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The "Official" Watch Thread and all Things Horological
- Thread starter backmarkerducati
- Start date
One citizen that @crankcall may actually consider.
What is the red number left of the day?
What is the round mark at 6:45?
The round mark is a tiny chip in the crystal. The light must have hit it just right; it is almost impossible to see with the naked eye. Looks like an impact crater, like from the tip of a finishing nail. I presume each day is numbered for those who don't speak English. Tuesday is day 2.
Lots of info. here:
vintagecitizenwatches.com
Lots of info. here:
Vintage Citizen Watches
The wonderful world of Vintage Citizen Watches - 1918 to 1978
vintagecitizenwatches.com
It would need service if it’s been running off and on since ‘69 . Eventually the oil dries and it becomes a bit like glue . And the seals probably dried up in the late 70s . Seal material has gotten better in tbe last 30 yrs .
Nice looking vintage piece .
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Nice looking vintage piece .
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If you were thinking of putting it back into service I would have it looked at , it would be sad to see it potentially damaged by dry running . Could be fine , but I don’t think I’d risk it .
On the same note I pulled out my two pocket watches . One is 100yrs old and the other 115 120? I should take them in since I know they haven’t been looked at in 50yr minimum. Or longer
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On the same note I pulled out my two pocket watches . One is 100yrs old and the other 115 120? I should take them in since I know they haven’t been looked at in 50yr minimum. Or longer
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I would never entertain the thought of firing it up without a full service, for the reasons you mention. However, the fact that it runs with one turn of the rotor gives me a lot of confidence that it has a lot of life left in it. I have a couple of old pocket watches squirrelled away as well; a large railway watch, and a smaller one with a nice case but some serious rust inside. The former was my grandfather's, and the latter I'm told was retrieved from the ashes of the Cobalt fire. I had a look at them recently while searching for my lost Heuer. I should do something with them.
Always loved the look of a nice pocket watch. You guys got pics? I’m up anyway so rabbit hole here we go!
New toys are in rough shape. Gruen was obviously someone's daily. It has been serviced a few times but not recently. It needs serviced before it can be worn.
The pocket watch is a sad tale. Seller dropped it after buying and before pickup. Crystal didn't survive. On the upside, price was adjusted accordingly. Sadly, it needs serviced, a crystal, it is keyed and I don't have the keys and the movement doesn't appear to be phenomenal (some interesting engraving but not fully engraved and no obvious hallmark from a storied brand) so there is a good chance it doesn't come back to life. Maybe it will but not any time soon.
The pocket watch is a sad tale. Seller dropped it after buying and before pickup. Crystal didn't survive. On the upside, price was adjusted accordingly. Sadly, it needs serviced, a crystal, it is keyed and I don't have the keys and the movement doesn't appear to be phenomenal (some interesting engraving but not fully engraved and no obvious hallmark from a storied brand) so there is a good chance it doesn't come back to life. Maybe it will but not any time soon.
Love the Gruen. Does the movement come out through the crystal?New toys are in rough shape. Gruen was obviously someone's daily. It has been serviced a few times but not recently. It needs serviced before it can be worn.
The pocket watch is a sad tale. Seller dropped it after buying and before pickup. Crystal didn't survive. On the upside, price was adjusted accordingly. Sadly, it needs serviced, a crystal, it is keyed and I don't have the keys and the movement doesn't appear to be phenomenal (some interesting engraving but not fully engraved and no obvious hallmark from a storied brand) so there is a good chance it doesn't come back to life. Maybe it will but not any time soon.
Screw back.
I think I have a Gruen where the movement comes out of the crystal. Will dig up and post picture if it does.
There was an era where manufacturers had an idea that making a case where you popped in mechanical through the front , in goes stem and the crystal and trim ring snap in and you have eliminated a couple steps and machining process . Which are costs . Not sure where that style went wrong or if it’s still used .
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I was wrong it wasn’t a Gruen but a Benrus. I love the sunburst dial on the second one.
Priller
Well-known member
Having just polished up the acrylic on the old Hamilton I recently bought, I'm much less worried about owning watches with these crystals. Sure, they scratch easy, but they also fix easy, and look great after the fact.
Worse than acrylic, for sure. Scratches almost as easily, but much harder to fix.
I ended up using Polywatch on the above Hamilton, especially after watching a few YouTube videos favourably comparing it to some alternatives, like toothpaste. Sure, it's a lot for a little, but I know it's designed for purpose, and all I need is a little anyway. Sure, I could have bought lots more of some similar product for much less per ml, but then what? At least the tiny Polywatch tube doesn't take up much space in the drawer with my cheapo Amazon repair tools etc.
It's hard to really capture the improvement with a photo, as the shine and colour of the crystal don't really get captured and the lighting is different, but here's a before and after:
To the naked eye, the after is a massive improvement, clearer, shinier, looks like a new watch. There's still a few spots (just dots, not lines) where the damage was deeper and harder to polish out, but you can't see them unless you shine a bright light on it and catch the shadows. The best bit is the polishing highlights how mint the linen dial is, and lets it catch the light as intended...
Dang. That is stunning. It's a good thing for me that I've gone overboard on watches lately, or I'd be making an offer...
The above Hamilton from the mid-'60s is like that, and looks an awful lot like that Gruen, to the point where one was clearly 'inspired' by the other. Similar to your Benrus, they sold it as being 'dustproof', though I'm not sure quite how much dust would get through even a snap-in case back.
That looks fantastic!
Priller
Well-known member
Thanks! I did think hard about polishing it, as it's taking away some of the watch's story. In the end I went for it, as the crystal wear wasn't letting the dial show it's best. After the polish, the subtle details in the face became much more visible, like the fine black line down the centre of the hour markers, or the way the the 12 is slightly beveled so the 1 and 2 reflect differently. Took four passes with the Polywatch, but well worth it I think...
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