1900′s Elgin Pocketwatch/Wristwatch?
I have an early 1900′s pocket watch wristwatch when they were making the transition between the two styles of watches…. not sure specifically what year it is 100% but it just occurred to me the other day i have no idea how it’s ran… obviously its wound because there were no batteries back then…. but how often do i have to rewind it? or is it one of those watches where it stays wound by the movement of my arms…. thanks
Elgin watches tend to be wound once a day. I’d recommend having a jeweler look at it before winding, though: if there’s something wrong with the watch (likely, after all this time) and you wind it up all the way and leave it wound, you could damage the spring.
If a jeweler is not an option, hold the watch up to your ear, and give it a little jiggle. Do you hear ticking? Does it tick for a few seconds and then stop? If you hear ticking at all, give it a little wind, you should feel/hear a few clicks. Jiggle and listen again. Does it keep ticking for a while, or does it stop again? If it stops again, there’s something wrong. Don’t wind it any more. If it keeps going, keep experimenting from there.
When I say “jiggle” I don’t just mean shake: there’s a flywheel on the inside that you’re trying to get going, so it should be a twisting motion.