Opening an Elgin railway pocket watch

[f***@setonce.com]

How do you open the back of an Elgin railway pocket watch that has no
notch or nose?

Does the back unscrew by using a high friction pad?

[Jim Bianchi]

Post by f***@setonce.com
How do you open the back of an Elgin railway pocket watch that has no
notch or nose?
Does the back unscrew by using a high friction pad?

Sometimes those pocket watches used 'swing out' movements.
Basically, the front bezel (with the glass) is unscrewed, the stem pulled
out (as if to set the time), and the watch movement itself can be lifted
from the bottom (6:00 edge), swung out and removed from the case. The exact
procedures can be found by googling for elgin pocket watch sites, or maybe
someone else here can give you better instructions (I've never done this,
I'm just aware that such a thing is commonly found).

[Frank Adam]

Post by f***@setonce.com
How do you open the back of an Elgin railway pocket watch that has no
notch or nose?
Does the back unscrew by using a high friction pad?

If there is no notch, but you can see the line right around where the
back meets the case, it's likely to be a screw on.
One poor man's way is to put on a rubber glove(s), place the back in
the center of your palm, push and twist sharp. Try forward and back if
it doesn't undo at once.

What Jim mentioned could also be a possibility and after all this, it
can still be a push on back too. One very good give away of it being a
screw on is, if the edge of the back is knurled, but again, it's not a
sure shot.. Without seeing and holding it, it's a bit hard to guess.