✅ SOLVED Help Identifying a pocket watch casing, found MDing at old school from 1800s please.

[Machxin]

Help Identifying a pocket watch casing, found MDing at old school from 1800's please.

Was the second of my 5 hunts I have been on with the Bounty Hunter Tracker IV. I thought it was an old magnifying glass casing for the school I took it to my father and said it was for a pocket watch. It has some numbers on it that seems to read 08414 and I am not sure what it is made of. Was wondering if any might know how to get information on it or what type of metal it is made of, does not stick to a magnet.

It could be newer as the land still had people going to it in the 1900's checking out the old small school house. Kids also played on and around the land perhaps they dropped it more recently. However, the school was from the mid to late 1800's and the farmer who owned it allowed me on the land so it has a possibility of being old.

I know this is not something big or anything impressive, just curious about it is all. Any information or perhaps a way for me to I.D. it or to see what metal it is made of would be great.

 

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[NOLA_Ken]

I'm not a watch expert, but I don't think you've got enough of it to id. The metal looks like it could be brass from the color and was probably plated at one time.

 

[Machxin]

I'm not a watch expert, but I don't think you've got enough of it to id. The metal looks like it could be brass from the color and was probably plated at one time.

Thanks for the information you gave me! I hope maybe I can find more pieces of it to learn more!

 

[bigfoot1]

an avenue for research only...there is an outside chance it is a compass bezel.I am simply offerind a direction to look into.good luck as nola said...not alot to work with.welcome to tnet...enjoy

 

[TheCannonballGuy]

I'm leaning toward it being a pocketwatch because it has (remnants of) two hinges opposite its stem. Assuming it is a pocketwatch, it appears to be the key-winder type, mot a stemwinder. That is important for dating 1800s pocketwatches. The stemwinder type was invented in 1842 and commercialized in the 1850s. It was so superior to the keywound type that the latter quickly fell out of favor. If your pocket watch is indeed a keywound type, it almost certainly predates the 1870.

There are two clues to look for:
1- The "crown" of a keywinder's stem typically lacks the "knurling" seen on a stemwinder's crown. Your watch's stem lacks knurling.
2- A stemwinder of course has a hole into the case's interior at the bottom of the stem. Your photos don't show that area of the case ring. Is there a hole there?

 

[Machxin]

I'm leaning toward it being a pocketwatch because it has (remnants of) two hinges opposite its stem. Assuming it is a pocketwatch, it appears to be the key-winder type, mot a stemwinder. That is important for dating 1800s pocketwatches. The stemwinder type was invented in 1842 and commercialized in the 1850s. It was so superior to the keywound type that the latter quickly fell out of favor. If your pocket watch is indeed a keywound type, it almost certainly predates the 1870.

There are two clues to look for:
1- The "crown" of keywinder's stem typically lacks the "knurling" seen on a stemwinder's crown. Your watch's stem ;acks knurling.
2- A stemwinder of course has a hole into the case's interior at the bottom of the stem. Your photos don't show that area of the case ring. Is there a hole there?

I will get more pictures tomorrow but it seems to have a hole through the stem.

Thank you everyone for the information so far, and Cannonballguy awesome information! Hope the photos tomorrow help further.

 

[Machxin]

I'm leaning toward it being a pocketwatch because it has (remnants of) two hinges opposite its stem. Assuming it is a pocketwatch, it appears to be the key-winder type, mot a stemwinder. That is important for dating 1800s pocketwatches. The stemwinder type was invented in 1842 and commercialized in the 1850s. It was so superior to the keywound type that the latter quickly fell out of favor. If your pocket watch is indeed a keywound type, it almost certainly predates the 1870.

There are two clues to look for:
1- The "crown" of a keywinder's stem typically lacks the "knurling" seen on a stemwinder's crown. Your watch's stem lacks knurling.
2- A stemwinder of course has a hole into the case's interior at the bottom of the stem. Your photos don't show that area of the case ring. Is there a hole there?

Took some new pictures of the watch to help and a size comparison to a quarter and a very unique rock my brother found that I plan on asking help with soon. Hopefully these pictures are better and can help.

 

[TheCannonballGuy]

Thank you for the additional photos. They show that your pocketwatch is a stemwinder type, which means the stem's "knurled" crown (for winding) is missing from yours. As mentioned in my previous post, stemwinding pocketwatches were first commercialized in the 1850s. Pocketwatches fell out of public favor due to the advent of "practical" wristwatches and their commercialization in the 1930s. So, speaking statistically, your stemwinder most probably dates sometime from the 1860s to the 1930s.

 

[Machxin]

Thank you for the additional photos. They show that your pocketwatch is a stemwinder type, which means the stem's "knurled" crown (for winding) is missing from yours. As mentioned in my previous post, stemwinding pocketwatches were first commercialized in the 1850s. Pocketwatches fell out of public favor due to the advent of "practical" wristwatches and their commercialization in the 1930s. So, speaking statistically, your stemwinder most probably dates sometime from the 1860s to the 1930s.

Thanks CannonBallGuy! This is awesome to think it might be such an old piece of history. My first artifact which makes it even more cool.