When cheap Chinese tools fail

[clockboy]

Purchased this cheap Chinese watch winder last year & it has worked well. However this morning found the watch on test on the bench still attached to the winding arbour. Luckily no damage to the watch. I will have to loctite all of the screws perhaps.

 

[SSTEEL]

Or drill a hole in the shaft so when you screw the wing nut it goes in the hole rather than holding the shaft by friction.

[clockboy]

Yes thats a good and better idea & will look at it after the Christmas period. Very busy with family now & not allowed into my workshop by her who must be obeyed. 

[Pip]

Not seen a winder like that before. Apart from the obvious screw problem would you recommend it?

[clockboy]

So far it has been faultless & I have been using it for just over a year. I don,t know if this a fault that is going to cause issues or loctite & drilling recess holes for the screws will resolve this problem.

[transporter]

To be fair that's a good innings from it and a simple repair and maybe some preventive maintenance on the other arms and it will be as good as new. Glad I'm not the only one that has a "she that will obeyed" aswell haha

[Geo]

I've had the same unit for about three years now and havn't had any problems. Having said that, before I started using it I put a spot of loctite on all the wing nut threads just for good measure.  To be honest it was so cheap, it names it one of the best valued pieces of equipment I have bought.

[rogart63]

6 hours ago, Pip said:

Not seen a winder like that before. Apart from the obvious screw problem would you recommend it?

Not really a winder? It's a tester? For testing automatic watches? 

[Watchtime]

Flatten the round shaft a bit so the wing nut will keep in place while the winder is turning

[david]

I purchased one from Sincere Clocks about 8 years ago for $79.00 and it works great. It must be mounted in the vertical position (on a wall) in order to wind properly.

david

[Paul78]

i bought the exact same one, the wing nuts on mine wouldn't even screw into the threads so mine are all glued in! i best check them to make sure they're still secure.

[Geo]

2 hours ago, rogart63 said:

Not really a winder? It's a tester? For testing automatic watches? 

It is indeed for testing watches, but not just for automatics.  

I use it when regulating all watches after a service, it cycles the watch through all positions and gives you a good idea how good the watch will keep time when on someone's wrist.  Even having set a watch this way, sometimes it has to be regulated to suit the wearer.

[oli]

I bought this a few weeks ago and found it extremely useful to test the winding ability on autos, and also provide "real life" timekeeping data as mentioned above.

mine has needed threadlock on every nut, and I was already planning on filing a channel on each holder, it looks like I'd better do that sooner rather than later!

[david]

This is a Bergeon watch winding machine. The cost of this is almost $800.00. 

This is a Chinese watch winding machine. The cost of this machine is $64.00

Hmmmmmmmmmm!  Do you suppose that both machines are made in the same factory in China? What sales and marketing magic could possibly be at work here?

david

[Geo]

I have one and it's exactly what I think.  This goes for quite a few other ridiculously priced Bergeon things in my opinion.

[SSTEEL]

Some of Bergeon equipment even comes from China where it's assembled, so the chances are that unbranded are very similar, and maybe QC failures of Bergeon, cosmetically for example.  I have a Bergeon Demagnetiser, and a China version which came from China with the Bergeon branding still attached, go figure.  I returned the Bergeon for a refund.

[clockboy]

I have suspected that for a while. I purchased a Bergeon watch hand lifter ( Bergeon 30669-4)
& the centre pusher would not centre so I sent it back. My Bergeon mainspring winder I am sure is not the same as the vintage one you see Mark use the arbours are way too fat & the entry hole is far to small.
The Bergeon cannon pinion lifter is good but not for small cannon,s.  I have since found that they are not the same design as the original such as Mark uses. 

Bergeon rant over. I find however Horotec tools first rate.

[SSTEEL]

Another vote for Horotec, I have had only positive experiences with their products, and when I didm't, they resolved the issue in shipping out a upgraded, refined part for my press.