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Showing content with the highest reputation on 02/19/17 in all areas

  1. Watchmakers will always argue about personal choices like this. Just like "which lubricant is best for X?". Another thing to add to the argument is the amount of extra time spent caring for cheaper tools. I bought an Indian balance screw holder the other day. The chuck was massively oversized so I had to dress it until it was around half the size as it just wouldn't fit between other screws on the rim. Also, it needed re-finishing anyway as it wasn't very symmetrical and it had been polished which meant no grip on the screws. I did wonder if I'd have been better just buying a Bergeon one, or perhaps a second-hand European-made one on eBay. Who knows. I do value my time though.
    3 points
  2. This is really strange. Note to similar pattern in DeCarle repair book and the solution:
    2 points
  3. You are probably already aware, but just in case you are not, you can download the incabloc catalogue "by factory" on the cousinsuk website. https://www.cousinsuk.com/document/search?SearchString=Incabloc but i quite agree it would be lovely to have a hard copy!
    2 points
  4. Yesterday I adjusted the daily rate of my 25 year old Poljot 3133, but last night it ran a bit too slow. This morning I adjusted it slightly faster again but suddenly observed a weird behavior. Took the watch out the stand, "shook" it, but observed it again; Since it was still a bit too slow, I adjusted it a bit more, which yields now the following picture (note; the last two dots out of line is me preparing to switch off). Took the watch "for a walk", observed it in the Watch-O-Scope for several times now, but the line stays "flat" as in picture below ........ Anybody any suggestions what happened here and what caused it?
    1 point
  5. Very common unfortunately? Had they been worked on and fitted with an other dial. Probably have a few if you need?
    1 point
  6. They must have been using poor materials, Seiko spacers since the last 20 years do not deteriorate.
    1 point
  7. My email signature at work is - "When all you have is a screwdriver handle, everything looks like a nail" Some may recognize it as a takeoff of on another saying, "When all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail" So, not only the wrong tool for the job, not even using the tool appropriately! I came up with this when I was bashing away with a screwdriver handle at UPS case that had a bloated battery inside. Didn't have a hammer, or even better a nice pair of the right sized pliers, or best some sheet metal tools!. None of which are usually used for a battery replacement. So, for a one off, you make do with what's available. If, however, sheet metal work was something that I was going to do regularly, I sure as heck would invest in the appropriate tools, and "cheap" or "expensive" has nothing to do with it. Sometimes brands can be a guide, but I don't find that to be very true any more. Country of origin has little to do with it. I'm only interested in the "quality" or effectiveness of a tool, and the best way that I can explain that is that a quality (hand) tool disappears, it becomes an extension of you that you don't notice. With poor tools you are always aware of the tools, there is always some little gripe that demands attention, either before it is ever used or as you are using it. For instance, I went ahead and bought a set of the screwdrivers that Geo sometimes recommends. Well, sorry Geo , but in my subjective opinion they suck. They are not any better than my old Radio Shack "precicsion" screwdriver set, not as good as my cheap Bestfit set, and even the non-ball bearing Horotec screwdrives blows them out of the water. I bought one of the Horotecs just to see if I could tell the difference. And yes, oh boy could I tell the difference. That's why I'm saving my pennies for a Horotec set. At some point you will probably find me beating on the top of the no-name screwdrivers with the handle of my sledgehammer trying to free some stuck doodad out of a rusted hole. Cheers!
    1 point
  8. Its common problem in these seiko watches , specialy in old ones this plastic ring cracks in pieces too easy
    1 point
  9. No prejudice here Jdm. Note from the picture the Chinese cushion movement holder. Ok when it arrived my impression was "Crude Manufacture " even visible signs of gluing and the case being made from a piece of old "Monkey Metal" but it's served me well over the years. Sent from my SM-G920F using Tapatalk
    1 point
  10. After watching the video's I commenced operation "hair-spring". I couldn't get the hair-spring off the balance staff (the collet was too close so I couldn't get the hands levers underneath). It had to be done in situ. I managed to get the spring back in a horizontal plain, pretty concentric and made a proper end-curve for the regulator. Next is to test the hairspring alignment to the regulator path (see 2nd video). To see if the roller jewel is in beat, i.e. in the center of the banking pins, I have to disassembly the watch partly and install the balance assembly. Make adjustments to the spring collet if required ........ but that will be for another day ...... this was enough adrenaline for today.
    1 point
  11. That gritty feeling when hand winding is perfectly normal and is simply a function of the 3 pronged star type ratchet system. I did a walk through on a Hamilton Cal.92 (Buren 1281) here; It does feel odd but it is no a fault.
    1 point
  12. Been wearing this for the last 18 hours since I finally adjusted the donor hairspring into some kind of shape its lost about a minute in those 18 hours. I will get it back on the timergraph I may be able to tweak it a bit more.
    1 point
  13. Thank you matabog. To complete the info the Indian tool is £2 Vs £40 for the Swiss. Too bad is a poorly executed copy but having corrected it saved the saving. We also have other members here which manufacturer their own tools.
    1 point
  14. A "Fashion brand" today Sent from my Honor 5c
    1 point
  15. If the rate of the balance is correct (as reported by and timing app or Time Grapher) but the hands are consistently losing time then the most likely culprit is a loose canon pinion. This is a relatively simple problem to fix but must be done with care as it is also very easy to overdo it. If you do a forum search on canon pinion you will find a number of threads that deal with this specific issue.
    1 point
  16. Why don't you show which tool it is and a picture of how it has been corrected so others can learn and judge for themselves. I think that participating in discussions with verifiable facts is better than canned statements of prejudice.
    1 point
  17. If the repair is hidden then I suppose it could be a way. The interesting part for me was how he steadies the piece with the end of the tip over rest. I might try that one. If he had used a song metal glue & did not drill completely through his method would work.
    1 point
  18. Probably you mean collars. You place them in the link, hold it against a surface, insert the pin from the other side.
    1 point
  19. Maybe the hands get stuck on something? Like the date window? Nice watches but they can't be repaired? Or maybe someone can? They are very often very cheap and a built to use and abuse and throw away? To bad as they often look good? Do you now which movement that is inside? Take a look on electric-watches? I think he has some Timex articles? http://www.crazywatches.pl/home
    1 point
  20. Finally a slow-motion video of the balance working I took during the work.
    1 point
  21. So I went to the watch and clock fair at the NEC last weekend. It seems to get smaller every time but it's only 10 miles down the road for me so it seems churlish not to pop along. I did have an objective, which was to talk to the people from PennyFarthing tools about tailstock drilling attachments for my lathe. Their answer wildly exceeded my expectations and for £35 I bought this which is a ground bar fitting my tailstock with a taper fit precision 3 jaw chuck. They make them in house and at it's first outing I used it to bush a watch barrel. May be a bit of a stretch for pivoting but very happy so far.
    1 point
  22. Yes, if you notice I had posted a link about it earlier in this thread.
    1 point
  23. Holy Mother of God it's the lathe mother load! I like how organized your shop is! Very nice! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
    1 point
  24. Compare to the Vector for GPB 3,900 which is the same product, full options and boxed. https://www.hswalsh.com/product/vector-watchmakers-lathe-hl11 Attached for reference the summary of prices and ebay Items from "sincereclocks" This is not a cheap hobby. But still cheaper than others LATHE PRICE (1).xls
    1 point
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