How Do You Clean Antique Pocket Watches?
Properly cleaning antique pocket watches is a tricky, laborious task. It’s more about disassembly than cleaning. It means completely disassembling the watch’s movement, which is the mechanism inside the case that operates the timepiece, with precision tools. First-timers are urged to practice on a watch they don’t mind ruining. The task can appear daunting, but once the novice recognizes each part of the pocket watch movement and masters use of the tools, the cleaning process becomes easier. Pry open the snap case back of an antique pocket watch using a blunt blade. If the watch has a screw-down case back, lay it face down in the palm of your hand and use the other hand to unscrew it counterclockwise, according to Thewatchguy.homestead.com. Unwind the pocket watch by letting down the mainspring, a ribbon of tightly rolled steel inside the mainspring barrel. Rotate the crown at 12 o’clock a few clicks to identify the metal stopper that passes over the mainspring gear. Hold the crown and
