You Make This Look So Easy...

[RayCJ]

Hi...  I'm joining mainly to make a financial donation as payment for knowledge passed along in one of Mark's YouTube videos on how to regulate a common Seiko movement.

From grade school years (1960’s) thru the 1990’s I wore wristwatches daily.   I’m going full-circle and instead of relying on a cell phone to read the time, I’m trading-in the electronic slave devices and am wearing wristwatches again.   My new watches are two Seiko Sport 5’s; one with a 7S26 and the other with a 7S36 movement.  They were running out about 20s per day and after a little trial and error (and help from Mark’s video) they’re holding about 7-8 seconds/day.

Although my formal background is electrical and computer engineering, my hobbies are related to mechanics and machine-shop work.  My lathes and mills each weigh-in around 2000lb (~900kg).  On the small side of things, I’ve made countless jigs, fixtures and molds... I don’t think I’ll be making any watch parts on my shop machines.    I’m amazed at how the horology technicians make this look so easy to do and especially enjoy seeing the specialized tools used in the horology business.  I’m tempted to get some broken movements and try my hand at repairing them.

Anyhow, I would like to purchase one or two additional wrist watches in the future.  So far, Hamilton is catching my eye.  I will read and learn with the goal of making a smarter decision when that time comes.   I probably won’t talk too much here but if I do, I promise to be brief.

 

Thanks

 

Ray CJ

(near Annapolis, Maryland USA)

[dadistic]

Well, Hello! Welcome!

Electrical and computer engineering, machinist, sounds familiar 

And please feel free to chat away. As long as you do it in the right section I don't think anyone will mind in the least. In fact, If you have your own machine shop, it would be great to see some pictures. Case work can be done on larger machines, and people are always looking for ideas on refinishing and making custom cases.

Have Fun!

[RayCJ]

Hi dadistic.  Thanks for the welcome!

Most of machinist work I did was "one-off" recreations or emergency repairs of parts related to recreational and luxury yachts.  I was supporting the needs of a good friend who owns a large marina repair shop.  My father was an old-school tool & die maker and I worked in his shop from childhood until I graduated college.  I did a lot of work that required certified heat treating and most finished products weighed between 5 and 50 lbs (2-12kg).  The watchmaking world is a universe away from what I'm familiar with.  Here's a few photos of some smaller precision pieces.  Some are stainless steel and some are alloy steel, heat treated in the 55 Rockwell-C range.  Typical tolerances on these were around -0, +0.0003".  

When it comes to metals, metallurgy, mechanics and fundamental shop knowledge, I can chime-in on a few things if it would be helpful.  My real goal though, is to understand the differences and trade-offs in the various watch movements.  I'm rather captivated by wearing a mechanical watch after decades of telling time with digital cell phones.  In that regard, I place myself firmly in "student mode".

 

Ray

[dadistic]

Thanks for the pictures! Holding 3 tenths is no small achievement, you must have gained some chops as a young'un

Anyway, all I can say is if you get some really good magnification, and then examine a watch movement, things will look very familiar 

[RayCJ]

LOL... Yeah... Finding proper fitting winter gloves still proves to be a challenge...

3 tenths is not too hard depending on the circumstances.  Of course, the pieces I worked on were much bigger than anything found inside a watch mechanism. Most of the work I did was +/- one thou which is pretty attainable if everything in the shop is running right.  In watchmaking, the tolerance level magnitudes are just a few orders of magnitude smaller than the parts themselves.  That ups the skill level of watch making exponentially I should think.

No disrespect intended but, I have no desire to get into watchmaking.  My eyes are still good, my hands are still steady despite nerve damage from cuts, burns and misc injuries but, I don't have the right personal temperament to be a watch maker.   I know my way around CAD and CAM and used to own/run Hurco 4 axis CNC machines.  I can't imagine the cost involved in the high-end machines for mass producing watch parts.  I don't even know who makes that kind of equipment and I sure don't think I have the patience to hand-cut miniature gears.   I would love to learn how to do basic service/cleaning though.

 

Ah... you're in Chicago.  I was born/raised there.

 

Ray

Edited April 10, 2017 by RayCJ

[RayCJ]

Uh oh, this could spell trouble...  I've been very happy to wear wristwatches most recently again and decided to dress-up some recently acquired Seikos with nice leather bands.  While I was at it, I ordered a Model 1000 Timegrapher and will try my hand at observing their performance and possibly optimizing it.  As things proceed, I'll document the observations and results in a different thread in an appropriate forum here.   

So far, I've truly enjoyed all the educational videos.  1st class materials for sure.  Some day, I'd like to find a broken watch and try to repair it or possibly, purchase a very inexpensive new watch as a test specimen.

Somehow, I get the feeling this might lead to a fun new hobby...  We shall see...

 

Regards

Ray

 

BTW:  Here are the watches I now have.   

http://www.jomashop.com/seiko-watch-snk809.html

http://www.jomashop.com/seiko-watch-snk803.html

http://www.jomashop.com/seiko-5-mens-watch-snzg09.html

[Vich]

Hello Ray,

Welcome to the forum and thanks for the insight into your skills.  Like yourself I have a boundary line and stick to tinkering, actual watch making is way beyond me but I like tinkering especially with the watches that seem to be lost causes.  I find it both relaxing and frustrating which although dichotomous, if it leads to success, gives great pleasure and fun.

I have so many projects I have lost count.  I started with a small group of watches mainly accutrons but went on to add pure mechanicals.  I still don't know what I am doing sometimes but the forum buddies amongst whom are many pro's and long time repairers who have always bailed me out and I can now contribute sometimes.

The caveat is that It does draw you in, however, as a hobby you will find it engaging and of course you can wear your success on your wrist as well.

Cheers,

Vic