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These pages will remain under construction for ever, because just miscellaneous themes, discussed by email or in forums will be placed here. As this is a German site, the number of German articles will grow faster than of the English. So if you understand German, please also visit the German information pages.

Anyway, a kind of structure is already realized: More extensive themes get their separate page, and the most important themes are issued in English and German.

   Index

Automatic for Everyone Beginners Date and Origin of a Watch Ebay Nightmare Evaluation of Timepieces

Manual Winding of Automatic Market Data Movements Movement Sizes, Conversion Remote Diagnostics

Run or Rest? Service for Watches The Second Old Timepiece Unadjusted US Import Codes

 

Market Data

Movements

The archive containing watches, jewelry, and related items, is restricted to items having been offered by Ranfft Watches (with few exceptions). The reasons are to prevent copyright troubles, and to care for a consistent relation between item and price.     The watch section will grow fast, and soon will become a real help to estimate the value of particular watches. Categories like clocks, jewelry, literature, and accessories are still poorly supported. Maybe, somebody else will help to bring some life into these sections.     Many descriptions contain informations about history and technology of a timepiece or its manufacturer. Thus you'll get one or the other response to related questions if you enter the right keyword in the search function.     For each item the reserve and the highest bid is mentioned, and aditionally the market, where it was offered. If the high bid is missing, nobody placed a bid, e.g. because a to high reserve inhibited it. But this is also market reality, and these items should have their place in the archive.

In the archive besides trading results movement data are collected. For each type the main features and technical data are recorded, as well as some remarks about history, quantities, and special features. Moreover one or more illustrated examples are given, with their year of production, signatures, and shock devices. Most facts need no explanation, but the following well: Diameter D Additionally to the nominal diameter in French lignes or US sizes after the Lancashire Gauge, a diameter is given in mm (Millimeters) as follows: D not specified value from public source, usually nominal- or mounting diameter. Dn  nominal diameter, calculated from the value in lignes or the US size. If calculated from lignes it is normally the maximum mounting diameter, while the US size usually represents the outer diameter. Dm mounting diameter. With this diameter the movement fits into the aperture of the case or mounting frame - therefore slightly smaller than Dn. Do outer diameter, thus the largest. Most movements have a flange a little bigger than Dm, to rest on the case rim or mounting frame. For odd shaped calibres accordingly two dimensions are recorded.     US sizes published by manufacturers are usually precise, because movements and cases were standardized to a certain extent. Published diameters in lignes are sometimes not more than illusions: Small movements were published smaller than actually, and big movements bigger. If the difference is less than 0.25''', manufacturer data are resumed here. For higher differences the actual dimensions are rounded up or down to 0.25''' steps. Height H From published source (e.g. manufacturer) or from own measurements. Usually the construction height is given, thus the distance between the surface, the dial is resting on, and the highest plate, bridge, or cock on the back side, or the rotor of automatics respectively. Parts like screw heads, settings, regulators, or outstanding pivot ends are not taken into account, because they can easily be modified to achieve over all the construction height.  Sometimes winding gears or rotor bearings exceed this height. If the difference is reasonable, it is mentioned, to make the data comparable with those issued by manufacturers or in the literature. Power Reserve From published source (e.g. manufacturer) or from own measurements. The measured value is truncated down to whole hours, and as individual variations are reasonable, additionally one hour is subtracted. Of course only movements in original, and good running condition are taken for these measurements. If several such movements were investigated, the lowest truncated power reserve is recorded.

 

Evaluation of Timepieces

Remote Diagnostics

Many people collect market data and make them accessible for everyone. Actually useful are only data accompanied by detailled descriptions of the paricular items - including not only source, kind, and features, but also the condition. A large archive of this kind (in German language) is offered by the auctioneer  Henry's, but also these pages contain an archive which is continuously growing.       I use such archives, but also the results of various other auctions and markets, if  I  have to evaluate a timepiece for listing it in the auction.      Of equivalent importance is the grading of the condition. It can only be successful if the item is actually on the table, if modern equipment is available, and if a master watchmaker assists, wherever necessary.      Whoever has lots of experiences, can also use ebay for orientation. But the average description of the condition is poor there, and allows no judgement about the value. Moreover, sellers and bidders often set old and worn out equivalent to antique and valuable. Therefore trash is often over estimated and the evaluation of really mint items is definitely uncertain.

I can't and won't give any remote diagnostics about a timepiece. If only some facts and maybe some more or less detailed photos are available, I could not do more than browsing the archives mentioned here on the left. This odd job can be done by everybody for himself.       A more precise evaluation is only possible, if the item can really be investigated. This service is offered usually by the local watchmaker or jeweller. But don't expect it free of charge, if you are not a good customer of this guy. I don't offer this service - even not for money.       The Pink Pages are part of my collector hobby, and were created as a service for timepiece collectors. You can use the market base free of charge, or can give away the whole job for a moderate charge. There are alternatives, ebay first of all, and watches not being particular collectors pieces will probably sell better there, because there are bidders who set old and worn out equivalent to antique and valuable. However, assistence for the evaluation of watches to be sold on ebay can't be expected here.

 

Run or Rest?

Unadjusted

The oppinion that a watch should continously run instead of keeping it resting in a locker is absolute nonsense.       What moves will wear, and this applies to the bearings as well as the mainspring. However, if properly serviced, a watch will run almost eternally, but if it is stored in a dry and cool place it will even last "eternallier".       Anyway, this is not actually a question for collectors. If you own a couple of watches, and don't wear them all continuously on your wrists or in your pockets, each watch will run only a couple of days now and then. So if you care for your watches, you don't have to worry about wear.

Of course movements signed as "unadjusted" are normally adjusted properly. This signature is just a product of common administration idiocy:       In the U.S.A. a watch is regarded to be of U.S. origin if it is cased and adjusted in the U.S.A. (officially will do). As U.S. products are of course not charged with U.S. duties, the signatures "unadusted" on the movement and "cased and timed in U.S.A." in the case back save lots of money, wherever the components were produced (or actually adusted).

Manual Winding of Automatics

Often people fear that they will damage their automatic if winding it manually too long, because they don't feel a resistance when the spring is fully wound. Below some general information about common selfwinding designs.       There are few early self-winding designs using a standard barrel with fixed outer end of the spring. Overwinding ist prevented there with a torque limiter (friction or ratchet clutch) between self-winding gear and barrel. Some even have mechanisms locking the rotor or bumper weight when fully wound.       Here the first automatic with friction coupled bumper: Harwood (No need to worry about manual winding here - it is not available.) Here a movement with ratchet torque limiter on the barrel: LeCoultre_883

In such designs the manual winding gear may be directly coupled to the barrel, and then they are actually wound like a normal manually wound watch (until you brake the gear or your finger - never the spring). All other, and particularly all modern movements have the torque limiter integrated in the barrel. Just few older actually with a kind of ratchet inside the barrel but very most with a friction spring.       This spring disengages when the outer turn of the spring removes from the barrel, and you must have very sensitive finger tips to feel it, when winding manually. As the average automatic will be overwound all day long when worn, the spring will do much longer without damage than your finger tips.       However, keep in mind that many automatics are not designed for continuous manual winding. The barrel will bear it, but the gear may be worn.

   

Automatic for Everyone

From the Harwood, the first series-produced automatic, to the Etarotor, the first large scale production automatic of modern design, it was a troublesome way. . Below a short description of this evolution with links to the example movements.     In the 30s and 40s, AS was the only reasonable supplier offering automatics to everybody. Just Felsa offered a bumber with minor success, and came not before 1942 with a successful calibre. Else there were only few poorly functioning concepts, and some watch manufacturers who designed bumper automatics for their own purposes, e.g. Eterna or Omega. . It lasted until 1950, when ETA announced the "Etarotor", because the central free revolving rotor was inhibited by Rolex patents before. Although it was'nt a sophisticated solution to mount a rotor-module on a small ladies movement, it was ingenious: . Only Felsa was able to circumvent the Rolex patent in 1942 with the bidirectonal winding "Bidynator". The pilot series Felsa 410/415 (lower left) was already in the year of its introduction replaced by the fameous family 690  (lower right). . AS offered to everybody the AS 1049 (lower left). It is almost unknown because it was replaced by the similar AS 1049A after a short periode. Both are redesigns of the Harwood automatic, also without manual wind feature. The necessary friction coupling moved from the bumper into the barrel, where it still is in most automatics today. Both calibres were almost only used by Mido. A version with manual wind feature hat the designation AS1081, but was produced since 1935 exclusivele for Mido as Mido 816 (lower right). .

The also since 1935 produced successor AS 1171 and its sweep second variant AS 1172 are as well scarcely found as genuine AS product. But they appear more or less modified as exclusive calibres of AS customers, for instance as Fortis 250 . No wonder, since already the Harwood was realized by cooperation of AS, Fortis, and Blancpain. After some stations of model enhancements, the AS 1250 was the first bumper with great market success. Of course there were dead ends in this evolution, and the bumper automatich was actually one. But even stranger designs were realized, e.g. the Baumgartner 92 from 1951, in which the rotor is striking like a hammer on a quite simple winding device -  sophisticated, but probably not durable. It lasted until 1948, before the Eterna 1194R was introduced, a ladies movement with ball bearing rotor, and all other essential features common to automatics of present production:

Date and Origin of a Watch

There are some watches for which production date and origin can easily be found out:       British watches are usually properly signed with name, and often even address of the maker. Moreover a yearly changing hallmark for precious metals allow precise dating of the watch.       American watch movements are also properly signed and numbered. And for most companies archives exist, which allow dating of a watch after the serial number of the movement, and the origin is no problem anyway for a signed item.       There are also few leading European companies which numbered movements and/or cases, and which were proud anough to sign their products. For some of them manufacturing achives exist to evaluate these numbers, and you'll have no trouble to date e.g. a Breguet, IWC, Lange, Omega, Patek-Philippe etc.       Hallmark tables, and many of these number archives are free accessible in the Internet. But most are supplied by collectors, and therefore the locations on servers often change. So you'll be forced to create your own link file, after consulting search engines or watch fora. Especially for American watches a very active collectors community cares for good information sources - even for smaller companies.

For the major quantity of European watches it is a troublesome job, and the results are disappointing in most cases. While American watches were produced already in industrial style around 1900, in Europe still small workshops or even single watchmakers bought kits from rough movement manufacturers and made their individual models - most without any signature, many with fancy signatures telling almost nothing. Most watches were anonymous, and will remain anonymous, and there is scarcely a chance to find out the maker.       Many watches got their signature on dial and/or dust cover from the selling jeweller. With some luck the jeweller store is still in business, and with a very big heap of luck you may get some informations about a particular watch.       Often people believe that numbers or what they believe to be a secret signature in the case will help further. Sorry, it doesn't: Cases were not produced industrially, and the parts were not interchangable. So all parts of a case got a number, just to keep them together, and nobody cared about any connection between this number, and the production date. And what ever is written else on the case are hallmarks for precious metals, technical data, operation instructions, or just advertising - without any importance for manufacturing date or origin.        However, fashion trends existed which allow to date a watch sufficiently, and the technological evolution is another research tool. With some experience, this helps to date the watch quite precisely, and at least gives an idea of the region of origin, sometimes even the manufacturer.        I've evaluated such details over some decades of collecting, and give an approximate date of manufacturing, and sometimes the origin of every watch I post in the auction, shop, or archive. So all you have to do is to compare the details of case, dial, and movement of your watch with similar watches listed on this site. This will give you a sufficient idea, when and where your watch was made.

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...the alternative - free of charge!

Dr. Roland Ranfft Im Eichfeld 8 41844 Wegberg-Wildenrath Germany

phone +49 (0)2432 491604 fax      +49 (0)2432 491605 email:  info@ranfft.de

Last update:  03-12-10