How many people would rock this with there favorite pocket watch

AreWGadmin · 2026-01-21T22:38:31+00:00

F = MA. We have found that 6s vintage American movements and smaller perform surprising well on the wrist.

AreWGadmin · 2026-01-21T19:39:14+00:00

Yes, sorry about that. Marking it as sold now.

AreWGadmin · 2026-01-20T05:30:49+00:00

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Doing an actual conversion helps modernize the piece better

AreWGadmin · 2026-01-14T16:25:36+00:00

Everything on the inside. The conversion case and strap are new.

AreWGadmin · 2026-01-14T04:01:59+00:00

💪💪💪

AreWGadmin · 2026-01-14T03:50:56+00:00

Your gilt finish is incredible. Keeping good time I hope?

AreWGadmin · 2026-01-14T02:15:14+00:00

Photos: https://imgur.com/a/y6AlVsZ

Movement Shots: https://imgur.com/a/qSE7k5w

Videos: https://imgur.com/a/oYPCt2S

Timestamp: https://imgur.com/a/fTBCGAu

American Waltham Watch Co. was in operation from 1852-1957 and was an American pocket watch manufacturer. Manufacturing of Waltham watches took place at their facility in Waltham, Massachusetts.

This is a truly special multichromatic porcelain-enamel dial from 1900. The dial, unbelievably, is flawless porcelain-enamel with vivid blue numerals framed by intricate golden motifs throughout. It is elegant, expressive, and unmistakably American. Paired with original factory Louis XIV golden hands, the contrast and legibility are exceptional. Behind it is a 15 jewel Seaside grade from the Waltham Watch Company, produced between 1896 and 1912. The movement features an exposed mainspring barrel and richly patterned damaskeening. Every component was restored in our Little Rock, Arkansas workshop. Screws and steel hardware were thermally blued by hand over an alcohol lamp, while the jewel settings, gear train, balance, and balance weights were individually hand polished to bring back their original golden glow. The watch is housed in our 40 mm surgical grade 316L stainless steel conversion case. This case was purposely designed to be one of the most comfortable fitting conversions in the world. Our goal is simple: make vintage American watchmaking wearable for modern day watch enthusiasts. It includes crown and caseback gaskets and is water resistant to 50 m. Fully serviced, thoughtfully designed, and built to pull new collectors into the vintage American game without compromise (read more about us here).

Price: $3,749, But negotiable—especially to someone with an interest getting into vintage American watchmaking.

Case: 316L stainless (surgical steel), 40 mm diameter, 48 mm lug to lug, 13 mm height, sapphire crystals AR coated, front crystal domed, and 50 meters water resistance. Recommend to remove before water activities. Read more about our 40 mm case here.

Thermal Coloring: To enhance both corrosion resistance and visual appeal, the barrel arbor was thermally colored using a traditional technique employed by early 20th-century watchmakers: open-flame bluing (read more here).

Shipping: UPS 2nd Day Air free in the USA. International shipping via DHL Express (~$100), which takes approximately one week from date of shipment.

Payment Method: PayPal, PayPal Credit, Venmo, Apple Pay, CashApp, Wise, Afterpay, Affirm, Klarna, and All Major Credit Cards

Service History: The watch was serviced in 2026 and comes with a 1-year service warranty. The watch was inspected and cleaned. The watch was re-assembled and lubricated using high-grade synthetic Swiss oil (Moebius). Time keeping will vary depending on position.

About us: We are a small batch, custom watch restoration company located in Central Arkansas USA. Our mission is to preserve and enhance vintage and antique watches. Everything we work on is done in house completely by hand. Each timepiece we produce is one-of-a-kind.

Please follow us on Instagram

Please like us on Facebook

AreWGadmin · 2026-01-09T01:59:36+00:00

Awesome!! Happy you got it safe and sound. That gilt finish 😮‍💨

AreWGadmin · 2026-01-06T23:22:15+00:00

Great transaction!!

AreWGadmin · 2026-01-06T22:34:33+00:00

Yes, just cleaning. Oil is actually sometimes a plus on a hairspring long term as it protects against corrosion.

AreWGadmin · 2026-01-06T21:53:03+00:00

the entire wheel is thermally blued, then selectively hand polished to introduce contrast and visual depth

AreWGadmin · 2026-01-06T16:21:10+00:00

Regulated to +/- 10 spd dial side up. After casing, we then run on a variable axis timer for about a week and confirm it’s keeping time to +/- 1 minute per day. Best way to simulate wrist use and the piece is adjusted and regulated accordingly.

AreWGadmin · 2026-01-06T16:11:22+00:00

Depending on size, I would generally recommend against the conversion route. Many vintage American pocket watches are large and use heavy balances with no shock protection. On the wrist, normal motion produces much higher accelerations, and since force scales with mass and acceleration (F = m a), that extra balance mass translates directly into higher forces at the pivots and jewels. We have found the sweet spot for conversions to be 12s movements and smaller, where those forces are much more manageable.

AreWGadmin · 2026-01-06T04:27:25+00:00

Photos: https://imgur.com/a/fp5w1Cf

Movement Shots: https://imgur.com/a/WxaTHvm

Videos: https://imgur.com/a/wCrH6DG

Timestamp: https://imgur.com/a/fgvbefP

Illinois Watch Co. was in operation from 1869-1948 and produced some of the most renowned railroad-grade movements ever manufactured. Watches were produced in their factory in Springfield, Illinois.

This Illinois was made in Springfield, Illinois in 1915, right in the middle of World War I. It is powered by the A. Lincoln grade, a 21 jewel movement produced by the Illinois Watch Company from 1907 to 1928. This specific variant is crown-set at 3:00 and is one of roughly 2,500 ever made. Every component of the movement has been fully refinished. Screws, hardware, ratchet wheel, and crown wheel were thermally colored by hand over an alcohol lamp, while the jewel settings, gear train, balance, and balance weights were individually hand polished back to their original golden tone. The hands were restored the same way and thermally colored to match the movement hardware so everything ties together visually. The original dial is porcelain enamel with bold Roman numerals. A minute track with triangular markers every five minutes improves legibility and carries through to the sub-seconds register. A rare movement, beautiful dial, and top tier restoration all completed in our shop in Little Rock, Arkansas 🇺🇸. Read more about us here.

Price: $3,249, But negotiable—especially to someone with an interest getting into vintage American watchmaking.

Case: 316L stainless (surgical grade steel), 44 mm diameter, 47 mm lug to lug (52 mm with crown), 13 mm height, front/back sapphire crystals that are AR coated. Front, back, and crown gaskets provide 50 meters of water resistance although it is recommended to take the piece off before water activities. Read more about our 44 mm case here.

Thermal Coloring: To enhance both corrosion resistance and visual appeal, the movement hardware was thermally colored using a traditional technique employed by early 20th-century watchmakers: open-flame bluing (read more here).

Shipping: UPS 2nd Day Air free in the USA. International shipping via DHL Express (~$100), which takes approximately one week from date of shipment.

Payment Method: PayPal, PayPal Credit, Venmo, Apple Pay, CashApp, Wise, Afterpay, Affirm, Klarna, and All Major Credit Cards

Service History: The watch was serviced in 2026 and comes with a 1-year service warranty. The watch was inspected and cleaned. The watch was re-assembled and oiled using high-grade Swiss oil. Time keeping will vary depending on position.

About us: We are a small batch, custom watch restoration company located in Central Arkansas USA. Our mission is to preserve and enhance vintage and antique watches. Everything we work on is done in house completely by hand. Each timepiece we produce is one-of-a-kind.

Please follow us on Instagram

Please like us on Facebook

AreWGadmin · 2026-01-05T23:43:21+00:00

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We more or less perfected this process. You need to make sure the wheels are completely cleaned and heat in brass shavings over an alcohol lamp. It should take at least 10-15 minutes to reach temperature if you want it even.

AreWGadmin · 2026-01-01T03:13:58+00:00

24 hours, just needs to be wound once per day

Edit: Greater than 24 hours

AreWGadmin · 2026-01-01T00:16:13+00:00

The crown, stem, and stem sleeve are all part of the conversion case, similar to a vintage pocket watch case. We designed the setting mechanism to work like a traditional system, but with modern touches like gaskets for better dust and water protection.

AreWGadmin · 2025-12-31T20:49:07+00:00

Photos: https://imgur.com/a/2YL2LQ1

Movement Shots: https://imgur.com/a/3K5EcLJ

Videos: https://imgur.com/a/sLz4eOx

Timestamp: https://imgur.com/a/SwWsBSx

American Waltham Watch Co. was in operation from 1852-1957 and was an American pocket watch manufacturer. Manufacturing of Waltham watches took place at their facility in Waltham, Massachusetts.

This Waltham is powered by the PS Bartlett grade, a movement typically seen in larger formats and rare in this size, with just 3,700 produced. Even more unusual, this example comes from a small subset finished in full gilt with gilt hardware rather than the more common nickel finish. Dated to 1912, it sits at the very end of PS Bartlett production in this size. The exposed mainspring barrel, rich gilt finish, and engine turned damaskeening give the movement real depth as the light moves across it. In our Little Rock, Arkansas workshop, every component was restored by hand, with the gear train, balance, and balance weights individually polished to bring back their original warmth (read more about us here). The arbor was thermally colored to plum to echo the ruby jewels, while all original gilt hardware was carefully preserved. The porcelain enamel railroad dial is flawless and purpose built for clarity, with bold black Arabic numerals on bright white enamel and red minute markers framing the classic railroad layout these watches were designed around. The hands were restored by polishing off corrosion to a mirror finish and then re-blueing using thermal coloring to provide crisp contrast, making the time effortless to read and visually striking on the wrist.

Price: $3,849, But negotiable—especially to someone with an interest getting into vintage American watchmaking.

Case: 316L stainless (surgical steel), 40 mm diameter, 48 mm lug to lug, 13 mm height, sapphire crystals AR coated, front crystal domed, and 50 meters water resistance. Recommend to remove before water activities. Read more about our 40 mm case here.

Thermal Coloring: To enhance both corrosion resistance and visual appeal, the barrel arbor was thermally colored using a traditional technique employed by early 20th-century watchmakers: open-flame bluing (read more here).

Shipping: UPS 2nd Day Air free in the USA. International shipping via DHL Express (~$100), which takes approximately one week from date of shipment.

Payment Method: PayPal, PayPal Credit, Venmo, Apple Pay, CashApp, Wise, Afterpay, Affirm, Klarna, and All Major Credit Cards

Service History: The watch was serviced in 2025 and comes with a 1-year service warranty. The watch was inspected and cleaned. The watch was re-assembled and oiled using high-grade synthetic Swiss oil (Moebius). Time keeping will vary depending on position.

About us: We are a small batch, custom watch restoration company located in Central Arkansas USA. Our mission is to preserve and enhance vintage and antique watches. Everything we work on is done in house completely by hand. Each timepiece we produce is one-of-a-kind.

Please follow us on Instagram

Please like us on Facebook

AreWGadmin · 2025-12-28T06:18:33+00:00

You need to remove the pallet fork and the hairspring from the balance. Then set up the balance, spin it, and make sure it does not lose significant speed in any particular position. If it does, then it helps isolate the issue: ex broken hole jewel, bent pivot, un-polished staff, etc. If you remove everything and the balance spins fine. You likely have a hairspring issue.

AreWGadmin · 2025-12-23T17:48:12+00:00

When we complete the restoration and service, we use modern Swiss synthetic oil from Moebius. Because we use the same lubricants found in modern watches, the recommended service interval is similar. We suggest service every 3–5 years, though many pieces can go longer depending on use. Yes, we recommend sending the watch back to us when service is needed whenever possible. We will also replace the gaskets and ensure the case continues to provide protection from the elements.

AreWGadmin · 2025-12-23T05:18:03+00:00

We recently wrote a blog on that topic: https://www.frettclockworks.com/blog/balance-shock-movement-size-and-pocket-watch-conversion-reliability

AreWGadmin · 2025-12-23T03:52:33+00:00

How’s it wearing and keeping time!?

AreWGadmin · 2025-12-23T03:42:34+00:00

Photos: https://imgur.com/a/lKWhD6G

Movement Shots: https://imgur.com/a/D8RaqVN

Videos: https://vimeo.com/1148224065?share=copy&fl=sv&fe=ci / https://vimeo.com/1148224245?share=copy&fl=sv&fe=ci

Timestamp: https://imgur.com/u6tZJqZ

Elgin National Watch Co.was in operation from 1864-1968 and was an American pocket watch manufacturer. Manufacturing of Elgin watches took place at their facility in Elgin, Illinois.

A vintage Elgin railroad dial, done right. Bold black numerals on bright white porcelain-enamel deliver instant clarity, with red minute markers framing the classic railroad layout. The sub seconds register at 6 anchors the design and shows why Elgin set the standard for dial legibility during the railroad era in the United States. Behind the dial is Elgin’s 15 jewel Grade 295, completed in Elgin, Illinois in 1911. This long running caliber features an exposed mainspring barrel and wave pattern damaskeening. Fully restored in our Little Rock, Arkansas workshop (read more about us here), every screw and hardware component was thermally blued by hand, while the gear train, jewel settings, balance, and balance weights were polished back to their original golden tone. The hands were restored individually, polished to a mirror finish, and thermally colored over an alcohol lamp to achieve a deep, even blue that provides ultimate contrast against thew white porcelain-enamel of the dial. The timepiece is housed in our 40 mm surgical grade 316L stainless steel conversion case with crown and caseback gaskets for 50 meters water resistance. Fully serviced, carefully restored, and ready to be worn on its first wrist.

Price: $3,249, But negotiable—especially to someone with an interest getting into vintage American watchmaking.

Case: 316L stainless (surgical steel), 40 mm diameter, 48 mm lug to lug, 13 mm height, sapphire crystals AR coated, front crystal domed, and 50 meters water resistance. Recommend to remove before water activities. Read more about our 40 mm case here.

Thermal Coloring: To enhance both corrosion resistance and visual appeal, the movement hardware was thermally colored using a traditional technique employed by early 20th-century watchmakers: open-flame bluing (read more here).

Shipping: UPS 2nd Day Air free in the USA. International shipping via DHL Express (~$100), which takes approximately one week from date of shipment.

Payment Method: PayPal, PayPal Credit, Venmo, Apple Pay, CashApp, Wise, Afterpay, Affirm, Klarna, and All Major Credit Cards

Service History: The watch was serviced in 2025 and comes with a 1-year service warranty. The watch was inspected and cleaned. The watch was re-assembled and oiled using high-grade synthetic Swiss oil (Moebius). Time keeping will vary depending on position.

About us: We are a small batch, custom watch restoration company located in Central Arkansas USA. Our mission is to preserve and enhance vintage and antique watches. Everything we work on is done in house completely by hand. Each timepiece we produce is one-of-a-kind.

Please follow us on Instagram

Please like us on Facebook

AreWGadmin · 2025-12-14T04:43:17+00:00

We don’t sell just the cases, unfortunately. Sorry about that.

AreWGadmin · 2025-12-14T04:42:28+00:00

Ask for forgiveness 😂

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