# Pierre Jacquard 'Electra' Pocket Watch



## Javaman365

The above item (pictures later) belongs tomy dad and willbe another candidate for restoration.

Once wound up, keeps time perfectly acceptably.

When you see the pictures of it's condition, can someone tell me anythig about the watch ( gooogle not being too heplful right now) and whether it would be worth sending to someone like STR or STS for attention ( or another reputable outfit of your suggestion - maybe one of the forum specialists?)


----------



## Julian Latham

Hi,

Look forward to seeing your pictures. My only *Pierre Jacquard *is a badged Molnija 3602 - amazing the number of guises the 'russian tractor' appeared under







- I'm guessing yours is likely to be a little more'up-market'.



















As to repairers, you can't go far wrong with our own SilverHawk or Steve Burrage of Rytetime Watch Repairs - from personal experience both do first class work.

Julian (L)


----------



## Javaman365

OK, so here are the pictures. Might need resizing, so if anyone wants to alter the post, or tell me how.....

Note the slight scuffing up the 11/12 markers.










Markers are also quite tarnished.










Case back, showing signs of aging










the scratches and nicks look far worse than they are in reality, one of the drawbacks of extreme close-up photos.

It also makes the case back look like it's bulging out to one side, but that effect is also on the shot i took from the other side, so it's not damaged. doesn't look like that in the metal, that's for sure.

I suspect that ifit was refinished/restored it would be more than acceptable.

So, question....while i wait for me ability to PM to kick in at 50 posts (may be sometime!)

How often do you need to wind manual wind watches? I wound it up fully on Friday night, then I've just sort of topped up the winding once every 24 hours.

Now, the restoration/servicing issue - you want a job, Silverhawk?


----------



## Shangas

Hi Javaman,

The damaged crystal can be replaced by a competent watchmaker. A standard, mechanical pocket watch should last from 28-36 hours on a full wind. So say you woke up at 7:00am on Monday, wound it up at 8:00am and put it in your pocket and headed out the front door to work...

...The watch should still be running at 8:00am on Tuesday. At which time, you should wind it up again. If it isn't, then there's something wrong, and the watch requires servicing. You will need to have the watch serviced professionally anyway, before you start using it.


----------



## Julian Latham

Intrigued by the name. Is the movement battery driven in some way ? Would be interested in a description/image of the movement.

Julian (L)


----------



## Shangas

It's mechanical. The dial says '17 Jewels'.


----------



## Javaman365

As Shangas notes, it's a pure mechanical manual wind pocket watch, so I assume the "electra" is just a model designator of some sort.

Google yeields very little of relevance, with this thread being in the top results now plus numerous hits dealing with Harley Davidsons........

Given that it's a) not my watch and B) the immediate death that would result if I opened it and couldn't put it back together unscathed and still functioning.....I'll have to pass on the photo's :blush:


----------



## Julian Latham

Shangas said:


> It's mechanical. The dial says '17 Jewels'.


Thank you Shangas - I too had noticed that, but as I said I was intrigued by the use of 'Electra' as a model name. The following quote from Wiki' may explain the thinking behind my question .............

"Electric watch, which commonly means any watch that is powered by electricity, has become a generic term for the first generation of electrically powered watches which appeared starting in 1957, before the invention of quartz watches in the 1970s. Their timekeeping element was either a traditional balance wheel or a tuning fork, driven electromagnetically by a solenoid powered by a battery. The hands were driven mechanically through a wheel train."


----------



## Shangas

Perhaps the 'electra' may have thrown you off, but when was the last time you saw a quartz watch with 17 jewels? I've certainly never seen one. In fact I would be VERY surprised if I ever did.


----------



## Julian Latham

Shangas said:


> Perhaps the 'electra' may have thrown you off, but when was the last time you saw a quartz watch with 17 jewels? I've certainly never seen one. In fact I would be VERY surprised if I ever did.


Read the quote again - electro-mechanical watches were precursors to quartz and were jewelled - a Luch went as far as eighteen jewels in its mechanical train. To assume the watch was mechanical purely on jewel count was a false premis - The question was directed to the original post and has been answered by the poster. Your tone is presumptive and your comments appear to be predicated on a misunderstanding.


----------



## Shangas

Sorry Julian, I didn't realise.


----------

