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My very best Christmas and New Year wishes to all the great folks who make up this forum - and especially to Mark for making it possible and for showing us the way! Will

Nice tits, Bob - the lady looks good as well...

Wishing you all a Merry Christmas & Happy New Year

I would just hand clean the case with IPA/lighter fuel if very greasy or just soapy water and rinse and thorough dry asap. Ultrasonic cleaner will probably remove even more plating! The base metal corrosion is usually seen as pitting which the ultrasonics will make worse. I polished a case to a lovely shine, and thought a final ultrasonic clean before lacquering would do the job. No !!!!, it just when all dull grey and I had to start again!!

Wishing everyone, and especially those that have become friends and sparring partners, all the very best for the festive season and beyond. An extra special thanks and warm wishes to Mark and his family!

Hey Don, That was an excellent walkthrough, with great clear pics. You'll be surprised how much posting these reference pictures, and naming all the parts in your write-up, will help you grow and develop confidence. Not only that, but you are helping others in the process learn as they enjoy following your progress. Bravo mate!! :woohoo-jumping-smiley-emoticon:

Those sound amazing Doc. But you can't gain any bragging right on this forum with the pictures!! ;) We want pics!! As Marjorie from "Fat Fighters" says ....

The top of the main plate After letting down the mainspring, I removed the balance The hairspring looks to be in good shape. Pallets removed and stored away safely Ratchet wheel, click and click spring have been removed Crown wheel and shim are off Fourth wheel on top in the center, doing it's center seconds thing. Third wheel and escape wheel are visible. Can't quite make out the center wheel. Third and fourth wheel are out of the way and you can see the center wheel underneath its bridge. Center wheel looks pretty dirty. Dried lubricant? With the barrel out of the way, all that's left is the center wheel A closeup of the center wheel NSFW - naked main plate The last thing I did was open the barrel... and remove and inspect the mainspring. I appreciate any comments, especially with regards to any parts I have misnamed or things I should have done in a different order. Thanks! Don

Eureka! Just completed my first chronograph service, an ETA 7750. Leading up to this I watched Mark's videos quite a few times and went through the ETA Swisslab. I finally plucked up the courage, ordered some Molykote DX and begun the strip down while I waited. I done the strip down without any instruction and was a little concerned that I had bit off more than I can chew. There were a couple of springs that caught me unaware but nothing was lost or broken ;) I labelled up several little storage tins so each section went into their own section with their screws as this is where I get caught out sometimes, using the wrong screw and having to backtrack later down the line. Whilst I waited for the Molykote (from the USA) I took all the parts into class and put them through the cleaning machine. As I didn't need the Molykote until the chrono module I built up the gear train and regulated it. The beat was out slightly, it was running +30 dial up but it had a healthy amplitude ~300 I soon had the beat error at 0 and soon after had it 0 secs per day dial up. in 4 positions it was not out anymore than 9 seconds (pendant down) Impressive! The Molykote arrived and I began the build up. I spent some time a few weeks back shaping the tips of my oilers and since then my oiling has improved significantly. This helped a lot building up the chrono module as it requires some very precise application. Finishing off the chrono module with the installation of the chrono bridge whilst engaging the reversing wheel click spring...Yes! Seeing the oscillating pinion happily turning away was a relief ;) It was at this point I began to work out how it actually all worked. The cam system with it's hammers and springs, the oscillating pinion with it's clutch & the hammer and the heart shape pieces, it's brilliant, so so clever. As you can probably guess I'm seriously impressed :) The rest of the assembly went without incident except a tricky moment with the date jumper spring but a bit of peg wood in the right place had that secured ;) It's all complete and I am looking forward to my next challenge (maybe a column wheel chrono) The ETA 7750 is a great movement, I enjoyed working with it very much. I have an Asian copy here that will no doubt be a bit more of a challenge! Cheers. Installation of the Chronograph cam and Hammer Cam Jumper Minute counting wheel, lock and operating lever installed. Chrono module complete, ready for the chorine bridge to be installed. Nearly there! Big spinny thing ;) All done. I have to reset the 2 of the hands but apart from that, it's running very well.

I can't leave you guys in suspense. I'd hate to be responsible for any cardiac events as a result of the anticipation... ...or tipped over chairs. BTW, the case and crystal both polished up nicely: The problem was the crown o-ring. It wasn't even damaged, just neglected. This 40(ish)yo watch has definitely missed a service interval or two. As a result, the crown gasket had probably never been lubed. Now, I know full well the value of adequate lube, but I did not expect the near seizure of the crown the way this was. A tiny smidge of silicone, and hey presto! Works like day one. I replaced it all the same. It regulated superbly, and will serve well for another decade or so. THE MORAL OF THE STORY: Watches are complicated and precise bits of machinery. The faults which cripple them are (usually) not. As in most troubleshooting process, always focus on the simplest causes first, instead of assuming that the problem is as convoluted as your imagination is trying to make it out to be. -Jeremy