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Thanks Geo! I do wish I had more "free" time to follow the WRT regularly but.... At least I am doing well and progressing nicely with my academic pursuits. My schedule is a bit hectic and I never have time to keep you guys updates on my projects. I have a complete pictorial of the overhaul if anyone is interested (17 jewel 11-something). I'll try to post pictures of the movement because I know how you guys always want to see the workings.

You could start with https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evaporation_%28deposition%29 Then there is lots more information when Googling for 'Vacuum evaporation coating' In the past I have made a simple apparatus using a large strong jar placed onto a flat metal base with a neoprene seal. The base has a single currant feed-through ( the return can be the metal plate as all is done with low voltage) and a tube outlet to the vacuum pump. This can be a good quality car tire pump used in suction mode (use the air intake end). The gold alloy is evaporated from a tungsten wire (about 0.5 mm dia.) bent into a tight hairpin shape and heated by the current from a car battery or other supply. The hot point is around the bend of the hairpin and it is here that the gold to be evaporated is placed. It is important that the rest of the tungsten does not get too hot since although gold is not oxydised by the residual air in the jar the tungsten will be. The item to be 'plated' is heated up before placing it into the jar. Bear in mind that evaporation is a shadow technique and will only coat the side facing the heated wire (unless it is rotated during the evaporation). One of my own applications was to cast shadows of virus particles by evaporation of heavy metal (gold or molybdenum), for subsequent viewing in an electron microscope - makes them much easier to see. Some easy, cheap, faux gold results can be obtained using gold solders with melting points in the range 600 to 800 deg C.

Welcome aboard Ray, join in and enjoy the banter. There are all levels of horologists here, professional and amateurs experienced and novice. The great thing is we all have a passion about things horological and enjoy helping one another. :)

I don't know when they were first produced, but you can still buy them new. http://shop.mapra.co.uk/kafer-gauges---special-instruments-29-c.asp

Funny you should mention that G, I did sewing class, it was as a punishment for being cheeky to the headmaster lol

I have some medium to large size silver onion crowns. Would need to know the outside diameter of the pendant tube and the threaded stem diameter. If one of mine fits its yours as a gift. There are also many available on eBay but again you need these sizes.

I like the 3133 and 31681 (they're the same, except the 3133 doesn't have the 24h sub dial). And yes, they are extremely similar to a Valjoux 7734. The original tooling for the 3133 was bought by the USSR from Valjoux, so I wouldn't be surprised if some of the parts are still interchangeable. There are a few differences (and the date complication is completely different), but they are close enough that I used a 7734 service manual as a guide when I serviced one of my 3133s:

Another good one found Don.

OK - I'm jealous, I want a blue basket!!! Mine is boring grey. :D Top tip: If you ever need more of the little baskets (you can never have enough IMO) then I usually buy them from this guy - quarter of the price of Cousins: http://www.ebay.de/itm/Siebkapsel-z-B-fur-Elma-Reinigungsmaschinen-/141412294943?pt=Uhrmacherwerkzeug&hash=item20ecd4611f