Saving a humble Calibre 63 (this one for Bill Barker)

Some moons back, I spotted this Cal. 63 for sale.

We know of the early trench watches from the first world war, where lugs were
added to the pocket watch case, and the crown neck removed. As in the example
here below of an IWC Cal.63 manufactured for Stauffer in the UK.

However, the presence of a single strap lug on the pocket watch case of this
watch intrigued me. Was it a specific watch manufactured as a fob watch
possibly for nurses during WW1 ?

In addition, the fact that the lug was clearly closer to the case on one side,
ensuring that the watch would hand at an angle, was interesting.

So, I secured the watch which was in the USA and it was shipped initially to
Nelson (as the seller would not ship out of the USA). Nelson confrimed receipt
and sent me a picture.

Which confirmed my thinking that the lug was definately at an angle. Nelson,
and I did not manage to get together as planned, and he sent the watch to
Bill, who then took care of it until he could hand it over.

The watch is 18K gold

and the case back is engraved.

Once I had received the watch a check in the archives revealed that the watch
was sold to the IWC wholesaler Mr. Alborg on the 21st November 1909 - however,
as a standard ladies pocket watch and without that lug. which clearly was then
added later on.

Once I had the watch, and knowing the lug was an add on, it was clear that it
needed to be restored to it's former original condition. When stripping the
watch it became clear that indeed the lug (18k gold) was added on later, and
the reason why it was angled was due to the fact that it had been soldered
using tin/lead solder and one side had come loose.With a little tug on it, it
came back to the original parrallel postition.

However, it was not meant to be there, and it needed to go!

I brought the case to a local goldsmith here in town, but the gold case is so
thin, and those holes were so close to the hinges on the case back, that he
advised that it as too risky to try hot gold solder them closed.

Jeroen my local IWC trained watchmaker then sent the case off to one of his
contacts for gold laser filling, and started to work on servicing the
movement. Last week he handed me over this little bag.

Which contained this magnificently restored watch

And as to the damage done to the case where the lug was added - well as you
can see, there is not sigh it was ever there.

My thanks to Nelson, Bill the Mule and Master Watchmaker Jeroen Blonk.

I may add a rare bird:

A Ladies Pocketwatch Cal. 64 "Reglage de Precision", i.e. regulated to pass a
chronometer test at an observatory. IWC regulated more than two thousand Gents
Pocketwatches to this standard, but less than 20 Ladies Pocketwatches,

The watch was retailed by Galli in Zurich and sits still in its original box.

Best regards

Th. Koenig

What a magnificent savonette (hunter) ladies pocket watch C.64 - a sister
movement to the Lepine (Open Face) Cal. 63.

Thanks for sharing Thomas.

Another fantastic story of discovery, fellowship, research, and restoration.

I love reading about these projects Mark - thanks for sharing.

Beautiful little watch Mark! And it looks like that dial cleaned up nicely,
too!

What a beautiful and rare watch Thomas

And once again, what a fantastic rescue and restoration Mark and Jeroen.
What an incredible difference a new watch glass makes.

Ben, the dial did clean up well, but the significant difference you see here
in the before and after pictures is due to the fact that as noted by Mark F
too, the plastic acrylic
watch crystal was replaced with a genuine NOS mineral glass crystal by Jeroen.

When "plastics" were first invented and presented as "'the new era in
unbreakable pocket watch crystals", everybody wanted this fantastic new
invention on their watches, and it became almost standard routine for
watchmakers to replace the original (fragile) mineral glass crystals with the
plastic ones during service.

Today we know, that despite being a lot tougher and less fragile that those
plastic watch crystals have a major negative attribute - besides being more
prone to scratches (which can be easily polishe out) they sadly discolor and
become yellow with age.

This then the difference you see - the original dial is no longer seen through
a yellow filter.

Please see above....

My observation too ;-)

My pleasure to have played a very minor role in the transporation of this tiny
beauty.