This watch was my husband's father. It no longer ticks and a jeweler said it is missing the pin. Any information on this watch would be appreciated.
Thank you for the information you all have contributed. I really have been enjoying the watch more so, now that I know more about it.
I did take the watch in for repair to a reputable jeweler and watch repair place and was told it needed to be cleaned and needs a new spring. I went to pick it up today and the crystal looked different. Originally it had a scratch on the bottom and minor scratches on it. This crystal looked like it was acrylic, and didn't have any marks on it at all. The man said it was buffed and sanded but wasn't sure if it was replaced and was going to check with the person who worked on it. I left it there and told him I didn't want anything replaced on it just to get it running. I can't remember if the crystal had steps on the side of it? Is there anyway I can tell if it is the original one?
Crystals are one of the most often replaced watch parts, so it is unlikely that the original one was still on it after 86 years. It may have been mineral glass originally but these would get scratched and could fracture. The replacement was most likely acrylic and so are the replacements nowadays. Acrylic crystals are 'unbreakable' and replaced celluloid crystals that would discolour and were highly flammable.
If the crystal was sanded and buffed, that would mean they simply removed the marks that were on the one that was on it when you handed it in. Mineral glass cannot be economically resurfaced.
To properly clean and polish the case, the crystal must be removed.
The spring they mentioned is most likely the mainspring, which is also an often replaced part of the watch. In actual fact, there really is no such thing as 'just a cleaning'. The watch must be fully disassembled to be cleaned, and at this point repairs to various parts of the watch are done, the mainspring replaced, etc. Then the watch is cleaned in industry approved solvents and rinses. There is often a lot of wear on watches this old, so accuracy is a bit spotty even if all problems are addressed. Pivots wear, jewels wear, plates wear, and unless these are replaced entirely, the wear does affect timekeeping. If you replace everything it really isn't the same watch anymore and this is neither economical nor practical.
The watch is re-assembled and lubricated with modern synthetic lubricants, and it is then regulated and adjusted. Even when new, these watches could have timekeeping errors of over a minute a day easily. They are susceptible to magnetic fields and moisture as well as shock, so they do need to be treated gently. The watch is always demagnetized during service, but what with electronic devices everywhere, they can pick up some pmagnetism fairly easily and will usually speed up when this happens. This is because of the materials used in these watches, the alloys of the arbors and hairspring and mainspring. Fortunately they can easily be demagnetized by a jeweller or watchmaker. (Magnetic fields can destroy quartz watches)
With crystal buffed and polished and case also polished, the watch looks wonderful and will last many more years as an heirloom.
I remember the last time this watch was in for repair (2000) the watch man was actually excited that the crystal was still in good condition. He said he usually sees the crystal all scratched up and this one was not. In its 86 year life the watch was rarely worn and sat in a dresser drawer. Good to know mineral glass is not easily repaired with buffing and sanding. Part of the beauty of the watch was looking through the mineral glass at the time. The mineral crystal which they replaced with acrylic crystal takes away from it and I very disappointed as you can imagine.
It must be rare to find a crystal in good condition and too tempting not to take it for their own.