Vintage Swiss Stopwatch (JB) with Spares Parts inside (Camerer & Cuss)

[svenedin]

I was searching through some stuff at home and found an old stopwatch. I remember being given this by an old chap when I was a child.

Anyway, I had to have a look inside. Seems to be seized and will not run at all. Whatever is supposed to release the balance is not doing so. I may have a go at repair but know nothing about stopwatches so that may be a bad idea.

Whilst having a look inside I noticed a little box marked "Spare Parts". Inside this little box is a balance staff, a tiny screw and an unknown part. What a sweet little thing!

Watch retailed by Camerer and Cuss and has an incabloc setting. Movement marked "JB" in a lozenge.

Does anyone have an idea on date?

 

[D.th.munroe]

Very cool
I posted an magazine article about a watch with spare parts but couldn't tell the brand or identity it from the pictures.

I'm not sure of the date of your stopwatch but apparently the little parts compartment was an Excelsior Park patent in 1922.
Some info on them a ways down this page under Excelsior Park
Stopwatches - Regatta Yachttimers
Dan

 

[John Matthews]

Try this in Google Chrome if you need to translate ... Excelsior Park - Spare parts inside

John

 

[D.th.munroe]

That's even better John much more information.

 

[svenedin]

Try this in Google Chrome if you need to translate ... Excelsior Park - Spare parts inside

John

Thank you. You are absolutely right. I am under the dial now and it is marked Excelsior Park there. Basically the watch is really gummed up with sticky old oil and if I give it a good clean it should run again. It looks like it has had a bath in oil! It needs a new watch glass which is cracked but the metal dial is perfect. The click spring went ping on me and disappeared but I did find it. When I refit it I will do it in a clear plastic bag so it can't run away again. I am bit confused with all of the gubbins under the dial for starting/stopping re-setting but I think if I take lots of pictures it should be OK with care. The heart-shaped cams are held on with tiny forks that look like they will be awkward.

That website is excellent and explains it all very well. My watch does not have such a big spare parts box and fewer spare parts (unless some of them have been used). Fantastic idea to have a spare click spring since mine went flying......

 

[svenedin]

Very cool
I posted an magazine article about a watch with spare parts but couldn't tell the brand or identity it from the pictures.

I'm not sure of the date of your stopwatch but apparently the little parts compartment was an Excelsior Park patent in 1922.
Some info on them a ways down this page under Excelsior Park
Stopwatches - Regatta Yachttimers
Dan

Thank you. Very interesting article.

 

[svenedin]

I am revisiting this stopwatch as I now have more experience with shock protection (this watch has Incabloc shock protection). What I notice is that although it runs and does not stop (in fact it ran overnight) the balance amplitude is tiny compared to an ordinary pocket watch. This is the only stopwatch I have ever worked on so I have nothing to compare it to. The balance seems happy and swings freely but if it was a pocket watch I would say it seemed underpowered. If I give it some encouragement with light pressure on the centre wheel it picks up well. In terms of wear there does not appear to be any (presumably stop watches run so little that wear is unlikely unless it was used frequently) and nothing seems bent.

My question is, should I be looking for the kind of balance amplitude I would expect in a normal pocket watch or does it tend to be less in a stopwatch?

There is one possibility that I have switched the endstones round by accident. One appears to be slightly larger than the other and I assumed it was the balance cock endstone that was the larger. I could try the other way round but I am reluctant as there is no data available on what Inca spring this movement uses and if I lose or break one I am in a bind. The Bestfit catalogue for Excelsior Park 3364 does not mention shock protection and the Incabloc data on the Cousins UK website has nothing for Excelsior Park. I checked the chaton/endstones are secure and applied light pressure with my tweezers to the fitted endstones and it made no difference to the running (the watch carried on running).

 

[Bernhard J.]

Hi Stephen,

I would think that the amplitude should be just like in a "normal" pocket watch. At least this is so in my two stopwatches.

Cheers, Bernhard

 

[svenedin]

Hi Stephen,

I would think that the amplitude should be just like in a "normal" pocket watch. At least this is so in my two stopwatches.

Cheers, Bernhard

Yes I thought so too. I will investigate further.

 

[svenedin]

Hairspring is catching something. I can hear it. The stud (such as it is) is just a clamp that catches the end of the hairspring. I will try some adjustment. I think it is too low and hairspring is catching the balance arms.

 

[svenedin]

Hairspring capture (stud clamp) height adjusted. No rubbing now. It is out of beat at the moment but this will be corrected (it has a 2-piece regulator so this is easy).

 

[svenedin]

Finished. Proof that if a project is put aside it is worth revisiting (in this case 2 years later)!

 

[svenedin]

Having owned this watch for so long and it never working I have only just noticed it is a decimal stopwatch. I believe these were used for time and motion studies.

 

[PatH]

That makes sense, so it is easy to measure in tenths or even hundredths, not only time and motion, but length of time for an individual task. Nice to see it running again! Congratulations.