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Wrist & Pocket Watches

Started by finlover, September 23, 2009, 03:33:13 PM

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RDPipes

Quote from: Contempra on February 02, 2023, 09:43:48 AMI have a few  Westclox pocket watches . They don't all work. Anyway, these are watches that are not supposed to be serviceable, but many do when some have screws, but not those that have the riveted movement. But they are called (dollar watch).

I too have a Westclox pocket watch but, it's fairly early I believe with a glass crystal and its in bad need of a cleaning because it'll only run for a short time. Maybe one of these days when I get the nerve up to pull it from its case I'll clean it.

Contempra

Quote from: RDPipes on February 02, 2023, 10:30:05 AMI too have a Westclox pocket watch but, it's fairly early I believe with a glass crystal and its in bad need of a cleaning because it'll only run for a short time. Maybe one of these days when I get the nerve up to pull it from its case I'll clean it.


Good luck because, even this kind of pocket watch is not as easy as one thinks to replace the parts between the two plates, and, the day when you will remove the paetite 'pine' from the balance spring, take care ! and get yourself a good jeweler's loupe. It's my advice because this 'pine' that holds the spring is small... but you'll see that it's not as easy as it looks. I tried it so I could tell you, Ron. But once that's done, it'll run for decades without a hitch. However , these are not watches that keep time because there is no ' jewel ' .

That's why we call it 'dollar watches' ;) finally, they are collectible because I have at least 6 of them. BE CAREFUL of those which are luminescent (RADIUM) it is very dangerous to open them carelessly! Those I don't buy. the radium radiates. Some do it anyway, but at their own risk... There's a story about it on the web (Women who didn't care about this kind of paint on their teeth or lips, I don't remember too much, they got sick and eventually died.

FABphones

Quote from: Contempra on February 02, 2023, 10:54:54 AM...There's a story about it on the web (Women who didn't care about this kind of paint on their teeth or lips, I don't remember too much, they got sick and eventually died.

Radium Girls. I read about this a while back. There were several factories who followed this practice. At the time Radium was not considered a dangerous product. The painting lines were encouraged (told) to place their paintbrush between their lips as this helped paint the fine lines required on the faces of their pieces.

Women would dip their brushes into radium, then lick the tip of their brush to give them a fine point. Radium was ingested, got in their hair and on their clothing.

https://watchintyme.com/index.php?threads/the-radium-paint-girls-some-doomed-to-death-in-factory.12247/

https://allthatsinteresting.com/radium-girls

A collector of  'Monochrome Phones with Sepia Tones'   ...and a Duck!
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Vintage Phones - 10% man made, 90% Tribble
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RDPipes

#48
Quote from: Contempra on February 02, 2023, 10:54:54 AM...BE CAREFUL of those which are luminescent (RADIUM) it is very dangerous to open them carelessly! Those I don't buy. the radium radiates. Some do it anyway, but at their own risk... There's a story about it on the web (Women who didn't care about this kind of paint on their teeth or lips, I don't remember too much, they got sick and eventually died.

I'm not too scared of the radium, its not going to hurt you unless you did as they did and that was pointing their brushes with their lips which ended up after time giving them radiation poisoning. With a lot of things out there they've banned because people did stupid things ending in harming themselves. If people would only handle things with common sense half the things that have been banned would be still available. Just like lead paint, who on earth eats paint? If they had just kept an eye on their children as they should no harm would have befell them. Nowadays they all want the government to raise their children but, don't dare touch them.
I wish I had some radium paint to redo my two Westclox Moonbeam alarm clocks, and I promise not to drink it.LOL!
There's just not enough radiation in it to harm you unless you ingest it or use it as makeup.

Contempra

#49
Quote from: FABphones on February 02, 2023, 11:51:00 AMRadium Girls...

Well, that's what I was talking about.

19and41

I have had a few Westclox small alarm clocks that I could not keep running.  I decided to try a magnetic tape bulk eraser on them to see if degaussing them would do anything for them.  That was 2 years ago.  They are still reliable enough for me to use when the power is out.
"Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic."
— Arthur C. Clarke

Gary Z

#51
Here's one that will fit both categories. Pocket watches AND telephones. I don't know how old it is but it still works too!

Contempra

Quote from: Gary Z on February 10, 2023, 07:42:42 PMHere's one that will fit both categories. Pocket watches AND telephones. I don't know how old it is but it still works too!


Probably made by Westclox at the time(back in the days ), but I could also be wrong.