Pocket Watch Jewels

The more the better, but not necessarily.

Some authorities feel that a watch with 17 or 19 jewels has all that it can really use, and any more are wasted. However, there are some fine watches with 21 and 23 jewels. More than 23 is simply nonsense. Certain makers, notably Waltham, produced 75 and 100 jewel watches, perhaps somewhat tongue in cheek.

7 jewels is pretty much a bare minimum for a quality watch. This would be 4 jewels on the balance staff, 2 jewels for pallet stones, and 1 jewel for the impulse pin (roller). This takes care of all the busy parts of the watch.

11 jewels adds a pair on the escape wheel and a pair on the lever.
13 jewels puts a jewel on top of the 3rd and 4th wheels.
15 jewels puts a pair on the 3rd and 4th wheels.
16 jewels puts a jewel on top of the center wheel.
17 jewels adds a pair on the center wheel.
19 jewels adds a pair of capstones to the lever.
21 jewels adds a pair of capstones to the escape wheel.
23 jewels puts a pair on the mainspring (barrel bearing).

Note that the above list describes the usual practice, but there can be exceptions.

There are 13 jewel watches which are cutting corners on two jewels to make them look like a "fully jeweled" 15 jewel watch. Since the company was being cheap, these jewels usually would not have a setting held by a pair of screws.

A 16 jewel watch is more sensible, as the top hole actually experiences greater forces and more wear than the bottom hole.

The move from 17 to 19 jewel watches did produce a measurable improvement. In fact the Elgin grade No. 240 B.W. Raymond, a 19-jewel, 18-size, Veritas model (three-quarter plate) movement, is considered by quite a few people to be one of the best timekeepers ever made. One Canadian railroad watch inspector is reported to have said that the Waltham people believed that the 19-jewel Riverside was their "best running" railroad watch. The Canadian Ball Watch Company people said that the 16-size, 19-jewel Ball watch, which was based on the Waltham 19-jewel Riverside, was their best running watch.

On page 19 of a July 1905 Webb C. Ball Watch Company catalog, the following is stated:

"17 jewels equip a good railroad watch when properly finished and adjusted; 19 can be used by setting the two extra jewels in the barrel bearing; beyond that suggestions about additional jewels smack of brimstone and deceit."

Note that Ball recommends putting the pair beyond 17 on the barrel.

So don't feel bad if your watch has only 19 or 21 jewels.

Have any comments? Questions? Drop me a line!

Tom's notes / tom@mmto.org