"Airy R. Bean" wrote in message
...
You've repaired a watch with a verge escapement?

Yeah. Right.


Yes, several.

Also cylinder, lever, and detent escapements which, in my view, are more
complex. My favourite watch was a 1883 cylinder escapement- late for a
cylinder- that cost me £20 (in 1976 or so) in a junk pile. It cleaned up a
treat and was later valued at £450. Some scroat stole it, along with a 1920s
gold full hunter, about 10 years back.

I used to live in Woolwich in the late 1970s at there was a market trader
who sold movements from watches where the cases had gone for melting down. A
small shop in Plumstead sold 'non goers'- a combination of the two often
produced some quite nice watches.

To be fair, few repairs are that complex. Usually just a cleaning job,
lubrication and reassembly. Occasionally a replacement part was required
which, for relatively modern watches (20th century) I could get from a shop
in Goldhawk Rd. Anything older I used to use a local watchmaker to turn up-
most damage was broken pivots- or adapt parts.

I've done a few clocks but my main interest was always watches. In fact I
think it was partly the history of the 'longitude problem' that led me
toward working in navigation systems.