In any case, I am not an expert on these watches and don't have extensive references to work off from. I'm believe these movements are also not all that uncommon. So, it may take quite a bit of work to identify an anonymous specimen.
Marty, I notice your watch has a very stylish and attractive dial displaying the skeletonized front plate. Such a design probably targeted the Parisian market and your watch looks very contemporary for its period. It was probably sold with a Paris label. The movement could still be French or Swiss. The older full-plate style of the movement certainly agrees with that possibility.
Michael
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Here's a quick shot of the front plate. As I mentioned earlier, this watch was missing its dial. I bought it to study more than to restore.
Note the maker's stamp on the upper right corner at 1 o'clock. The case is not original.
Michael
Note the maker's stamp on the upper right corner at 1 o'clock. The case is not original.
Michael
Attachments
Nice old repeater! I have an Esquivillon Freres (Geneva, 1800) repeater case that looks similar to that.
From the picture, it looks like the repeat spring has tension and the repeat chain is tight. The "all or nothing" levers are set OK, as if ready to run and the rest of the repeater parts are there. Have you depressed the pendant to see if the repeat runs? Those can run without the dial just fine, and fun to watch. It looks as if a good clean-oil-adjust would get it to repeat. Maybe you can find the motion works wheels to put hands on it.
From the picture, it looks like the repeat spring has tension and the repeat chain is tight. The "all or nothing" levers are set OK, as if ready to run and the rest of the repeater parts are there. Have you depressed the pendant to see if the repeat runs? Those can run without the dial just fine, and fun to watch. It looks as if a good clean-oil-adjust would get it to repeat. Maybe you can find the motion works wheels to put hands on it.
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