Contrary to what is often thought, 19th-century English watches can still be a practical proposition
for daily use. Their construction is simple and remarkably uniform, and when problems arise (as they
must with any piece of machinery well over a century old) it is surprising how much one can achieve without
special tools or knowledge and without access to new parts. Second-hand components are easily available,
and even before 1850 standardisation had advanced very much farther than one might think, so that there
is a good chance of replacing a broken component at minimal cost.
The following pages are based
on a typical lever watch of about 1840-50, but most of the information is valid for almost any full-plate
watch made between about 1810 and 1900; the only significant change during the period was that the compensated
balance generally replaced the plain type in the 1890s.
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