W. Watson & Sons Detective camera 1885-1890

W. Watson & Sons Detective camera  looks like a post office wood box covered by leather. It contains a mahogany bellow camera inside and a shutter attached to  the front face.

Below 2 buttons to adjust the focus discreetly. The front hole permits the lens view and the back to focus the image in the ground  glass. Both can be closed by  sliding a simple metal plate. Two eyes viewer  for Portrait or Landscape positions can also be closed by the same way.

Equipped with a fast rectilinear 5x4 lens dedicated to the 9x12cm plates

Apparently this specific model was produced to the french market  to the dealer 

 "made for H.Carette - Paris"

Dimensions 13x22x26cm no serial number detected.

Lens: W. Watson & Sons- 313 High Holborn , London -   5x4  f8 to f44  sn.1533

Most probably one of my oldest cameras ... but the must is when you open and realize the big gift you won.

Detective                                                      Inside

Back

Lens 5x4                                       French dealer 

 Shutter

Robot Junior double spring motor by Otto Berning

This is the last German Robot arrived to my collection.. I’m talking about the” Junior “ model with double spring motor, allowing 50 photos. Produced between 1954 and 60 were quite popular in the scientific research.

This camera arrived from England and was identified with a label IMTR/RES/2 1 66.
??? Could be. ..Institute for Meteorological Training and Research (IMTR), RES from research and 2 1 66 a date... ???

This models have robust German mechanism but when they don’t work is hardly to repair  by it self. This one was with shutter window frozzen in open position and shutter impossible to release.

After a couple of hours trying to fix it , finally I was able to access the shutter mechanism. Cleaning and degreasing was enough this time.

Here you have some photos from my repairing steps…and a final movie to listen the “melody”…

Repairing steps

1-Remove all top screws from top cover (1) , remove motor advance knob by rotating in anti-clockwise direction (2), remove advance knob by unscrewing the center with a special tool (3), finally remove the top plate cover taking care about the counter housing knob (4)

2- Remove carefull all free parts (1), and then the 4 screws that fix the motor (2). Be carefull, if the motor spring is in tension some parts can jump out. So, in the 4the and last screw take the motor with your other hand while pulling the motor out.

3- Once all removed you can have a small acess to shutter release button. You can try to smoothly force up  the small plate. I've profit to grease with a very thin oil.

4 - If you need to dismount the motor spring, to investigate if the spring is broken , here you have a picture from all set.

5- Now if you find your problem you can mount everything back and don't forget :

Be "patient" is the good word to reach a good result

Germany - 1954/60 "Robot- Junior 50 "
sn. J133490 
Lens Schneider Kreuznach Xenagon 30 3.5
sn.3260563