Expert: Melvin Mills - 6/14/2008

Question
QUESTION: hello like to find some history on my watch,inside back case says chas.olson.&co 1449829 to minnie dec 25 1904   the front case inside says cwc.co plant trade mark[star] 1449829  also off to side in  real little size, I think it says o946o  also 630i.t it is hard to see..  where is p w from??? my grand parents from holland and then to canada etc it is beautiful....thank you helen

ANSWER: Ms. Helen,

Can you give me some more information, such as what is written on
the movement?

That will identify the maker and I will be able to help more with that information.

Kind regards,

Melvin

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: inside on movements  says chas olson &co minneapolis 1524874 movement # also edge of case again is 1449829 swiss inside on working parts on outside of case is lots of other #'s maybe they are people that worked on watch when built 9829     838     537310    630it ??   094600 ?  these are real little little!!!!!! i had some expert look at it  and they  said to old to fix main spring to just leave it along...  before they touched it, it worked....

Answer
Ms. Helen,

Sounds like this watch is what is called a private label watch.  That means a manufacturer put the jeweler's name on the watch.

Very common years ago and many companies do it today.  

Kenneth Cole, Eddie Bauer, L.L. Bean, none of them make watches.  They just put their name on them.

Sounds like it is a Swiss watch.  

Just to know for sure, get a second opinion on fixing it.  If a mainspring is truly the problem, it can be made if not available.  That can get a little expensive but it can be fixed.  There is really no such thing as a watch that can't be fixed, when talking about mechanical, wind up watches.

Kind regards,

Melvin