ball railroad pocket watch double hunter case

If a lip or notch is not present, the case is probably not a snap back case and no attempt should be made to pry off the case back. Tank wrist watches are almost all snap backs. There will be a raised lip indicating where to place a tool for prying, but nothing else. This is a type of case where the back and bezel (which is the metal ring that holds the glass) are simply snapped in place like a Tupperware container. I will try to describe all of the ways to open watches, but only from experience will you truly learn how to 'crack every nut'. Pocket watch and wrist watch cases have been designed in MANY MANY different ways. You can't usually judge a watch by the can be deceiving. This is why it is so important to open the case to see what we have. Once the selection was made, the jeweler would piece the two together very easily, and the customer would be on their way home with their new watch. They would buy a high grade movement not being overly concerned about the case (also to save money). Other customers wanted a reliable quality timepiece. They would spend the extra money to have a solid gold case, but would 'cut corners' on the movement to save money. Sometimes the customer would opt for style. The companies would supply watches and cases to jewelers who would 'custom fit' a watch for each customer. A standardized sizing system allowed this to be possible. The reason for this is that the watches and the cases were usually made by different companies. Even more common is finding an inexpensive gold-filled (gold plate) case with a fabulous high quality movement inside.

It is very common to find an expensive solid gold case with a low quality movement inside. In pocket watches, the case and the movement almost never have anything to do with each other. Any markings to determine the quality of the 'movement' (or the actual workings of the watch) will be stamped on the movement.

Any markings to determine what the case is made of will be stamped on the case. I should note that 'learning' more about your watch starts inside the case. This can be a very tricky and frustrating operation. The first step in learning more about your watch, or trying to repair your watch, is to get the darn thing open.

Ball railroad pocket watch double hunter case