Object of the week- the original goggle box

Watch repairers are famous for never throwing anything away and they often kept (and still keep) useful parts in old tins and anything they had to hand. As a result we have quite a collection of interesting tins! This one is a ww1 goggle box with instructions on the lid for goggle care! The original felt is still inside. We think these were used for sun/sand and were army issue.

ww1 goggle tin – Reads:
Instructions
Wrap the tapes (flat) very carefully round the goggles before placing in case so as to protect the surfaces against damage by sand or grit. Clean gently with very soft cloth or wet sponge.

Inside with original green felt lining

 

5 things you must know to become a watch and clock expert

 

As the daughter of a watch and clock repairer I have picked up all sorts of useful bits of information. Here a few you should know if you want to be a clock and watch expert or want to convince somebody you are one!

1. Wheels, Hands and Dials- this is the more technical term for gears, pointers and faces!

2. Always take the pendulum off when carrying a mechanical clock. This is because it can break the suspension spring- (the top section of the pendulum).

3. Don’t push the hands backwards past the hour, half hour on a chiming clock and if it’s a westminster chimes clock, quarter of an hour too. This can damage the clock movement (the technical name for the internal workings of a clock).

Also, try to let the clock strike fully each time when changing the time- this stops the clock getting out of sync.

4. If it’s a battery clock or watch it will probably say ‘Quartz’ on the dial- that is how the battery is run.

On some mechanical watches the dial will say that it contains ‘Jewels’- for example. ’17 Jewels’. The jewels are tiny gemstones or pieces of glass which are used to line pivot holes inside some watches to prevent friction- the use of jewels stop the holes from wearing. Generally, the more jewels a watch has, the better it is. Some better-made battery watches also contain jewels though it won’t tell you that on the dial!

5. Pocket watches used to be wound by miniature keys. The winding holes were in the back of the watch.

Winders, also called stem-winders, were first invented by Adrien Phillippe in the mid nineteenth century and first sold at the great exhibition of 1851. Queen Victoria and Prince Albert were some of the first to own one.