Double Watch Frustration.

This recently restored watch bought together two very common frustrations in restoring old English watches.

The first is common to all types of watch, and it is people’s belief that drowning a watch in oil will get it working, even in this case when it had a broken main spring.

 

This movement was covered in a recently applied film of an oil far too heavy for use anywhere near a watch causing components to stick together and to my tools. The hairspring was drenched with most of the coils stuck together and could not possibly work.

 

The cleaning process took about three times as long as usual even with the help of an ultrasonic cleaner and some serious de-greasing agents. Fortunately it was successful and the movement is now running exceptionally well after getting a new mainspring and a lot of TLC. 

The second frustration is that I do not know who made it, a recurring problem with watches from the fragmented English industry. This 13J English Lever was made in Coventry in 1893 from a Prescott ebauché - a kit of the main parts of the watch. So all I can say is that if the serial number represents the number actually made it is by one of the smaller Coventry makers.