American Timekeeper

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American Timekeeper

American TimekeeperAmerican TimekeeperAmerican Timekeeper
Home
Services
  • The Prices
  • Verge Fusees
  • Pocket Watches
  • Accepted Brands
Shop
  • The Store
  • Sold Archives
  • The Accessories
FAQs
Pitfalls
Learn
  • Basics
  • Dials
  • Jewels
  • Histories
  • Accuracy
  • Advanced
About
  • About
  • Buying
  • Subscribe
Contact
More
  • Home
  • Services
    • The Prices
    • Verge Fusees
    • Pocket Watches
    • Accepted Brands
  • Shop
    • The Store
    • Sold Archives
    • The Accessories
  • FAQs
  • Pitfalls
  • Learn
    • Basics
    • Dials
    • Jewels
    • Histories
    • Accuracy
    • Advanced
  • About
    • About
    • Buying
    • Subscribe
  • Contact
  • Home
  • Services
    • The Prices
    • Verge Fusees
    • Pocket Watches
    • Accepted Brands
  • Shop
    • The Store
    • Sold Archives
    • The Accessories
  • FAQs
  • Pitfalls
  • Learn
    • Basics
    • Dials
    • Jewels
    • Histories
    • Accuracy
    • Advanced
  • About
    • About
    • Buying
    • Subscribe
  • Contact

The Learning Center

Basics To Advanced

Find answers to all of your questions, from the simple stuff like how to wind and set your pocket watch, to the more advanced topics like stopworks and motor barrels. Spend some time on the Dials page to find out what they were made of, and then move on to the Jewels page to see what they were used for. Explore the Pitfalls page for the buyer's guide to smart collecting with tutorials on knowing what to avoid when buying and then go back to the 1800s on the Histories page and discover how it all started.

Pocket Watch Basics

The Proper Names

The dial is not the face and the bow is not that round thingy.

Learn the right names of the fundamental parts of any watch.

The Basics Page

Winding and Setting

Learn how to wind your watch and how often, and learn how to set a pendant-set watch, a lever-set watch, and a key-set watch.

The Basics Page

How To Open It

Learn how to safely and carefully open watches with threaded and hinged covers, hunting cases, and the dreaded swingcases.

The Basics Page

All About Dials

The Different Types

Learn the difference between press-fit and sunk dials, how they were constructed, and who added the characters and how.

The Dials Page

The Different Styles

Learn the different materials involved in dial construction, including porcelain, metal, melamine, celluloid, and more.

The Dials Page

The Mounting Choices

Learn just how watch dials were fastened to the movement, from set screws to taper pins, and which ones worked the best.

The Dials Page

All About Jewels

The Basics of Jeweling

Learn what jewels were made from, what they were used for, the different functions, and how and where they were mounted.

The Jewels Page

The Different Types

Learn what pallet stones and roller jewels are, where they were used, and how they controlled the rate in the escapement.

The Jewels Page

The Jewel Counts

Learn all the different jeweling arrangements and their totals, and how to determine jewel count simply by looking at a watch.

The Jewels Page

Pocket Watches Advanced

All Those Parts

Learn about balance wheels, gear train components, movement sizes, plate finishes, and the different types of layout designs.

The Advanced Page

The Gear Train

Learn about stopworks and the Geneva cross, the different types of mainsprings, hanging and motor barrels, and more.

The Advanced Page

All About Fusees

Learn about verge escapements, fusee cones, and drive chains, when they were invented, and their problems with accuracy.

The Advanced Page

Railroad Standards

Learn about isochronism, the number of adjustments on a watch, what the railroad standards were, and gear train speeds. 

The Advanced Page

Avoiding the Pitfalls

The Buyer's Guide

Learn where to look for quality examples, which strategies work better than others, and why doing research is so important.

The Pitfalls Page

What To Avoid

Learn over a dozen obvious visual tip-offs of inside and outside damage and other things to avoid when buying or trading.

The Pitfalls Page

Franken Watches

Learn what a Franken watch is, why authenticity matters so much, and the higher value of original combinations at auction.

The Pitfalls Page

Your Money's Worth

Learn the telltales that your family heirloom has been molested by a hobbyist sweating over his kitchen table with his pliers.

The Pitfalls Page

Company Histories

Go Back In Time

American Timekeeper

PO Box #1 - Darien Center, NY 14040

(585) 547-9989

All photographs protected by copyright.

© 2007 - 2023 American Timekeeper v3.2.9

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