# Identify My Pocket Watch, Please.



## suffolk_kev (Feb 26, 2012)

Guys

I come to you out of sheer desparation.

I have a pocket watch which I wear on special occasions. Last time I wore it, Christmas 2011 at an RAF Black Tie dinner I had a disaster.

When I got it home the winding crown was missing. It appears that it just fell out!

I didn't think it would be a problem. I took it into my local jewellers and he took it in and sent it off to his 'guy' who sent it back saying he couldn't fix it. 'Couldn't get the parts.'

I then took it to the 'old fashioned' jewellers in town who did likewise - and got the same answer. 'Sorry, can't get the parts.'

It appears to me I have something that no one can get the parts for. I am hoping you can help.

I tried some internet research.

Carefully I prised open the back cover and found a number of marks on the inside of the cover. A serial number of 767942 - which I find repeated on the inside of the next cover which covers the movement and also on the actual works inside - on the bottom, under the adjustment lever. There is also what appears to be' T' or 'J Glasper' engraved on the case. There are some finer scratches of lettering and numbers on this case also - almost unperceivable - close to the edge at the 2 o'clock point and also down near the hinge at the 6 o'clock.

On the case I also see a Swiss hallmark - the grouse in a diamond, then a crown shape - reminiscent of the UK kings crown - and a sort of crescent moon, the figure R with the number 0.800 in a box adjacent to it and a mark which resembles a stone lighthouse which contains the lettering HELA in the base of the tower. I believe this to be a Swiss Hall mark - but am open to correction.

On the inside face of the inner cover are repeated the serial number, the grouse and R 0.800 and the crown.

On the works the tower is repeated and there is some etching by the adjustment lever with both A - R and F - S markings - presumably advance / retard and fast / slow (?)

The face is hand painted - it is a picture known as 'The Hunter' and involves a male and female - you can guess the rest if you wish...... I have seen watches on another site with a similar image but they are prints - this is definitely not a print but hand painted. Let just say they are both anatomically correct and he has moving parts !

Trouble is, there is no name, anywhere.Not on the face, on the workings or anywhere I can see - so I don't know who made the watch and therefore don't know how to try and order parts for it.

Can anyone out there help me with identifying ANYTHING about this watch as I would love to be able to restore it back to full working order.

I have got some photos of the watch case, inner workings and the face - well, the 'R' rated part of it. If I could work out how to post them on here - or I can send to individual members if that would help.

Regards

Kev


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## harryblakes7 (Oct 1, 2010)

Hi Kev, a picture of the movement would help, you can get another winder, it's just a matter of selecting the correct one, i have a couple of hundred different stem winders but they all have to match and then get the winding crown to fit and look like a complete unit, sounds like it's a 1940's watch onwards as before that your getting into winding key territory................... You usually have to strip the watch and do some measuring to see what you need, do you set the time by pulling the winder out or by pushing in a lever and twisting the winder? There are quite a few "Doxa" pocket watches which have been painted in the manner you have described and are usually oversize pocket watches............. looking forward to the pictures.......... there is a heading showing you how to upload pics on the main watches discussion board


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## Roger the Dodger (Oct 5, 2009)

Hi, Kev, hope this helps with the pics, as they have to be hosted by an off forum site...this tutorial is for Photobucket, one of the most commonly used.

So many new members are baffled as to how to post pics, that I have come up with a detailed guide for Photobucket...let me know if it's of any use....

* Roger the Dodgerâ€™s Concise Guide to Posting pics to and from Photobucket.*

The first thing to do is to upload your pics onto your computer, edit and store them. (My Documents, My Pictures etc)â€¦I also tend to put my pics onto a flash drive, 1) so theyâ€™re safe, and 2) once they're hosted, I can then delete from the hard drive to free up space.

Next go to Photobucket and open an account. The basic package is free and you will be able to store hundreds of pics there.

*To upload a pic, go to your Photobucket album and click on the green upload bar.*










*A new window with a large green bar that says â€˜Select Photos and Videosâ€™ opens.*










Click the bar, and a drop down window appears in the top LH corner. Select the folder where your pics areâ€¦(My Docs, My Pics, flash drive, etc) and highlight the file/s you want, then click â€˜Openâ€™ in the bottom RH corner of the window. The pics will now upload. When done, click on â€˜Save and Continue to my Albumâ€™. The pics will be arranged into a grid.

*When you want to post one, hover the cursor over the pic, and a drop down box appears.*










L click on the fourth option (the one with IMG at the start) and it will say â€˜copiedâ€™

Now, return to your post. Itâ€™s easier to have two tabs open so you can switch between the two quickly, especially if you want to put in several pics (up to 5 per postâ€¦if you want to add more, youâ€™ll have to start a follow on post). Put your cursor under any text you have written and R click to bring up the paste option, then L click on paste. The image URL will be pasted directly under the text, complete with the IMG tags. Press â€˜Preview postâ€™, to check everything is OK, then â€˜Add replyâ€™ when youâ€™re happy with it.*

* Since the forum update, to access the 'Preview post' option, click on 'more reply options' at the bottom right. This will allow you to see what your finished post will look like, and correct any spellings, punctuation, missed spaces, wrong pics etc. before finally posting.

Some tipsâ€¦

Â· Keep your pics small (around 1 million pixels)â€¦they take up less storage space. All my forum pics are taken at this sizeâ€¦you only need them bigger in size if youâ€™re ever going to enlarge them. Donâ€™t panic if your camera wonâ€™t take small pics, the forum software will re size them anyway.

Â· By using the 4th URL choice with the IMG tags, you donâ€™t need to use the tree icon that you may have read about in other threads, which always seems to give people trouble.

Â· If you have several different tastes in watches, or anything else for that matter, consider creating different albums from the outsetâ€¦you will have the option to do this. (eg Dress watches, divers watches, pocket watches, nature, hobbies etc) and store your pics in the respective album. I say this because if you create a new album at a later stage, and move existing pics into it they will be deleted from your previously posted threads.


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## suffolk_kev (Feb 26, 2012)

Fingers crossed.


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## suffolk_kev (Feb 26, 2012)

That the first three


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## suffolk_kev (Feb 26, 2012)

Do those help?


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## dgf67 (Dec 8, 2010)

this one looks like a german silver mark. it's hard to tell with the small pictures

the picture below is what a normal german mark looks like. http://www.silvercollection.it/index.html is a good site to look up most silver marks


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## suffolk_kev (Feb 26, 2012)

Mmmm. My mark is similar - but the crescent is about twice the height of the crown, which has more detail than the one above. Hang on, I'll see if I can load a bigger image of the marks.


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## suffolk_kev (Feb 26, 2012)

........and as you can see, the '800' mark is different. It is R 0,800

Does anyone else need to see larger images of other parts of the watch?


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## harryblakes7 (Oct 1, 2010)

A large picture of the complete back of the watch would be nice :yes:


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## Mikrolisk (Jan 23, 2008)

The pictures a quite too small. 50 pixel x 20 pixel is rather small... The movement could be (only could be with these images) an Minerva Ca. 17''' (17/7). This trade mark is to small to identify.

Andreas


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## suffolk_kev (Feb 26, 2012)

Here is a bigger picture of the workings










And an enlargement of the 'HELA' engraving


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## Mikrolisk (Jan 23, 2008)

Hela! That trade mark is from "Levy & Freres" from Bienne, registered in 1924 (but obviously used before). And the movement is a Minerva:










Andreas


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## suffolk_kev (Feb 26, 2012)

Andreas

You star! Now I have a name for the works I may be able to find someone to supply and fit the winder and crown - if that happens I am a happy man.

I will try to research Minerva and also Levy Freres to see what else I can find out .


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## suffolk_kev (Feb 26, 2012)

Gentlemen

Sorry I have not followed this up - I had a MAJOR computer situation that has now been resolved. So, one amongst you - from somewhere in Scotland I think, sent me a message stating that in all probability they could fit a new crown to this watch.

If you are still out there and able to assist me - please get back to me, I have lost all the old emails and hence your address

Regards

Kev


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