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I have bought myself a Hudie watch which was a chinese brand owned by the also now defunct Hongqi watch factory. The watch is about 25 years old. I want to remove the movement so I can polish the case and caseback, as well as regulate the movement because it's running a bit fast. And more than anything I am curious to see which movement resides inside. However there is a problem. The caseback will not budge at all. I put it in my vice and tried to remove it with my bergeon caseback ball and it will not move a millimeter; the ball just gives out and slips after enough force is applied. I tried heating the caseback too to no avail. I had this problem once before and krazy glued a nut to the caseback and removed it that way but I'd prefer not to do that again if anyone knows any other tricks. It's so stuck I thought it might be a snap on caseback but I do not see any opening to slip a tool in and I also believe the majority of these hudie casebacks are screwdown design like the other similar chinese ones. I actually think it might be glued on because I scrapped off something that seemed like epoxy and in that case I have 0 clue if it'd even be possible to open. Thank you.

Ladies and gents, I found the most awesome old gold watch chain! It has spring links! I am always so careful with my antique pocket watches, and still fear to drop them, even while on a chain. I've re-staffed a number of balance wheels that no doubt suffered a similar fate. But this chain has lessened that fear somewhat. So my "watch of today" was my beautiful Elgin 339 clipped to this chain.

For me, there’s no binary yes/no answer to this. It really is a matter of feel, experience, inspection under magnification, the age of the movement and what a replacement costs vs invested effort to “revive” it that all play a role determining the answer above. For an Omega 56x series reverser wheel you’ll spend more time trying to revive a reverser (which, by the way is also much more serviceable, but also harder and more expensive to find a replacement for) than you would an a Sellita SW200 where replacements are cheap and easy to find.

That's what I did after my Pearl machine stopped working. I've run about 5 watches through it so far and get results as expected. One interesting note is that their customer service says the machine comes with a 2 year warranty but that is not indicated on the website and when asked via email they are unable to provide a copy of the warranty, which I believe runs counter to US federal law Luckily for me the service center they use for repairs is local to me so if I ever do need to have it serviced I won't have to ship it in its HUGE box.

@JohnR725I live in a “3rd world” country (South Africa) and even here you can’t make a middle class living charging $120 to service a watch. I make many times that spending that same amount of time in my day job. But quote the average someone $200 to service their inherited vintage Omega (that stopped working 20 years ago) and you’re told you’re effing mad. This is why watchmaking is dead as a profession in modern times; everyone wants that cool mechanical watch, no one considers what it costs to maintain it. A wrist watch is no longer an essential tool, it’s novelty jewellery. So I do it as a hobby, a make a few videos and I fix broken things. If this hobby can make a little money to at least contribute to its vast expenses then that’s a bonus. I have many other hobbies that are just money pits, so there’s at least that. Speaking of making videos: there’s a lot of criticism being levelled at YouTube watchmakers, either because they don’t show enough detail, or that they talk too much, or that they’re hacks, or whatever other negative thing you can imagine. But these YouTube watchmakers have done more to expose watchmaking to the average Joe than what any of the professional watchmaking institutions have ever done. Professional watchmakers scoff at these “hacks” in their comment sections but fail to see how these YouTubers create interest in the average Joe and turn them into enthusiasts. Anyway, enough rambling from me…

This Suizo 1950s AS1361N 10 micron gold plated Automatic got an outing today. It is a gents watch, but is quite a diminutive piece (as was typical for the time). It is also very well engineered. The plating has a few wear marks, but other than that it is looking pretty good for its age. There is one minor discrepancy though. The dial states 25 jewels but the rotor says 21 jewels. Oh well, I guess nobody's perfect. It got a new crystal as the old one had resisted my best polishing efforts, but still wasn't up to scratch. I also treated it to a period correct 17mm dark green leather band from a job lot of 1950s or 1960s straps I picket up recently. Before you ask, no, I am not responsible for all of those scratches on the rotor, they were there long before I got my hands on it. Suizo is almost certainly a Achille Hirsch brand.

I cant say I've encountered that either. Trying to understand why it would be done this way instead of a friction fit to the center wheel

I suggest you pop in an ebay search. If it runs or you can get it running then from your comment i think you may have scored a win .

I wonder if this is your longest post ever John. Well we all appreciate you here and would be lost without you. Your boss sounds like an a hole. You have my sympathy.

Grease is for high torque low speed gears/ arbours, oil is not suitable for canon pinion as it often wont stay where put . Did you lubricate all parts that move in date change mech? Best to follow data sheet which shows oiling of each part. Are springs to the date mech correct ones? Rgds

Have a look…and not sure if you’re referring to that small pointed area of the post just above the plate front and center? I also thought that was a crimp but it is debris suspended in fresh oil like a tin from Sardinia. A gift from the previous owners…

I don’t know what it’s worth but I know what I paid . Thanks- it may have to wait a while- my parts trays are full at the moment…

Let me try to clarify my question. Is there a test for determining the extent of reversers tiredness or loss of efficiency? other than clean & lube and see how it winds on wrist ? Regds Jon's tests heavily depend on the feel ,which takes time to develope. I dont know of a standard wire for the test.

This 1977 Bulova with an 11AOCD movement cleaned up nicely. Both dial feet were broken and the quick set date function didn't work but it's sorted now and ticking along nicely.

Yes we've had lengthy discussions were newbies feel unhappy which is why we actually have a safe zone for newbies to ask questions. But sometimes people won't even look at the newbies questions for fear of somehow upsetting a newbie. Supposedly at least the person who really wanted the newbie section was that newbies could work together share their ideas pool their resources and not have to deal with the evil experience people on the group. The problem is that the newbies don't have experience or knowledge to answer their own questions. Then unfortunately a lot of newbie questions can be answered with a section of standard answers. But apparently newbies don't want that they want to have an individual answer for the same question that's been asked 50 times in the last month although I don't think I've ever seen that here. A lot of times newbies get very demanding on how the watch world works and it's not actually grasp how it works to the settled Down and then start to behave appropriately for the discussion group. Yes contrary to popular belief learning watch repair is not easy and everybody gets frustrated. Bless everyone has parts issues I have watches currently on the bench or actually it's a small car clock needs parts no idea where were guy get them so it's going to sit there for a while. With angry customer calling from time to time wanting to know where the status of the clock is now there is something the hobbyists shouldn't have is angry customers bothering them. The problem with Seiko is is it an overseas Seiko or US Seiko? Then there's also the possibility that maybe the material houses don't work with Seiko.Then of course there is the other problem material houses are run by people just like us well hopefully knowledgeable people in the material business but not necessarily. Then they need numbers the same as we do so yes conceivably they're all using the same database which is what the problem is. So they don't have Seiko access their probably accessing the same thing we are online Then I would be curious would you give me the wrong numbers please and are we still waiting for correct number for your case? What hostile watchmakers? One of my friends Doug learning watch repair on his own I pointed out that we have a school yes Seattle has two schools we have a professional school and a school for hobbyists to learn watch repair in a friendly safe environment. I'll give you a link below and know don't even think of emailing and asking about online courses they don't do the. Not that people don't keep emailing and then I send them to Mark's course that is if I think they're serious and not pulling a scam because most of them are trying to scam in some way or another now back to Doug one day at a nawcc meeting He was explaining that is he was learning watch repair whatever he was looking at he went downtown and asked the question and I resisted laughing hysterically because I knew what the outcome would be. So what was his question he walked into the furnace watchmaker shop explained that he taught himself watch repair he offered them money if they would evaluate what he did and of course they all through them out. No that's not true of everybody if you walk into where I work and ask Sam's happy to sell you a practice movement and talk to you so it's not 100% but a lot of the old-time watchmakers are well very peculiar people. Amusingly that's something they try not to talk about at the school teaching professional watchmakers locally. Dave the instructor comments it basically well we can't compete with Microsoft. With so many tech companies like Microsoft that starting pay is $1 trillion an hour or whatever it is watch repair just can't compete. So yes the pay is a definite problem but let's look at this a little bit differently what you think it should cost to get a watch serviced? Let's look at the Seiko in this discussion is anyone know how long it would take the taken apart clean it lubricate it put it back together case it up add in handling the paperwork because you're doing a job for customer you have to some paperwork possibly some billing how much time you think is spent to service the watch? How much an hour would you like to make look at your current pay and if you're running a business you have to charge more because you can't just collect your pay you have to pay for all that equipment you have the cleaning machine the timing machine etc. Then unless you're working retail we typically get the most money if your wholesale well usually that's 50% but not always. So in other words if you took a watch into a jewelry store and it cost you $400 to get your watch serviced and you felt ripped off. The watchmaker only got $200 Of that. The worst-case example what is working downtown was think I can't quite remember they marked up the wholesale it wasn't the typical twice it might have been four times I think that's what it was and in the cost of the repair was the same price at the person paid for the watch brand-new from their buddy at the wholesale house which was selling Seiko watches. And you know whose fault that was that was the greedy **BLEEP** watchmaker who nearly lost her Seiko service account. Yes in the early days independent watchmakers basically ran service center is for the various companies were now they have their own independent shops You should have been at the Christmas party I was at last week a nawcc local chapter Christmas party that had the various president of marketing for a chain of local jewelry stores. Talked about all the watch brands they have the trends and then I got to the end where they talked about the problem. A huge problem that she perceived and they're going to give out more scholarships now to encourage people to get in the watch repair. Not that they're already not trying to read the try to set up some of their own teaching I think in association with the school. Basically they're running scared of the lack of watchmakers means the watch makers are going to cut back even more as a guess. So I think she had a fantasy thought and their thought was more people servicing then hopefully more parts perhaps but she didn't ask you say that. So they want to take an active role in making sure there are enough watchmakers because I'm pretty sure there service center makes a lot of money she was giving numbers and they service hell of a lot of Rolex watches and if they couldn't get Rolex spare parts that would be a huge impact to the business. Unfortunately I have to wonder if they talk to the Swiss about these plans because I think the Swiss one to illuminate everybody who repairs watches. I don't think they care whether a hobbyist or a professional. It's why Rolex has a service center in Texas filled with unskilled labor that just does one little task. Like one person will disassemble watch and it goes in the cleaning machine another person will reassemble another person will lubricate and only if it fails some quality control what go to something that resembles a real watchmaker. Quite a savings not to have to pay skilled people or distribute spare parts all over the place. Not sure this quite compares for instance if you go down to your local auto shop will they let you hang around in the shop? And yes I know you hate this example let's go to the hospital and hang around in the operating room to get a feel for becoming a doctor. A lot of the hobby and artist spaces are well-liked makers spaces they still exist out there yes they encourage people to come and visit but they're not a professional business trying to run and make money. It's kinda hard to do watch work and talk to newbies at the same time. Well it's hard to talk to anybody when you're doing watch work and then you get yelled at by Your boss For talking too damn much but I'm the skip over how I know about that one. Now I give you a quest reach out to all those people who want to know if you do watch work and ask them how much they would pay you to do the watch work? In the early days I remember the jewelry stores were damn cheap cheaper the better. So basically the only way wholesale watch shops can function is out of people's houses preferably in the middle of nowhere where rent costs nothing. Think about it this way you're a collector of watches you have hundreds of them occasionally need to be serviced and you spent so darn much money on those expensive watches you really want to pay somebody to service them? After all you get the oil changed in your car for how much shouldn't to watch repair costs something similar?. Oh and the case you think I'm joking about this is another discussion group out there of collectors who think that? Will it used to be they thought of pocket watch repair I think was between 50 and $100 and a while back somebody was recommended and I think he was like 125 for pocket watch repair and they said he was expensive. So yes watch collectors are really cheap and don't want to pay watchmakers. So it's a really complicated situation of it just complicated and there's going to be no easy solutions Or answers and the parts availability is never going to change. Especially if you understand how parts come into existence anyway and how their distributed. Yes hobby schools really exist but unfortunately you have to be within driving distance of Seattle. http://www.norwestschoolofhorology.com/ Oh and is not just hobby school we have an Association it once was in AWCI chapter but we got annoyed with them and broke free. So meetings that are open to anybody. If you have an interest in watches and clocks and repair and you're within driving distance. http://www.norwestschoolofhorology.com/wwca/index.html