Homage Forum

Do you ever feel guilty about tearing down a pocket watch for the movement?

I recently purchased a Gallet pocket watch for the Unitas 6497 movement inside. When received, the movement and pocket watch has been completely serviced. The pocket watch looks really nice. I almost do not want to take the movement out of the pocket watch case.

I would consider it a crime against Horology....Unless its just an ugly watch...Which of course means nothing as whats ugly to one maybe beautiful....Anyway it early morning in California and I'm not running on all cylinders yet. Have a great Saturday

mountaineer wrote:Do you ever feel guilty about tearing down a pocket watch for the movement?

I recently purchased a Gallet pocket watch for the Unitas 6497 movement inside. When received, the movement and pocket watch has been completely serviced. The pocket watch looks really nice. I almost do not want to take the movement out of the pocket watch case.

Yes, many times
Sometimes I swap movements and put some uglier, with scratches and dents into pocket watch case...

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I do every once in a while......

watches I buy for the movements....not 6497/8 pocket watches yet though as I don’t think I’ve found a pristine one yet... and I’ve convinced myself that it will get more use on a wrist. Unless there is some meaningful provenance or rarity, I go for it.

BTW.... you are into step 1 of hoarding

[mention]Thrasher[/mention] [mention]djolemag[/mention] [mention]Tanukjaju[/mention]

This is the pocket watch I mentioned. It looks nice, look at crown and perlage on dust cover.

I am not sure what to do with it. I was going to put it into a NW 3646 cali case. I can always put an a6497 into the case. I have a molly I would put in but I do not think NW's case has a movement ring for that movement.

To me it looks like Unitas 285, not 6497, check under balance... It has fixed stud carrier and top plate jewel on escapement..

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If you will use the pocket watch, then keep it as is. If not, then I would give it a new life in a build. That’s how I operate.

Likewise, sometimes a find a really cool watch with a cool movement..... I won’t use it (cause it’s ugly) and people don’t think it’s worth much ... so I put it in a build to repurpose the movement.

djolemag wrote: ↑May 9th, 2020, 12:48 pm To me it looks like Unitas 285, not 6497, check under balance... It has fixed stud carrier and top plate jewel on escapement..

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I thought is was a 6497 because of the center jewels and marked 17 jewels.

Does 285 not have a brass center “jewel” and marked 15 jewels?

Not sure, there are variations through time, but 6497 should not have fixed stud...

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Tanukjaju wrote: ↑May 9th, 2020, 12:59 pm If you will use the pocket watch, then keep it as is. If not, then I would give it a new life in a build. That’s how I operate.

Likewise, sometimes a find a really cool watch with a cool movement..... I won’t use it (cause it’s ugly) and people don’t think it’s worth much ... so I put it in a build to repurpose the movement.

That was my thought. I will never use the pocket watch.

It is not like it is a rare movement. I can always recase if Gallet pocket watch prices skyrocket