What Caliber is Your Watch?

[Texas Star]

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

 

[Ben_hutcherson]

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.

 

[tompehret]

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.

 

[Texas Star]

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.

 

[Snapping Twig]

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.

 

[Ben_hutcherson]

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.