What Caliber is Your Watch?

How accurate are those old pocket watches? Are the American brands as precise as the Swiss?
 
How accurate are those old pocket watches? Are the American brands as precise as the Swiss?

High precision mass-production watchmaking was invented and perfected in America. For a period of time-probably 1860 to 1920-the best American watches were the best in the world.

By the "best" American watches I should clarify that I'm talking about the best of the best-things like the "American Watch Company" and "Riverside Maximus" watches from Waltham and the Edward Howard from Howard.

The more common(and more affordable) railroad grade American watches were designed around a standard of +/- 30s/week, and most in good repair could well exceed this standard. For comparison, contemporary COSC standards are -28s/+42s per week.
 
The old watchmaker (I think he's about 150) who tolerates me says that American-made watches of the 19th and early 20th centuries were the best mass-produced watches in the world and set the standard for accuracy. He claims that the Swiss watch industry first went world-wide by making knock-offs of American watches.

I wound and set my railroad-grade Hamilton 992 to the correct time on the NIST site about four days ago. As of now, it's off by a few seconds. Wind them, get them serviced every 4 or 5 years, and enjoy them.
 

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The old watchmaker (I think he's about 150) who tolerates me says that American-made watches of the 19th and early 20th centuries were the best mass-produced watches in the world and set the standard for accuracy. He claims that the Swiss watch industry first went world-wide by making knock-offs of American watches.

I wound and set my railroad-grade Hamilton 992 to the correct time on the NIST site about four days ago. As of now, it's off by a few seconds. Wind them, get them serviced every 4 or 5 years, and enjoy them.

Well, between your post and Ben's, it looks as if those old watches were as accurate as the Rolex I had from about 1995-2003 or so. And I had a certified Rolex repairman adjust it.
 
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Curently the COSC accuracy standards are +6/-4 sec. per day.

All my watches, Seiko, Rolex or otherwise are better than that.

I like them +1~2 sec/day and with enough patience and a willing mechanic, it can be done.

Just picked up my Yacht-Master from RSC SF and in 4 days it's +6 seconds. That's not bad at all.
 
Here's an old opinion American watches. This occurred at the 1876 Philadelphia Centennial Exposition, where Waltham showed off many of their modern manufacturing methods. This comes "American Watchmaking: A Technical History" by Michael Harold.

IMG_0258.jpg
 
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