I have an Omega Planet Ocean GMT that needs to be serviced I believe that water may have gotten in through the helium release. Would you be interested in repairing it for me? I don’t know how I could get a hold of you. I don’t have instagram
Yeah, but if you look at the beginning of the video, it was almost dead center and was only 8 seconds fast. After he worked on it, he had to move it almost all the way over to compensate for being 38 seconds fast in the adjustment.
Marshall, you inspired me to follow my life's path. I am now apprenticing for a watch maker that lives in my city. With all of the content that I have watched, I am moving really fast in this industry. You truly gave me the confidence to follow this career. I appreciate so much what you do for the trade. Thank you! You have been instrumental in changing my life.
How did you go about finding the apprenticeship? Did you get a base level of schooling and were connected through that? Or did the chips just fall into place and fate was meant to be? I'm trying to do the exact same as you, but not exactly sure where to start?
@@HispanicPanic26 Rolex is running a 2 year watchmaking school in their Texas location. They open up applications every 6 months. The course is free, and they even pay you $2,000 / month. At the end of the course, they fly you to Switzerland for the final exam. If you pass, you are a certified Rolex technician and will have an offer from Rolex. Might be another option for you. Good luck! 🤞
@@HispanicPanic26I reckon a fair place to ask may be their service centre in Dallas, with a telephone enquiry. You’ll find it on Google Maps if you search under Rolex Watchmaking School, Texas. Good luck.
As a former trainhopper, these hold a warm place in my heart. My grandfather's Elgin got me into watchmaking as well, which ultimately got me on this channel. I picked up a solid 1956 21J 992B movement that I put in my grandfather's case while I amass the tools to do a balance staff repair on my Grandfather's 1920 15J Elgin 313 movement. Thanks for the video, glad to see a pocket watch again:)
Gosh, what a gorgeous movement. That's the sort of movement that makes me want a transparent case back so it can be seen and appreciated without having to open the watch.
Right!? I have watches with NH35s in them that have display case backs that the manufacturer could have not bothered with, yet this gorgeous piece of art is hidden.
Back in the day, a pocket watch salesman had a clear crystal on the back to show off the movement. Those cases are sometimes offered for sale on eBay. They are pricey, but so cool. Right now, gold is a bit over $2700 an ounce so gold plated cases are costing more now.
@@THOMMGBI don't think the gold price majorly influences the value of gold plated things as the amount of gold deposited is very small with electroplating.
@@cyan_oxy6734 You may be right, but one hundred year old gold filled pocket watch cases are being recycled by the thousands these days. The movements are being sold on eBay. Today I bought an Illinois railroad pocket watch movement from a seller called, Saved From Scrappers. It works and is beautiful, but I need to find a proper case for it now. A 16s gold filled case will cost $90.00 to $150.00. A 16s nickel plated case might cost $35 to $60.00, thereabouts. Gold is predicted to hit $3000.00 an ounce by the end of the year. Back in the day, 10 to 14 k gold was plated onto brass. Electroplating wasn’t available or hadn’t been invented yet. I’m not sure when electroplating was invented or if it was ever used on antique watch cases.
17:12 They’re called Swiss screw machines and are sometimes referred to as automatic lathes. The old ones from the days of this watch were all cam driven and used form tools to shape the metal. They’re designed for speed, precision within .0001” and repeatability over large volume. The modern CNC Swiss machines are used all across medical, aerospace and many other industries to make precision components. I run a screw machine department at a facility mostly making surgical instruments, bone screws and aerospace valve components. Been doing it 11 years, very cool machines. Smallest screw thread I’ve ever made is a #0000-160 (160 threads per inch) Smallest hole I’ve drilled was .0078” and the smallest endmill I’ve run is .01”. Carbide tools like that require pneumatic spindle running in excess of 50,000rpm. Fastest cycle time to make a complete part other than a simple pin was 8 seconds (turned pins could get down to 3/4 sec) Most of that was at an old job. The work I do now is larger and more intricate.
Yeah old pocketwatches look way better than all this modern computer made Swiss garbage. Look up Illinois Bunn Special. That's another great railroad watch.
The reason you almost ran out of adjustment on the regulator is because one of the regulating pins is resting on the hairspring. They need to be adjusted so they dont touch the hairspring at all when it is at rest. Then the regulator would be in the middle as it should be. Also you installed the lower balance hole jewel in upside down
i was about to say the same thing. also tightening the screws on reassembly unevenly. truly amateur work. i hope the customer had the work validated by a second opinion after this
My heart almost stopped when you first turned the watch over. My great-grandfather who I'm named after immigrated from Sicily and worked for the rail company in NYC. He had a watch almost exactly like this with a locomotive stamped (?) onto the back case. It was framed and hung up in my grandmothers house until she passed.
I worked on the RR in the 60s,70s,and 80s. When I started a lot of people carried pocket watches, Elgin, Illinois, BW Raymon, and the top of the line was the Hamilton 992B in 18 K gold with a Simmons Gold watch chain. By the mid 70s almost all of us were wearing Bulova Accutrons with the RR face. We also had to take our pocket watches to a RR authorized jeweler to have them tested and certified for accuracy every year. RR watches can't use a Hunters case so the crystals were broken often in use.
I remember my dad telling me about getting his watch card checked. By the time I went to work it wasn't mandatory but I always wore a railroad approved wristwatch (Elgin B.W. Raymond or Ball Trainmaster). By the time I left people were using their damn cell phones to tell time.
Hey Marshal. I absolutely love how every time i watch your videos, it feels that you have a conversation with us. Not only do we get to see how the watches work, but we also learn about their history.
not any more, now that Marshall posted this video. I fully expect this specific Elgin (or other railway-grade pocket watches) to triple in price in a month.
what's the average price range for getting one serviced? I think the main spring is broken on mine. i have an elgin, but i doubt it's as fancy as the one in the video since it isn't in a gold plated case
the ammount of gold, old rubies couldnt be sythetic and tin value alone... im curious if its actually sterling silver instead of high tin brass?? they anadize with copper tin zinc / nickel to grab the gold plating better, it looks like brass. nickel keeps a soft silver color even after polishing, sterling feels like steel
I have a simple Omega pocket watch from 1910. It is such a beautiful and reliable piece. I listen to it at night to help me fall asleep. I suppose it oscillates at 14,000, but I don’t know for sure. It loses about a minute a week. (I lose a lot more than that!)
That must be the most beautiful movement I've seen so far. And the fact that a 111 years old movement is capable of running so precise and perfect blows my mind.
I am a collector of American pocket watches, pre 1900 is my favorite time period. What a lot of people don’t know is that the American pocket watch manufacturing from about 1865 through the 1930’s was the most sophisticated micro machining industry in the world. In the 1890’s, Swiss watchmaking was generally much more crude, and the Swiss often made copies of American models and sold them cheaply in the USA. Collectors usually refer to them as “Swiss Fakes”. They would have non functional “Jewels”, and American sounding names.
In one episode of Pawn Stars Rick told a surprised customer his vintage Tissot pocket watch was junk. Rick said if you if you wanted a 'good' pocket watch you bought an American made one. 'Swiss Made' was originally a US legal requirement. It was to warn buyers they were getting low quality junk. People would be amazed to know that Tissot, Omega and IWC and were originally low end brands. Even Rolex had budget sub brands such as Unicorn and Marconi.
But American watches used the 'Swiss lever' escapement, and before that used the 'English lever' escapement. The finest American watches used the Louis Breguet overcoil hairspring and Breguet was a Franco-German. Most technical innovation in watchmaking was European.
@@TheWinstonDouble sort of........... i got a railroad Elgin just like this one. i bought it on ebay. parcel arrived and the second thing i did was drop the watch !! broke one end off the balance staff, and bent the other end. NO SHOCK PROTECTION !! bad words were used........
Retired watchmaker here. It's very important that you remove the crown, then the sleeve, to clean separately. By not removing it the sleeve will rust since you can never completely dry it if it's still in the case. A major problem with antique American pocket watches is that the sleeve is either weak or broken or simply out of adjustment which makes winding and setting difficult. The default position of the keyless works is in setting, not winding, and the sleeve's job is to keep the crown in either position when it's being used.
@@mrbrisvegas2 you're not entirely wrong but its also a gross oversimplification. any decent trained watchmaker will still be able to make replacement parts from scratch if needs be. however most of the service center watchmakers will only be replacing parts. there are still a lot of watchmakers outside of service centers like in musea or as independents who do regularly make new parts for especially older time-pieces.
@@santiagovasquezvanturnhout550 Making most parts for old watches is technically easy (but expensive and time consuming) because they have big parts, low tolerances and crude materials. Post 1950s watches often require tolerances and materials that are beyond the skills and equipment of the vast majority of independent watchmakers. If the parts aren't available repairs are often not an option.
My grandfather died in the Almonte train wreck and he carried an Illinois pocket watch very similar to this Elgin. Sadly it was stolen from my parent’s house before I developed an interest in watches. I’m hoping to find a similar one to restore soon. Thanks for showcasing this beautiful watch!
It's shocking what you did! Congrats. A 111 year old watch that keeps "perfect" time. You would think that every mechanical watch maker would create movements as accurately as this watch but none exist. It's also my own uneducated opinion that this watch movement is one of the most beautiful I've ever seen. What time only wrist watch movement is the most accurate, most impressive you've ever seen? I think I remember you saying in the past it was a 60s Longines movement but I could be wrong.
Plenty of mechanical watches are being made today that are just as or even more accurate. They just cost a lot. Pretty much any Rolex in good condition will match this. A Grand Seiko will smash it.
@@davidhunternyc1 Don't let timegrapher numbers fool you. All that tells you is how well adjusted the watch is for that particular position, at that particular time and temperature at that moment. When a high-end caliber says +-3 seconds a day, that's over a long period of time in multiple positions, being moved around at different temperatures. Any watch can read 0 on a timegrapher, just keep adjusting it until it does. That does not tell you how accurate it will be in actual use.
@@wingracer1614 Thanks for the clarification. Still, I wonder what the most accurate "vintage" watch movement there is. Not a new Rolex or any other rich man's watch. A true vintage mechanical movement that's beautifully crafted, engineered, and keeps perfect time.
Beautiful! This movement definitely deserved that extra care to get it running "perfectly." I love these old mechanical watches, they are such marvels of ingenuity.
I haven’t taken the time to watch your video for awhile as life got in the way. So happy to be back and see your channel is thriving (as expected)! Your videos helped get me through COVID and a country change. Thanks for what you do! Excited to begin working in watches myself soon
Damn man. I never once in my life cared about watches, don't know a thing about them. But this channel is so calming and well produced I can't help but watch almost all the videos. So big props for explaining things so well and interestingly, even a layman like me is captivated. Keep at it
Marshall, Thank you so much for this video. I have several Elgin railroad pocket watches. I plan to follow along and do exactly what you're doing when I get brave enough to service them. Some of them have a broken balance staff so I'll follow along one of your balance staff repair videos when the time comes. - Thomas
You never disappoint Marshall! I worked for the Railroad for 39 years. I’ve collected many Railroad pocket and wrist watches over the years and now have them in glass dome cases. I carried Hamilton, Ball, Illinois and Elgin watches. Of course I started wearing Ball wristwatches all of these watches required a Railroad certified jeweler, to inspect them at certain interval. Of course when quartz watches came on the scene they didn’t require certification.
Gorgeous movement that screams to be seen and appreciated. The threading on the caseback and the front bezel are identical, which makes turning the case into an exhibition case very easy. A matching front bezel and crystal are not hard to find on eBay. I have a 1952 Hamilton Railway Special with the venerable 992B movement (which runs at about -10 sec/14 days) on my desk, and I often turn the watch around on its stand just so I can admire the working movement.
There are historic videos available showing work underway at the American factories where these watches were made. The number of parts and amount of work that went into assembling each watch is staggering by modern standards, especially considering every part and every single screw was made in-house. These watches were only made affordable for working and middle-class owners by the adoption of mass-production tooling and assembly methods modelled on the auto industry, combined with the availability of a highly skilled labour force. Scale this level of quality down to boutique-level production in modern wristwatches , and you are looking at prices in the stratosphere!
@@seayak They only reason boutique prices are in the stratosphere is gullible purchasers. Modern CNC machines can perform movement any decoration you want in a few seconds. The Chinese sell highly decorated (gold plating, perlage, Geneva bridges, blue screws, engraving etc) movements for less than $100.
Sometimes it's hard to justify watching a 40+ minute video. However, I have never, given life allows, ended one of your videos before it was finished. Keep up the great work!
I luv yer content!!!… you do a great job narrating your vids!!…. I started this hobby/skill to repair my Dads “unfixable”, “ruined” watch…. After over a year and about 70+ service/repairs on watches I picked up at garage sales and eBay, I gained enough experience and knowledge to fix it…I’m proudly wearing my Dads Croton watch from 1960 and it keeps perfect time!!! So thanx bro!! Your encouragement and shared experience in no small part helped me…. Sub for life!!!..😉👍😁… keep on trucking!!!…
I have watched almost all your videos, and I must say, this one brought some new-to-the-channel energy. It was so nice to hear the excitement in your voice when you got that watch to 0ms, 290 and +/-0spd. Congrats! What a beautiful piece.
The reason why these are so valued is not only because they keep good time, but also because they are considered mechanical jewelry for men. Not unlike a Ferrari or a fine firearm.
There's a guy in Germany that bought a facing machine that does all the facing on metal surfaces like this and so many other top grade watches have, and there is no one left alive to actually teach anyone how to use it, and this guy not only figured it out through years of trial and error, but has actually created new patterns to apply to watches that most of the plates that these machines used have been lost to time and damage or whatever factors have taken them from the Machining industry. so not only has he been replacing the ones that were lost but has also bee creating new ones and is actually teaching a whole new generation of Watch makers on how to use these machines and to apply these patterns to the metal surfaces to watches inside and out. If you look at modern Mechanical watch makers, they either have those machines, which they have been using to apply these finishes to, or they don't have them at all, in which they either stay undecorated or they may try to use lasers to apply decorations to, but then you can run into hardening differences in the metal that can cause uneven wear, so it is definitely a lost art.
Your words regarding pocket watches are very nice to hear. I do have and daily use a mechanical pocket watch with a railroad motive, even though it is not built to railroad standards. I wind it up every morning in the office when I put into a holder I designed and 3D printed (have the same at home on my desk). There is something magical about these mechanical watches and I much like that I can just take a short look and read the time in an instant, without needing to move my arms, or to click or tap somewhere, or to "wake up" a mobile phone. The pocket watch in the video is a lovely piece of art and craftsmanship! Your commentary shows respect and love for these "bulky" timekeeping devices that once were the norm. My pocketwatch is also quite bulky (18 jewels "railroad" Molnija 3603 with an open case) and I carry it with me all the time.
I love everything about these videos. I admit I misheard your description of the "cap jewel." I thought you were saying "captule," like ampule or carpule. I thought it was meant to capture the oil.😁
My Nonna always used to say `` When watching RUclips and a Pop Up Advert disturbs, interrupts and annoys the hell out of you and disrupts the video you are watching, NEVER EVER BUY ANYTHING FROM THAT SPONSOR OR ADVERTISER``, I live my life by that rule. Up yours RUclips. Great Video, as always. Glen UK.
I also would very much like to get one of those.I am one arm and hand this would definitely help me,if you find out where he got it let me know please I would greatly appreciate it.
Thank you so much for making this video… had started to restore this exact model many months ago. Got busy with college and this was the motivation I needed to finish. :)
@@clivewiddall3430 The Americans made the best mass produced watches. The French and English made the finest luxury watches. The Swiss watch industry primarily catered to the absolute bottom of the market. The Swiss only got ahead because almost every other country closed their watch industries during WW2.
@@mrbrisvegas2 Hard to make watches when your shop got shelled into oblivion, all your machine tools were captured and repurposed and all your skilled workers were dead. Swiss and US didn't have those problems.
@@wingracer1614 Everybody except Switzerland stopped making watches at the start of WW2 to concentrate on making military equipment. Many manufacturers didn't resume watch making until the 1950s. eg Smiths is now far better known for making speedometers than watches.
Have a B.W. Raymond in my small collection, one of my favorites. My daily carry (yes i carry a pocket watch daily) is a 110 year old Hamilton 992. I may have to reset it once a month. Great video! Enjoy your videos immensely. Thank you.
not sure i like the modern approach. nowdays "no-one will see it, dont bother" old times, "no-one will see it, lets make it beautiful, because we can" when saw the works i was just amazed. nice job again Marshall, also i dont think anybody would disagree that you should put your own "marks" on the caseback. i can see a time 200years from now the "antiques road show" expert saying to owner "you have a rare Marshall fixed watch from the early 2020's that worth a lot of money" "oh it is not for sale"
You put the mainspring barrel through the cleaning machine, yet didn't re-oil the spring or barrel internally. It's not the greatest idea. That will eventually wear out the barrel.
The detail work on parts that will most likely only be seen by someone servicing the watch is crazy I tell ya!!!! It was very cool to see the attention to detail that you put into making this work as close to perfect as possible.
Why dont you ever change the lift angle. I've seen people mention this plenty of time and you simply ignore the criticism and spread misinformation. Older pocket watches of that era have a lift angle of around 38/44. Not only is your amplitude much lower than what your machine shows, but the rate will also be different. I appreciate your efforts in sharing your passion for watchmaking, but when you have such a large audience you should at least verify that you know what you're doing AND saying. A few months in watchmaking school is more than enought to realise the amount of mistakes you make when servicing movements and how you're in most cases shortening the life od the timepieces you work on. This is coming from someone who used to ADORE your videos, and i promise a few weeks of training could make your videos so much more insightful, but everytime I see someone mention these things it always gets ignored by you.
An acquaintance of mine is an expert on the Waltham Watch Company, and has most of the machinery they used. You're right...they are large machines, and made of steel and/or iron. You'd need a pallet jack or forklift to move them. They're up here in Maine, and I've seen most of them...amazing!
I was like "wait, the watch is done - why is the video so long?" Finally, I get to see the absolute madness of min-maxing the precision of it, lovely! And with insane results as well, 0 seconds, 0 beat error.
I have several pocket watches including one of these. Plain on the outside but open the back and you are blown away. Such detail. I have mine serviced at a local watch place and he was like a little kid when I first walked in with my Bunn Special as it was way different from the usual walk in wristwatches he got. Couldn't wait to open it up and did a great job. Extremely accurate.
Almost threw my remote through the TV screen when you balanced the movement on the 2nd wheel to pull the canon pinion. You made a deal with Murphy on that one.
Pocket watches are how i got my start. I have a collection and couldn't find anyone to service them so I watched some videos and took some online classes, bought the tools and started working on my own. Thanks to Marshal.
Great job with sharing your knowledge and patience! I get lost with so many pieces that I could imagine remembering how to reassemble a masterpiece as you have shown us! Thanks for All you do ❤
I serviced an Elgin Model 4 from 1907 with a Gold filled Hunter case last year. It runs within 20seconds a day now. Picked it up at an auction for $20. It was just seized from old natural grease. I used all synth to oil it after disassembly and cleaning. Not bad for 116 years old. They certainly don’t make them like this anymore. Great hobby to be in.
I have an Elgin Veritas 23 Jewel lever-set with a timezone hand. It was my Grandfathers, he was a freight conductor for the Pennsylvania RailRoad on the Ft.Wayne to Chicago route. It was made circa 1905 - 1907 still runs well.
Thank you for giving pocket watches some love too. These movements are so gorgeous! Incidentally, that ring in the end is a dust ring. It helps to keep dust and debris out.
I'm mesmerized by these videos. While I'm very mechanically inclined, (work on tractors, trucks, cars, ect) I couldn't do this. I'm a giant, my hands are WAY too big. The craftsmanship of this watch is absolutely stunning.
I have an Elgin made in 1896 with an acid etched case celebrating ‘The Grand Army of The Republic’ reunion that year. The movement isn’t fancy at all but does have the lever adjustment for setting time.
I just started watching your videos a few weeks ago, and last night, my dad walks over and literally hands me one of these. It needs some work, but I'm sure it's from the same period. He worked on the railroad for over 40 years, so it's likely to be a railroad model as well. Strange coincidence!
I am always amazed at the mechanical engineering in these watches. The engineers who created the individual components which are used in these watches were craftsmen and engineers. Utterly beautiful watch.
Marshall Sutcliffe?? From Limited Resources?? I've stepped away from MtG for moral reasons, but I've missed your casting, commentary, and podcasts. Timekeeping is exceptionally interesting and I'm excited to learn more!
This reminds me of my Grandfather's pocket watch that was passed down to me. It's a 23 jewel Waltham; he worked on the railroad in the Adirondacks here in Upstate NY.
The craftsmanship of that watch absolutely deserved to have you take the time to get running as best you could. That watch now keeps time better than an orchestra under Leonard Bernstein's baton. Bravo! 👏
0 beat error and 0 seconds a day. Incredible for something created over a century ago. Props to the watch revivalist!
I have an Omega Planet Ocean GMT that needs to be serviced I believe that water may have gotten in through the helium release. Would you be interested in repairing it for me? I don’t know how I could get a hold of you. I don’t have instagram
Nah @@LifesurvivalEDC
Yeah, but if you look at the beginning of the video, it was almost dead center and was only 8 seconds fast. After he worked on it, he had to move it almost all the way over to compensate for being 38 seconds fast in the adjustment.
Yes! Beautiful watch and fantastic to see it running so well 😀 Now it just needs to be regulated in the other 5 positions 😅
@@LifesurvivalEDC Grampas lost again
Marshall, you inspired me to follow my life's path. I am now apprenticing for a watch maker that lives in my city. With all of the content that I have watched, I am moving really fast in this industry. You truly gave me the confidence to follow this career. I appreciate so much what you do for the trade. Thank you! You have been instrumental in changing my life.
How did you go about finding the apprenticeship? Did you get a base level of schooling and were connected through that? Or did the chips just fall into place and fate was meant to be? I'm trying to do the exact same as you, but not exactly sure where to start?
@@HispanicPanic26 Rolex is running a 2 year watchmaking school in their Texas location. They open up applications every 6 months. The course is free, and they even pay you $2,000 / month. At the end of the course, they fly you to Switzerland for the final exam. If you pass, you are a certified Rolex technician and will have an offer from Rolex. Might be another option for you. Good luck! 🤞
@@WatchRestorationCottage where do I sign up at?
@@HispanicPanic26Good luck! Good watch makers are thin on the ground.
@@HispanicPanic26I reckon a fair place to ask may be their service centre in Dallas, with a telephone enquiry. You’ll find it on Google Maps if you search under Rolex Watchmaking School, Texas. Good luck.
As a former trainhopper, these hold a warm place in my heart. My grandfather's Elgin got me into watchmaking as well, which ultimately got me on this channel. I picked up a solid 1956 21J 992B movement that I put in my grandfather's case while I amass the tools to do a balance staff repair on my Grandfather's 1920 15J Elgin 313 movement. Thanks for the video, glad to see a pocket watch again:)
Good luck!
Gosh, what a gorgeous movement. That's the sort of movement that makes me want a transparent case back so it can be seen and appreciated without having to open the watch.
Right!? I have watches with NH35s in them that have display case backs that the manufacturer could have not bothered with, yet this gorgeous piece of art is hidden.
Back in the day, a pocket watch salesman had a clear crystal on the back to show off the movement. Those cases are sometimes offered for sale on eBay. They are pricey, but so cool. Right now, gold is a bit over $2700 an ounce so gold plated cases are costing more now.
What I came to post as well.
@@THOMMGBI don't think the gold price majorly influences the value of gold plated things as the amount of gold deposited is very small with electroplating.
@@cyan_oxy6734 You may be right, but one hundred year old gold filled pocket watch cases are being recycled by the thousands these days. The movements are being sold on eBay. Today I bought an Illinois railroad pocket watch movement from a seller called, Saved From Scrappers. It works and is beautiful, but I need to find a proper case for it now. A 16s gold filled case will cost $90.00 to $150.00. A 16s nickel plated case might cost $35 to $60.00, thereabouts. Gold is predicted to hit $3000.00 an ounce by the end of the year. Back in the day, 10 to 14 k gold was plated onto brass. Electroplating wasn’t available or hadn’t been invented yet. I’m not sure when electroplating was invented or if it was ever used on antique watch cases.
17:12 They’re called Swiss screw machines and are sometimes referred to as automatic lathes. The old ones from the days of this watch were all cam driven and used form tools to shape the metal. They’re designed for speed, precision within .0001” and repeatability over large volume. The modern CNC Swiss machines are used all across medical, aerospace and many other industries to make precision components. I run a screw machine department at a facility mostly making surgical instruments, bone screws and aerospace valve components. Been doing it 11 years, very cool machines. Smallest screw thread I’ve ever made is a #0000-160 (160 threads per inch) Smallest hole I’ve drilled was .0078” and the smallest endmill I’ve run is .01”. Carbide tools like that require pneumatic spindle running in excess of 50,000rpm. Fastest cycle time to make a complete part other than a simple pin was 8 seconds (turned pins could get down to 3/4 sec) Most of that was at an old job. The work I do now is larger and more intricate.
Wow, very cool info! I'm impressed with the ability to make tiny precision parts before the digital age.
I'm originally a toolmaker and the world of Swiss screw machines has always fascinated me. Thanks for your insight!
Takes me back to using cams !! The Swiss screw machines now are putting out works of art. Live tooling gives you a finished part in such a short time
There is a jaw shaped hole in my floor right now, one of my favorites you've ever had on the channel. What a work of art
Agree. I wanna see more older pocket watches. Like from the 17th and 18th century.
That is without any shadow of doubt the most beautiful movement I have ever seen.
Just wow
Maxwell makes the best repairs and videos on RUclips.
Yeah old pocketwatches look way better than all this modern computer made Swiss garbage. Look up Illinois Bunn Special. That's another great railroad watch.
The reason you almost ran out of adjustment on the regulator is because one of the regulating pins is resting on the hairspring. They need to be adjusted so they dont touch the hairspring at all when it is at rest. Then the regulator would be in the middle as it should be. Also you installed the lower balance hole jewel in upside down
i was about to say the same thing. also tightening the screws on reassembly unevenly. truly amateur work. i hope the customer had the work validated by a second opinion after this
My heart almost stopped when you first turned the watch over. My great-grandfather who I'm named after immigrated from Sicily and worked for the rail company in NYC. He had a watch almost exactly like this with a locomotive stamped (?) onto the back case. It was framed and hung up in my grandmothers house until she passed.
Lol, I read the one sentence as “He was framed and hung”.. where are my glasses? 😅
Beautiful watch, great work.
I worked on the RR in the 60s,70s,and 80s. When I started a lot of people carried pocket watches, Elgin, Illinois, BW Raymon, and the top of the line was the Hamilton 992B in 18 K gold with a Simmons Gold watch chain. By the mid 70s almost all of us were wearing Bulova Accutrons with the RR face.
We also had to take our pocket watches to a RR authorized jeweler to have them tested and certified for accuracy every year.
RR watches can't use a Hunters case so the crystals were broken often in use.
I remember my dad telling me about getting his watch card checked. By the time I went to work it wasn't mandatory but I always wore a railroad approved wristwatch (Elgin B.W. Raymond or Ball Trainmaster). By the time I left people were using their damn cell phones to tell time.
I had my grandfathers Waltham railroad pocket watch until I hocked it for $40 twenty five years ago. Man’s gotta eat 🤷♂️.
@@allenhughes12oh well, use what you have and a cell phone is far more useful than a watch despite luddites whining
Hey Marshal. I absolutely love how every time i watch your videos, it feels that you have a conversation with us. Not only do we get to see how the watches work, but we also learn about their history.
I'm a firm believer that old pocket watches like this are criminally undervalued.
not any more, now that Marshall posted this video. I fully expect this specific Elgin (or other railway-grade pocket watches) to triple in price in a month.
@@TiagoJoaoSilva One can only wish
what's the average price range for getting one serviced? I think the main spring is broken on mine. i have an elgin, but i doubt it's as fancy as the one in the video since it isn't in a gold plated case
the ammount of gold, old rubies couldnt be sythetic and tin value alone...
im curious if its actually sterling silver instead of high tin brass??
they anadize with copper tin zinc / nickel to grab the gold plating better, it looks like brass. nickel keeps a soft silver color even after polishing,
sterling feels like steel
I have a simple Omega pocket watch from 1910. It is such a beautiful and reliable piece. I listen to it at night to help me fall asleep. I suppose it oscillates at 14,000, but I don’t know for sure. It loses about a minute a week. (I lose a lot more than that!)
That must be the most beautiful movement I've seen so far. And the fact that a 111 years old movement is capable of running so precise and perfect blows my mind.
I am a collector of American pocket watches, pre 1900 is my favorite time period. What a lot of people don’t know is that the American pocket watch manufacturing from about 1865 through the 1930’s was the most sophisticated micro machining industry in the world. In the 1890’s, Swiss watchmaking was generally much more crude, and the Swiss often made copies of American models and sold them cheaply in the USA. Collectors usually refer to them as “Swiss Fakes”. They would have non functional
“Jewels”, and American sounding names.
In one episode of Pawn Stars Rick told a surprised customer his vintage Tissot pocket watch was junk. Rick said if you if you wanted a 'good' pocket watch you bought an American made one.
'Swiss Made' was originally a US legal requirement. It was to warn buyers they were getting low quality junk.
People would be amazed to know that Tissot, Omega and IWC and were originally low end brands. Even Rolex had budget sub brands such as Unicorn and Marconi.
But American watches used the 'Swiss lever' escapement, and before that used the 'English lever' escapement. The finest American watches used the Louis Breguet overcoil hairspring and Breguet was a Franco-German. Most technical innovation in watchmaking was European.
@@urseliusurgel4365 Americans watch companies were good at mass production. They weren't innovators and didn't make high end watches.
@mrbrisvegas2 They made fuckin quality watches though. A lot of them still run on time, or have the potential to like this one.
@@TheWinstonDouble sort of........... i got a railroad Elgin just like this one. i bought it on ebay. parcel arrived and the second thing i did was drop the watch !! broke one end off the balance staff, and bent the other end. NO SHOCK PROTECTION !! bad words were used........
Retired watchmaker here. It's very important that you remove the crown, then the sleeve, to clean separately. By not removing it the sleeve will rust since you can never completely dry it if it's still in the case. A major problem with antique American pocket watches is that the sleeve is either weak or broken or simply out of adjustment which makes winding and setting difficult. The default position of the keyless works is in setting, not winding, and the sleeve's job is to keep the crown in either position when it's being used.
Do watchmakers actually make watches or repair them?
@@Execute_Order_66_DO_IT Plumbers don't use lead pipes any more but they're still called plumbers.
@@Execute_Order_66_DO_IT They don't make watches. Repairs are basically swapping parts.
@@mrbrisvegas2 you're not entirely wrong but its also a gross oversimplification. any decent trained watchmaker will still be able to make replacement parts from scratch if needs be. however most of the service center watchmakers will only be replacing parts. there are still a lot of watchmakers outside of service centers like in musea or as independents who do regularly make new parts for especially older time-pieces.
@@santiagovasquezvanturnhout550
Making most parts for old watches is technically easy (but expensive and time consuming) because they have big parts, low tolerances and crude materials.
Post 1950s watches often require tolerances and materials that are beyond the skills and equipment of the vast majority of independent watchmakers. If the parts aren't available repairs are often not an option.
My grandfather died in the Almonte train wreck and he carried an Illinois pocket watch very similar to this Elgin. Sadly it was stolen from my parent’s house before I developed an interest in watches. I’m hoping to find a similar one to restore soon. Thanks for showcasing this beautiful watch!
It's shocking what you did! Congrats. A 111 year old watch that keeps "perfect" time. You would think that every mechanical watch maker would create movements as accurately as this watch but none exist. It's also my own uneducated opinion that this watch movement is one of the most beautiful I've ever seen. What time only wrist watch movement is the most accurate, most impressive you've ever seen? I think I remember you saying in the past it was a 60s Longines movement but I could be wrong.
Plenty of mechanical watches are being made today that are just as or even more accurate. They just cost a lot. Pretty much any Rolex in good condition will match this. A Grand Seiko will smash it.
@@wingracer1614 A Grand Seiko uses quartz. It's cheating. Also, most high caliber mechanical watch movements have a +/- 3 seconds a day or more.
@@davidhunternyc1 Don't let timegrapher numbers fool you. All that tells you is how well adjusted the watch is for that particular position, at that particular time and temperature at that moment. When a high-end caliber says +-3 seconds a day, that's over a long period of time in multiple positions, being moved around at different temperatures. Any watch can read 0 on a timegrapher, just keep adjusting it until it does. That does not tell you how accurate it will be in actual use.
@@wingracer1614 Thanks for the clarification. Still, I wonder what the most accurate "vintage" watch movement there is. Not a new Rolex or any other rich man's watch. A true vintage mechanical movement that's beautifully crafted, engineered, and keeps perfect time.
Beautiful! This movement definitely deserved that extra care to get it running "perfectly." I love these old mechanical watches, they are such marvels of ingenuity.
I haven’t taken the time to watch your video for awhile as life got in the way. So happy to be back and see your channel is thriving (as expected)! Your videos helped get me through COVID and a country change. Thanks for what you do! Excited to begin working in watches myself soon
Get ready it’s going to change again
That's no wristwatch he's reviving!
W first comment
Well no, it's a pocket watch with a display dome. A very nice piece indeed.
Get over it
@@tomahoksexactly
What is this, a wristwatch for giants?!
Damn man. I never once in my life cared about watches, don't know a thing about them. But this channel is so calming and well produced I can't help but watch almost all the videos. So big props for explaining things so well and interestingly, even a layman like me is captivated. Keep at it
Marshall, Thank you so much for this video. I have several Elgin railroad pocket watches. I plan to follow along and do exactly what you're doing when I get brave enough to service them. Some of them have a broken balance staff so I'll follow along one of your balance staff repair videos when the time comes. - Thomas
brilliant
You never disappoint Marshall! I worked for the Railroad for 39 years. I’ve collected many Railroad pocket and wrist watches over the years and now have them in glass dome cases. I carried Hamilton, Ball, Illinois and Elgin watches. Of course I started wearing Ball wristwatches all of these watches required a Railroad certified jeweler, to inspect them at certain interval. Of course when quartz watches came on the scene they didn’t require certification.
Gorgeous movement that screams to be seen and appreciated. The threading on the caseback and the front bezel are identical, which makes turning the case into an exhibition case very easy. A matching front bezel and crystal are not hard to find on eBay. I have a 1952 Hamilton Railway Special with the venerable 992B movement (which runs at about -10 sec/14 days) on my desk, and I often turn the watch around on its stand just so I can admire the working movement.
That is probably the most beautiful time piece you have featured on the channel, Marshall.
Excellent. Love seeing pocket watches get the spotlight. ❤
As always the most thoughtful , well researched & eloquent watch channel around , keep MAMACOO coming !
I so wish they still finished movements this way 😢. Stunning, omg! Fabulous work, as usual 😊
They do,on Rolex and Patek Philippe watches.
@@fw1421 no modern movements have demaskeening. That's the technical term for the patterns that are etched on the bridges.
There are historic videos available showing work underway at the American factories where these watches were made. The number of parts and amount of work that went into assembling each watch is staggering by modern standards, especially considering every part and every single screw was made in-house. These watches were only made affordable for working and middle-class owners by the adoption of mass-production tooling and assembly methods modelled on the auto industry, combined with the availability of a highly skilled labour force. Scale this level of quality down to boutique-level production in modern wristwatches , and you are looking at prices in the stratosphere!
Omega
@@seayak They only reason boutique prices are in the stratosphere is gullible purchasers. Modern CNC machines can perform movement any decoration you want in a few seconds. The Chinese sell highly decorated (gold plating, perlage, Geneva bridges, blue screws, engraving etc) movements for less than $100.
Sometimes it's hard to justify watching a 40+ minute video. However, I have never, given life allows, ended one of your videos before it was finished. Keep up the great work!
I luv yer content!!!… you do a great job narrating your vids!!…. I started this hobby/skill to repair my Dads “unfixable”, “ruined” watch…. After over a year and about 70+ service/repairs on watches I picked up at garage sales and eBay, I gained enough experience and knowledge to fix it…I’m proudly wearing my Dads Croton watch from 1960 and it keeps perfect time!!! So thanx bro!! Your encouragement and shared experience in no small part helped me…. Sub for life!!!..😉👍😁… keep on trucking!!!…
Shouldn't that be "keep on ticking"? 👍
Right on!!..🤣😂… keep on ticking!!!…👍
I have an Elgin railroad grade made in 1876 ,key wound and it keeps perfect time. I love these old watches.
I have watched almost all your videos, and I must say, this one brought some new-to-the-channel energy. It was so nice to hear the excitement in your voice when you got that watch to 0ms, 290 and +/-0spd. Congrats! What a beautiful piece.
The reason why these are so valued is not only because they keep good time, but also because they are considered mechanical jewelry for men. Not unlike a Ferrari or a fine firearm.
Really appreciate your dedication to keeping these treasures original as possible. My great-grandfather left me an Elgin & a Waltham that need repair.
Great to see you go the extra mile, and take us along with you.....great vid' 👌👍👌👍
As always the most thoughtful , well researched & eloquent watch channel around , keep AMZWATCH coming !
There's a guy in Germany that bought a facing machine that does all the facing on metal surfaces like this and so many other top grade watches have, and there is no one left alive to actually teach anyone how to use it, and this guy not only figured it out through years of trial and error, but has actually created new patterns to apply to watches that most of the plates that these machines used have been lost to time and damage or whatever factors have taken them from the Machining industry. so not only has he been replacing the ones that were lost but has also bee creating new ones and is actually teaching a whole new generation of Watch makers on how to use these machines and to apply these patterns to the metal surfaces to watches inside and out. If you look at modern Mechanical watch makers, they either have those machines, which they have been using to apply these finishes to, or they don't have them at all, in which they either stay undecorated or they may try to use lasers to apply decorations to, but then you can run into hardening differences in the metal that can cause uneven wear, so it is definitely a lost art.
I absolutely love working on these pocket watches from this time period. Blows my mind the craftsmanship in those days!
Woooo! Favorite time of the day is Marshall time!
Your words regarding pocket watches are very nice to hear. I do have and daily use a mechanical pocket watch with a railroad motive, even though it is not built to railroad standards. I wind it up every morning in the office when I put into a holder I designed and 3D printed (have the same at home on my desk). There is something magical about these mechanical watches and I much like that I can just take a short look and read the time in an instant, without needing to move my arms, or to click or tap somewhere, or to "wake up" a mobile phone.
The pocket watch in the video is a lovely piece of art and craftsmanship! Your commentary shows respect and love for these "bulky" timekeeping devices that once were the norm. My pocketwatch is also quite bulky (18 jewels "railroad" Molnija 3603 with an open case) and I carry it with me all the time.
111 year old watch running that good is amazing
I love everything about these videos. I admit I misheard your description of the "cap jewel." I thought you were saying "captule," like ampule or carpule. I thought it was meant to capture the oil.😁
You are absolutely right Marshall, simply gorgeous movement!! 😮
Congratulations on the successful precision adjustments! It's very compelling to watch you explain these designs.
I have an old Elgin as well, my grandfather said it was a conductors watch, though mine is silver. Hasn't been serviced in at least 75 years...
I’m just as enamored with the craftsmanship as you are. I wish everything was made like this, remember when even cash registers were this beautiful
My Nonna always used to say `` When watching RUclips and a Pop Up Advert disturbs, interrupts and annoys the hell out of you and disrupts the video you are watching, NEVER EVER BUY ANYTHING FROM THAT SPONSOR OR ADVERTISER``, I live my life by that rule. Up yours RUclips. Great Video, as always. Glen UK.
What a grand watch! Love your level of detail and narration. A copy of your video should accompany the watch when gifted.
That’s a beautiful watch.
Judging by the stopped second hand, it consistently shows the correct time twice a day.
Beautiful movement! Share the link for the adjustable tool used for securing the balance bridge! Thanks!
I also would very much like to get one of those.I am one arm and hand this would definitely help me,if you find out where he got it let me know please I would greatly appreciate it.
You can hear, just in his vocal inflection, how much respect he has for the craftsmanship of this watch.
Amazing videos as always! Do you have a link for the pins holder device? That works very well for small parts it appears.
That watch really is a thing of great beauty and the fact that it keeps perfect time after more than a century just blows my mind. Stunning.
Okay Marshall, you have to tell us where you got the little fractal vise!
I want one too!
me too!
Thank you so much for making this video… had started to restore this exact model many months ago. Got busy with college and this was the motivation I needed to finish. :)
Before WW2 the USA made some of the best watches in the world. and the railroad watches are the best of the best of that era.
No they didn’t
@@clivewiddall3430 The Americans made the best mass produced watches. The French and English made the finest luxury watches. The Swiss watch industry primarily catered to the absolute bottom of the market. The Swiss only got ahead because almost every other country closed their watch industries during WW2.
@@mrbrisvegas2 Hard to make watches when your shop got shelled into oblivion, all your machine tools were captured and repurposed and all your skilled workers were dead. Swiss and US didn't have those problems.
@@wingracer1614 Everybody except Switzerland stopped making watches at the start of WW2 to concentrate on making military equipment. Many manufacturers didn't resume watch making until the 1950s. eg Smiths is now far better known for making speedometers than watches.
That movement was gorgeous, Marshall!
Link to purchase the small parts holder? Also, you should try your hand at an Accutron 218 or 214 movement watch.
Have a B.W. Raymond in my small collection, one of my favorites. My daily carry (yes i carry a pocket watch daily) is a 110 year old Hamilton 992.
I may have to reset it once a month.
Great video! Enjoy your videos immensely. Thank you.
not sure i like the modern approach.
nowdays "no-one will see it, dont bother"
old times, "no-one will see it, lets make it beautiful, because we can"
when saw the works i was just amazed.
nice job again Marshall, also i dont think anybody would disagree that you should put your own "marks" on the caseback.
i can see a time 200years from now the "antiques road show" expert saying to owner "you have a rare Marshall fixed watch from the early 2020's that worth a lot of money"
"oh it is not for sale"
The vast majority of pocket watch movements were extremely crude and very ugly. Only very high end models had finishing like this.
Fabulously produced video as always ... and a nice watch too! Loved watching
Happy 100 episodes Marshal! Thank goodness for this channel 🎉
You put the mainspring barrel through the cleaning machine, yet didn't re-oil the spring or barrel internally. It's not the greatest idea. That will eventually wear out the barrel.
The detail work on parts that will most likely only be seen by someone servicing the watch is crazy I tell ya!!!! It was very cool to see the attention to detail that you put into making this work as close to perfect as possible.
Why dont you ever change the lift angle. I've seen people mention this plenty of time and you simply ignore the criticism and spread misinformation. Older pocket watches of that era have a lift angle of around 38/44. Not only is your amplitude much lower than what your machine shows, but the rate will also be different.
I appreciate your efforts in sharing your passion for watchmaking, but when you have such a large audience you should at least verify that you know what you're doing AND saying. A few months in watchmaking school is more than enought to realise the amount of mistakes you make when servicing movements and how you're in most cases shortening the life od the timepieces you work on.
This is coming from someone who used to ADORE your videos, and i promise a few weeks of training could make your videos so much more insightful, but everytime I see someone mention these things it always gets ignored by you.
A very enchanting, almost hypnotic presentation from beginning to end. Thank you. You just earned my subscription.
We live in the shadow of a once-great society
An acquaintance of mine is an expert on the Waltham Watch Company, and has most of the machinery they used. You're right...they are large machines, and made of steel and/or iron. You'd need a pallet jack or forklift to move them. They're up here in Maine, and I've seen most of them...amazing!
I was like "wait, the watch is done - why is the video so long?"
Finally, I get to see the absolute madness of min-maxing the precision of it, lovely!
And with insane results as well, 0 seconds, 0 beat error.
I really appreciate how you make things so straightforward.
The chef's kiss for me was the counter-bored holes for the screw heads to sit flush. Very nice
I love watching these restorations. Very cool to see the technology of years ago that really hasn't changed much in so long.
So easy to see the class, craft and the love for top quality craftsmanship.
Watching from the UK
I have several pocket watches including one of these. Plain on the outside but open the back and you are blown away. Such detail. I have mine serviced at a local watch place and he was like a little kid when I first walked in with my Bunn Special as it was way different from the usual walk in wristwatches he got. Couldn't wait to open it up and did a great job. Extremely accurate.
111 years old and still running so well you could run a railroad on it. THAT is craftsmanship.
A marvelous piece of engineering, beautifully preserved by the man who understands clocks and has kept it in truly prestigious condition.
Almost threw my remote through the TV screen when you balanced the movement on the 2nd wheel to pull the canon pinion. You made a deal with Murphy on that one.
Pocket watches are how i got my start. I have a collection and couldn't find anyone to service them so I watched some videos and took some online classes, bought the tools and started working on my own. Thanks to Marshal.
This timepiece video is absolutely amazing. Thank you for teaching us so much in such a short amount of time.
Great job with sharing your knowledge and patience! I get lost with so many pieces that I could imagine remembering how to reassemble a masterpiece as you have shown us! Thanks for All you do ❤
My mother worked for Elgin Watch. She had pictures of the fire also. Great video!
I serviced an Elgin Model 4 from 1907 with a Gold filled Hunter case last year. It runs within 20seconds a day now.
Picked it up at an auction for $20.
It was just seized from old natural grease. I used all synth to oil it after disassembly and cleaning.
Not bad for 116 years old.
They certainly don’t make them like this anymore.
Great hobby to be in.
Love that impression holder! Great idea.
The artwork on that movement deserves a glass back on this watch
I have an Elgin Veritas 23 Jewel lever-set with a timezone hand. It was my Grandfathers, he was a freight conductor for the Pennsylvania RailRoad on the Ft.Wayne to Chicago route. It was made circa 1905 - 1907 still runs well.
Thank you for giving pocket watches some love too. These movements are so gorgeous!
Incidentally, that ring in the end is a dust ring. It helps to keep dust and debris out.
I'm mesmerized by these videos. While I'm very mechanically inclined, (work on tractors, trucks, cars, ect) I couldn't do this. I'm a giant, my hands are WAY too big. The craftsmanship of this watch is absolutely stunning.
What a gorgeously finished movement. Hope your family members enjoys it for years to come .
I have an Elgin made in 1896 with an acid etched case celebrating ‘The Grand Army of The Republic’ reunion that year. The movement isn’t fancy at all but does have the lever adjustment for setting time.
Wow--you opened the back and I was just wow!!! ❤❤❤
I just started watching your videos a few weeks ago, and last night, my dad walks over and literally hands me one of these. It needs some work, but I'm sure it's from the same period. He worked on the railroad for over 40 years, so it's likely to be a railroad model as well. Strange coincidence!
I am always amazed at the mechanical engineering in these watches. The engineers who created the individual components which are used in these watches were craftsmen and engineers.
Utterly beautiful watch.
Marshall Sutcliffe?? From Limited Resources??
I've stepped away from MtG for moral reasons, but I've missed your casting, commentary, and podcasts.
Timekeeping is exceptionally interesting and I'm excited to learn more!
This reminds me of my Grandfather's pocket watch that was passed down to me. It's a 23 jewel Waltham; he worked on the railroad in the Adirondacks here in Upstate NY.
Dude I was just watching a video of the MTG tournament in Vegas and I recognized your voice! That’s awesome you do commentating for that!
Decoration of that movement is absolutely incredible!
Well bloody done, 0 seconds a day error on a 100+ year old workers watch, another pleasure to watch.
The craftsmanship of that watch absolutely deserved to have you take the time to get running as best you could. That watch now keeps time better than an orchestra under Leonard Bernstein's baton. Bravo! 👏
That’s the type of thing most of us wish we would have passed down to us. Beautiful gift to future generations. Wonderful job sir!