My new baby & a question???

[GypsyGurl]

Hi folks! I have recently acquired the first in my (intended) collection of pocket watches. I decided to hunt for a reasonably priced working one that I could admire and use practically before I venture forth into the more expensive end of the spectrum.

I ended up with this ( as per Ebay description ) : A running 18S WALTHAM 15J P S BARTLETT COIN SILVER HUNTER CASE POCKET WATCH, circa 1876, with the Fogg's patent. The watch features - Lever set, Clear crystal, Warranted No.1 all hinged with cuvette, coin silver case with some denting, near perfect dial, clean movement, serial # 9943XX dates this to 1876, Fogg's Patent.

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I am sitting here listening to her lovely strong tick and looking forward to taking her out and showing her off at our next Steamy meetup 

BTW Can one of you fine people recommend any good introductory reading material (print or online) on the workings of pocket watches of this era?
I am considering joining the Australian Antiquarian Horological Society but it is based in Melbourne and not too sure how much use that is going to be with me being in Canberra....

[HAC]

De Carle's books on watch repair are pretty good resources..

If the serial number is 994363 (best I can make it out, then your watch is an 18S PS Bartlett, Model 1857, 11 jewel, full plate hunting, stem wind  (note that you really cannot tell an 11 jewel watch from a 15 jewel watch merely by looking at the movement from the back plate. The extra jewels are in the pillar plate, not the top plate, and you cannot assume that jewels are always in pairs.) Watch was one of a series of 500, with the first watch in the series being made on 6/1/1877 and the last watch on 9/30/1877 Serial number range was 994001 to 994500 . "Fogg's Patent" refers to either  Foggs safety pinion design, which he invented to prevent damage to the train if a mainspring broke When a mainspring breaks, power is released suddenly, into the going train, and can severly damage the watch. Foggs pinio was threaded, the threaded portion of the pinion allowing the barrel gear to absorb this force, by 'unthreading' from the pinion, thus protecting the train of the movment from damage.
 Fogg also patented regulator, and hairspring designs..

Your model 1857 is one of the transitional models from key winding to stem winding. Nice clean one too, good catch..

Cheers
Harold

[GypsyGurl]

Thanks Harold - right on the money with the serial number & great to get more info about it.

Will look up the book you recommend too