Expert: Melvin Mills - 9/29/2009

Question
i was given an antique pocket watch for my anniversary and was wondering if anyone knows anything about it,how old is it,how often and how much do i wind it.the inside case says CWCCo trade mark with a star and crescent moon shape number is 1159333 name on watch face is J M Bigwood,inside says warrented cresent 25 year, number and name on the gear is 1289571 J M Bigwood,terre Hauke ind. it is currently running and keeping time. the other side of the watch is engraved with the name Lottie Allen and the number 2741 faint and slightly above the name. i assume that was the original owner tho not the name of the previous owner to me. tyvm for any info and care tips you can give me, i am not looking to sell this little pocket watch but to enjoy it for many years to come.

Answer
Tracey,

What a wonderful gift!

JM Bigwood is the name of a Jeweler most likely.  This is a private label watch, meaning that a company, most likely a jeweler, paid a manufacturer to make the watch and put the jeweler's name on it.  That was a very common practice.  Nowadays, you see it at Tiffany's and Co.  Tiffany's doesn't have anything to do with the manufacturing of a Rolex but there name is on it.

warranted 25 years means that the case is gold filled and it was guaranteed not to wear through to the base metal for 25 years.

When you wind the watch, wind it slowly and all the way until you cannot wind it any longer.  No different to any other old watch.  It should run 24 hours on one winding.  

Don't expect it to keep time like a quartz watch.  It might be off by 1 or 2 minutes a day.  That should not alarm you.  It is an antique and it may not have kept time much better than that off the assembly line.

Congratulations on the watch and the anniversary.

Kind regards,

Melvin