Expert: Melvin Mills - 10/10/2009

Question
I recently acquired a Hartford pocket watch.  It does something I have never seen before, and I am hoping you can tell me why this occurs.  When I attempt to wind the stem on this watch, the hands start spinning rapidly, and the time advances at a rate of about one hour per second!  This will last for a few seconds and then stop.  The watch does not run otherwise.  When I twist or gently shake the watch, the second hand does not move at all.  This seems very strange to me, and any information at all would be greatly appreciated!  Thanks so much!

Answer
Tara,

When the watch is fully wound, the mainspring starts to unwind and is held back by a lever called a pallet fork.  If you have ever seen the workings of a mechanical watch, you will see a wheel turning and a pallet for with two jewels swinging from side to side.  That is what causes the ticking of a watch.

In your case, the pallet for is broken so the mainspring unwinds right away.

Kind regards,

Melvin