{"version":"https://jsonfeed.org/version/1","title":"American Timekeeper - Watch Repair","home_page_url":"https://americantimekeeper.com","description":"American Timekeeper - Watch Repair","author":{"name":"American Timekeeper - Watch Repair"},"items":[{"id":"buying-vs-bidding-on-a-watch","html_content":"

There are plenty of restored and original high-end pocket watches with perfect dials, correct hands, and unmolested balance wheels listed in the Store, but collectors evidently aren't interested. They would much rather c...

","url":"https://americantimekeeper.com/restoration/f/buying-vs-bidding-on-a-watch","title":"Buying vs. Bidding On A Watch","date_modified":"2026-03-21T16:00:00Z"},{"id":"an-exceptional-model-99-waltham","html_content":"

Personally, I'd much rather own an exceptional mid-grade piece than a rare one that's been passed around from collector to collector, getting thoroughly beat up in the process.

","url":"https://americantimekeeper.com/restoration/f/an-exceptional-model-99-waltham","title":"An Exceptional M99 Waltham","date_modified":"2026-02-21T17:00:00Z"},{"id":"a-gold-23j-waltham-riverside-maximus","html_content":"

At the very summit of Waltham's 12-size family was the 23-jewel Riverside Maximus. A new customer from Florida sent in this beautiful heirloom cased in solid gold, containing four diamond cap jewels and a provenance date...

","url":"https://americantimekeeper.com/restoration/f/a-gold-23j-waltham-riverside-maximus","title":"A 23J Riverside Maximus","date_modified":"2026-01-18T00:00:00Z"},{"id":"the-waltham-model-1888","html_content":"

The American Waltham Company's first 16-size pendant-set watch was the Model '88 (Waltham kept it simple, naming the models after the year in which they were launched). In several ways the model mimicked the earlier leve...

","url":"https://americantimekeeper.com/restoration/f/the-waltham-model-1888","title":"The Waltham Model 1888","date_modified":"2025-12-20T18:00:00Z"},{"id":"swiss-moonphase-dual-calendar","html_content":"

Complications are another fascinating aspect to collecting antique pocket watches. The Swiss went for them in a big way in many styles and features, but American companies in general stayed away except for simple ones li...

","url":"https://americantimekeeper.com/restoration/f/swiss-moonphase-dual-calendar","title":"Dual Calendar Swiss Moonphase","date_modified":"2025-11-15T20:00:00Z"},{"id":"a-pl-vacheron-constantin","html_content":"

Another superb family heirloom, and this time a Vacheron private label for Atlanta jeweler Josiah Stevens, cased in solid gold.\n

","url":"https://americantimekeeper.com/restoration/f/a-pl-vacheron-constantin","title":"A PL Vacheron & Constantin","date_modified":"2025-10-18T05:00:00Z"},{"id":"new-crystal-or-keep-the-old","html_content":"

Installing a crystal is something that may happen multiple times in the service life of a watch, assuming that it was a daily carry piece back in the day, and easily could've been changed at least once before it came int...

","url":"https://americantimekeeper.com/restoration/f/new-crystal-or-keep-the-old","title":"New Crystal or Keep the Old?","date_modified":"2025-09-14T01:00:00Z"},{"id":"a-few-words-about-farm-work","html_content":"

I'm allergic to farm work - third-party watches sent from jewelers - for several reasons. First, the customer should know who's working on their watch, which seems fairly obvious. Secondly, the jeweler will mark up my in...

","url":"https://americantimekeeper.com/restoration/f/a-few-words-about-farm-work","title":"A Few Words About Farm Work","date_modified":"2025-08-09T12:00:00Z"},{"id":"using-a-pocket-watch-the-right-way","html_content":"

Pocket watches were designed and built during the glorious age of dedicated, purpose-built tooling, meaning that they did one thing and they did it very well. 12-in-1 multi-tools sold on infomercials were thankfully stil...

","url":"https://americantimekeeper.com/restoration/f/using-a-pocket-watch-the-right-way","title":"Using a Pocket Watch Correctly","date_modified":"2025-07-12T18:00:00Z"},{"id":"the-only-known-san-jose","html_content":"

The San Jose Watch Co had one of the shortest runs in American horology. Using the equipment from the failed Otay Watch Co in late 1891, the new factory was in operation for less than a month before an investor brought l...

","url":"https://americantimekeeper.com/restoration/f/the-only-known-san-jose","title":"A Very Rare San Jose Overland","date_modified":"2025-06-14T06:00:00Z"},{"id":"the-model-6-rockford","html_content":"

Rockford saved some of their most interesting patterns for private labels and had a particular fondness for the square-on-round damaskeening, the only factory to do it in quantity. Their Model 6 was the predecessor to th...

","url":"https://americantimekeeper.com/restoration/f/the-model-6-rockford","title":"The Model 6 Rockford","date_modified":"2025-05-10T06:00:00Z"},{"id":"hamiltons-950b---best-of-all-time","html_content":"

Among Hamilton collectors there is a solid percentage who believe that the 23-jewel 950B was the single best railroad watch ever made. They were very similar to the 992B but with a bridge design and a jeweled barrel. Rou...

","url":"https://americantimekeeper.com/restoration/f/hamiltons-950b---best-of-all-time","title":"Hamilton's 950B - Best of All Time?","date_modified":"2025-04-12T18:00:00Z"},{"id":"the-25-jewel-columbus-rwk","html_content":"

After the Panic of 1893, the Columbus Watch Co went into receivership and re-emerged a year later with new investors and new capital as the New Columbus Watch Co. After production began again, most of the 21-jewel-and-hi...

","url":"https://americantimekeeper.com/restoration/f/the-25-jewel-columbus-rwk","title":"A 25-jewel Columbus RWK","date_modified":"2025-03-15T05:00:00Z"},{"id":"a-little-company-named-peoria","html_content":"

When the short-lived Fredonia Watch Co ceased operations, John C Adams - the same John Adams who helped to found both the Adams & Perry Co and the Elgin Watch Co - visited the town of Peoria, Illinois to attract investor...

","url":"https://americantimekeeper.com/restoration/f/a-little-company-named-peoria","title":"A Little Company Named Peoria ","date_modified":"2025-02-22T07:00:00Z"},{"id":"the-28-jewel-seth-thomas","html_content":"

For many years the Complete Guide to Watches printed the existence of 28-jewel Railway, made by Seth Thomas, which would have been the highest count of any American pocket watch produced during the railroad era in the la...

","url":"https://americantimekeeper.com/restoration/f/the-28-jewel-seth-thomas","title":"The 28-jewel Seth Thomas Railway","date_modified":"2025-01-18T19:00:00Z"},{"id":"illinois-washington-watch-co","html_content":"

One of the many contract grades that Illinois produced in their fifty-plus-year run was the Washington Watch Co, made for Chicago mail-order giant Montgomery Ward, which was founded in the early 1870s by traveling salesm...

","url":"https://americantimekeeper.com/restoration/f/illinois-washington-watch-co","title":"The Washington Watch Co","date_modified":"2024-12-14T19:00:00Z"},{"id":"how-to-ruin-an-antique-watch","html_content":"

Many people appreciate the years of trial and error, the hard work by lantern light, the failures and triumphs, the mesmerizing patterns, the fantastic precision, and the incredible history found in these mechanical work...

","url":"https://americantimekeeper.com/restoration/f/how-to-ruin-an-antique-watch","title":"How To Ruin An Antique Watch","date_modified":"2024-11-09T13:00:00Z"},{"id":"the-biggest-clue-when-buying","html_content":"

Watch hands don't simply fall off when installed properly, but they could get snagged and break if the crystal is missing. This is especially true of the minute hand, which is the longest and sits above the others. If yo...

","url":"https://americantimekeeper.com/restoration/f/the-biggest-clue-when-buying","title":"The Biggest Clue When Buying","date_modified":"2024-10-13T02:00:00Z"},{"id":"a-very-rare-aurora-ball","html_content":"

Aurora was another factory that half-heartedly complied with Webster Ball's new standards in the early 1890s. Fewer than a dozen 18-size variants are known to exist in both open-face and hunter and Aurora was apparently ...

","url":"https://americantimekeeper.com/restoration/f/a-very-rare-aurora-ball","title":"A Very Rare Aurora Ball","date_modified":"2024-09-28T21:00:00Z"},{"id":"a-24-jewel-hamilton-920","html_content":"

Here's an exceptional 24-jewel Hamilton 920, sent in by an excellent customer in Connecticut.

","url":"https://americantimekeeper.com/restoration/f/a-24-jewel-hamilton-920","title":"A 24-jewel Hamilton 920","date_modified":"2024-08-24T18:00:00Z"},{"id":"the-illinois-pennsylvania-special","html_content":"

The Pennsylvania Special was a private label found in several brands, most notably Illinois and Waltham, ordered by jeweler H M Jacobson & Son of Philadelphia. Illinois made several variants in jewel counts ranging from ...

","url":"https://americantimekeeper.com/restoration/f/the-illinois-pennsylvania-special","title":"The Illinois Penn Special","date_modified":"2024-07-13T12:00:00Z"},{"id":"to-hang-or-not-to-hang","html_content":"

People like to use vintage pocket watches as wall clocks, displaying them vertically and winding them daily, but watches were designed to be carried. The accuracy of these antiques is an average of twelve hours in a pock...

","url":"https://americantimekeeper.com/restoration/f/to-hang-or-not-to-hang","title":"To Hang or Not To Hang","date_modified":"2024-06-30T02:00:00Z"},{"id":"the-rarest-of-all-fancy-hands","html_content":"

In keeping with what appears to be a strategy of pairing fancy dials with lesser movements comes this all-original two-tone Seth Thomas Model 9 in the famous Fried Egg pattern. This common 7-jewel Grade 37 is from my col...

","url":"https://americantimekeeper.com/restoration/f/the-rarest-of-all-fancy-hands","title":"The Rarest of all Fancy Hands","date_modified":"2024-06-02T02:00:00Z"},{"id":"the-rockford-950-wind-indicator","html_content":"

Rockford was one of only three American companies to produce wind-indicators in quantity, with the other two being Elgin and Waltham (Hamilton put that feature in their marine chronometers). Rockford made several variant...

","url":"https://americantimekeeper.com/restoration/f/the-rockford-950-wind-indicator","title":"The Rockford 950 Wind-Indicator","date_modified":"2024-05-11T14:00:00Z"},{"id":"collecting-0-and-6-size-ladies-watches","html_content":"

Most of the smaller sizes that are sent here for restoration are family heirlooms, usually from someone's great-grandmother, but any collector who concentrates on these smaller pieces can find some impressive examples. W...

","url":"https://americantimekeeper.com/restoration/f/collecting-0-and-6-size-ladies-watches","title":"Collecting Ladies' Watches","date_modified":"2024-04-20T05:00:00Z"},{"id":"21-jewel-grade-156-elgin-hunter","html_content":"

Hats off to one of my Florida customers for outbidding the competition to bring home this stunning 21-jewel Elgin hunter in a solid gold case from a popular auction house that happily sells to scrappers despite knowing f...

","url":"https://americantimekeeper.com/restoration/f/21-jewel-grade-156-elgin-hunter","title":"A Solid 14K Gold Elgin Hunter","date_modified":"2024-03-23T13:00:00Z"},{"id":"21-jewel-ball-hamilton","html_content":"

Another fantastic family heirloom, and this time a 21-jewel 999 Ball, made by Hamilton and based largely on their popular 992. It was sent in by a new customer just down the road here in New York.

","url":"https://americantimekeeper.com/restoration/f/21-jewel-ball-hamilton","title":"21-jewel Ball Hamilton","date_modified":"2024-03-17T00:00:00Z"},{"id":"the-rarest-seth-thomas-pattern","html_content":"

The rarest regular-production pattern made by Seth Thomas was this one, incorporating a square center (the rarest of all pattern elements) with a two-tone four-leaf clover and blocked in a single run of seventy. This pat...

","url":"https://americantimekeeper.com/restoration/f/the-rarest-seth-thomas-pattern","title":"The Rarest Seth Thomas Pattern","date_modified":"2024-03-03T01:00:00Z"},{"id":"when-to-replace-a-mainspring","html_content":"

A new contact once asked if replacing the mainspring was standard practice on every watch restored here, and when I replied that it was not he said he would go elsewhere, which is fine because replacing the mainspring wh...

","url":"https://americantimekeeper.com/restoration/f/when-to-replace-a-mainspring","title":"When to Replace a Mainspring","date_modified":"2024-02-25T01:00:00Z"},{"id":"colored-brotherhood-dial","html_content":"

There are several variants of Ball watches with Brotherhood plugs and matching dials, some colored and some with black-only signatures. They are coveted among collectors and usually do well at auction.

","url":"https://americantimekeeper.com/restoration/f/colored-brotherhood-dial","title":"A Colored Ball Brotherhood Dial","date_modified":"2024-02-17T14:00:00Z"},{"id":"two-tone-illinois-bunn-special","html_content":"

One of the best two-tone full-plate patterns is the Model 6 Bunn Special from Illinois, IMO. There are several variants, and the gilding ring came in yellow or rose gold but the gilding seemed to be especially thin, sinc...

","url":"https://americantimekeeper.com/restoration/f/two-tone-illinois-bunn-special","title":"Two-tone Illinois Bunn Special","date_modified":"2024-02-11T01:00:00Z"},{"id":"elks-lodge-elgin-convertible","html_content":"

Elgin's 16-size Model 1 was known as the Convertible because of the moveable winding pinion that allowed it to function as either open-face or hunter. Several grades had higher jewel counts and clip-on dials, which was u...

","url":"https://americantimekeeper.com/restoration/f/elks-lodge-elgin-convertible","title":"Elks Lodge Elgin Convertible","date_modified":"2024-02-03T15:00:00Z"},{"id":"rockford-model-1-sn-80","html_content":"

Very early surviving examples are rare and the smaller the numbers get, the more exciting they are to work on. A new customer from Rockford, Illinois sent in this two-digit Rockford Model 1, serial number 80.

","url":"https://americantimekeeper.com/restoration/f/rockford-model-1-sn-80","title":"Rockford Model 1 SN 80","date_modified":"2024-01-27T14:00:00Z"},{"id":"19-jewel-model-2-dudley","html_content":"

The story of William Dudley is a fascinating one, a marvelous tribute to the creative energies of a man who decided to go solo by starting his own watch company just before his 70th birthday.

","url":"https://americantimekeeper.com/restoration/f/19-jewel-model-2-dudley","title":"19-jewel Model 2 Dudley","date_modified":"2024-01-20T14:00:00Z"},{"id":"what-happened-to-the-osaka-watch-co","html_content":"

The Osaka Watch Co was the final chapter in the Otay/San Jose/Osaka trilogy. After the failure of the first two ventures in California, the watch-making machinery originally purchased from American Tool was sold to the O...

","url":"https://americantimekeeper.com/restoration/f/what-happened-to-the-osaka-watch-co","title":"The Japanese Osaka Watch Co","date_modified":"2024-01-14T02:00:00Z"},{"id":"walthams-model-92-wind-indicator","html_content":"

Waltham was one of only three companies to make 18-size wind-indicators. While Elgin and Rockford indicator hands simply coast to a stop in a circular seconds bit, Waltham's Model 92 version limited the hand to a travel ...

","url":"https://americantimekeeper.com/restoration/f/walthams-model-92-wind-indicator","title":"Waltham's M92 Wind-Indicator","date_modified":"2023-12-24T02:00:00Z"},{"id":"seth-thomas-model-12-century","html_content":"

As collectors, we love unusual variants, like this 18-size Seth Thomas Century fronting a traffic-stopping green guilloche dial with gold numerals, and the unusual thing is that both are unmarked. It's very common for Mo...

","url":"https://americantimekeeper.com/restoration/f/seth-thomas-model-12-century","title":"Seth Thomas Model 12 Century","date_modified":"2023-12-16T14:00:00Z"},{"id":"my-favorite-restoration-of-all","html_content":"

A new customer from Virginia had been given a Hamilton 992E by an older acquaintance that he occasionally chatted with at his local coffee shop. The conversation had turned to pocket watches, and his friend said that he ...

","url":"https://americantimekeeper.com/restoration/f/my-favorite-restoration-of-all","title":"My Favorite Restoration Of All","date_modified":"2023-12-10T03:00:00Z"},{"id":"seth-thomas-model-6-eagle","html_content":"

The Seth Thomas Models 6 and 7, marketed by the company as the Eagle, is one my favorite lesser grades because of the engraved eagle on the plates of the first few thousand examples. SN 515501 is the earliest known open-...

","url":"https://americantimekeeper.com/restoration/f/seth-thomas-model-6-eagle","title":"Seth Thomas Model 6 Eagle","date_modified":"2023-11-18T15:00:00Z"},{"id":"private-label-hamilton-930","html_content":"

Cripple Creek was the site of Colorado's last great gold rush, as thousands of tin pans descended on the area in 1890. After everything of value was stripped from the earth it became a ghost town but now serves as a base...

","url":"https://americantimekeeper.com/restoration/f/private-label-hamilton-930","title":"Private Label Hamilton 930","date_modified":"2023-11-04T14:00:00Z"},{"id":"dennison-howard-davis","html_content":"

In 1854 the Warren Manufacturing Co moved from Roxbury to the newly-built factory in Waltham and changed their name to the Boston Watch Co. Up to that point roughly a thousand watches had been produced: the first twenty ...

","url":"https://americantimekeeper.com/restoration/f/dennison-howard-davis","title":"Dennison, Howard & Davis","date_modified":"2023-10-22T00:00:00Z"}]}