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A while ago in another posting I mentioned that I was getting some "Cuticle Sticks" as used by manicurists etc. My research had indicated that they are made from orange wood ie the same as our pegwood ! I have received them from the bay and total cost for a pack of 100 was £1.99 (with free P&P as well). They are 4½ inches or about 115 mm long, chamfered at one end and pointed at the other and seem to fit the bill. Just the right length for my hand. Just thought I would share - if you are thinking about getting some make sure orange wood is mentioned in the description. Cheers, Vic

If I went from this: to this: by restoring every part with original NOS items and as much of the original shell as possible it will still be a 48-215 Holden whether it rolled down the production line at the Fishermen's Bend factory in Victoria or out of my garage in the suburbs 60 years later.

Cleaned, oiled, face lightly cleaned I didn't want overdo it I wanted to keep some of its age case lightly polished. Only Problem I had was the stem I think it and the crown have been replaced at some point it was a bugger to get out but got There in the end. Original strap has been waxed and polished. I'm happy with the end result and have another great watch in my collection to wear and enjoy.

I have been collecting for a number of years. I don't necessarily warn my wife, (of 27 years) , that I have intentions of buying, I just buy it. Having said that, I was at an estate sale a year or so and I spotted a couple of quartz Tags, both men's and ladies. Now they were asking $270 USD for the pair. Both in good shape with minimal wear. So I bought them on the spot. When she got home from work I showed them to her, and of course the first words were "how much?" I told her and needless to say she was a bit skeptical. But what I did do FIRST was check out how much the watches were selling for, BEFORE I bought them. Both stainless 18kt plated links, the women's was a GMT look alike. So, I put the men's out on the bay with BIN of $300, came with box, instructions, etc. and within a day or so, it was sold. Bottom line a "free" ladies Tag. She'll never question my ability to spot a bargain, especially since I'm pretty frugal, (okay cheap) when it comes to buying. So share any stories, good, bad or indifferent with your significant other. Or just bargains you have obtained.

As a follow up on the Panerai tubes, suggested by Rogart63. I received yesterday 5x sets (pin and tube) out of Austria, for $10 including world-wide shipping. Fitted a tube in my Proxxon (Dremel alike) and grinded it slightly down using a diamond sharpening stone: I found, due to the weight and thinness of the stone, that I had a reasonable control over pressing it flat against the tube to keep the cylindrical form. Even though the tube ended up slightly eccentrically (but still plenty of wall thickness left!), I managed to get 2x tubes (bushings) out of 1x Panerai tube. Even better with these Panerai tubes & screws, the original Rolex screws fit inside the Panerai tubes perfectly and.......the Panerai screws, even though too long, do fit the Rolex! If you need new screws, the Panerai's needs shortening and you have to cut a new slot in the top. To me, these Panerai tubes & screws are, with a little effort, a perfect match !! Plenty of spare screws and tubes for $10.- ! That was a 100% hit Rogart63..........thanks again ! :thumbsu: Roland.

New old stock from Chernobyl? Do you have access to a Geiger counter? :D

I've been told that this is what some sellers do when they don't have an item in stock. Rather than remove the listing they put a silly price in until they have it back in stock again. Stephen

He says he's sold 251 sets, that's 251 people with money to burn they must be mad.

Big lots, uh oh....I went for VERY similar auctions too but 99% are from the US. Let's try to avoid spending each others money;) Maybe we shoudl exchange our Ebay ID's so we can avoid bidding against each other from now on! :D NICE LOT, I am totally jealous bro!!!

My advice is ideally get yourself some hand setting levers, not the press type removers. You can get the expensive ones, or you can get these cheaper, Indian/Chinese made ones. http://www.ebay.com/itm/Watch-Hands-Remover-Slim-2-x-Levers-Lifter-Tool-Repair-Fingers-Pocketwatch-Wrist-/281214869349?hash=item4179b65f65:g:u0AAAMXQUmFSk6Sg These are what I have, but as they come they are not appropriate for use straight away (at least this was true for the pair I recieved), when I got mine i spent some time filing and working over with abrasives and polishes to the get the shape and the edge to something precise enough to use. ( as well as the bottom section made mirror smooth to avoid dial marks, though I always use a cut up piece of a clear plastic bag over the dial and hands when removing, to protect from that. ) Alternatively as Davey suggest, once you have the center hands removed it is okay to simply force the movement from the dial, pay close attention to where and how you're levering the force so you don't damage the dial feet, i used to do this with the dial and movement held at level/just below the opening of a small tupperware container to catch the hands.

I changed my first chronograph movement last week and was unsure how to remove the hands. The hand pullers are just too clumsy and my hand levers were even too big. So, I followed the recommendation of someone who had done many. First I removed the large hands using my levers, then very very carefully inserted a scalpel just under the dial being careful not to get underneath the date wheel or anything else and then gently edged my way around the dial working my way in towards each of the hands. With a tiny twist of the blade I could tell when each hand had released and then I moved on to the next one. To stop the hands flying away when they popped off I trapped them under a small piece of Rodico. Not sure how the dial feet are attached to yours just be careful not to damage or bend them. I imagine the correct sized levers are available but this worked for me. Sorry I have no answers to your other questions.

The link should take you to a YouTube video covering the building of a new 1970's BMW bike built from genuine parts a couple if years ago. https://youtu.be/ty4rodPkLgQ No legal action from the manufacturer and it's registered as a BMW in the States...

Yes, you are correct. Sometimes it's hard to see a fine crack in the jewel. Look at in the light while tilting the movement up and down and from side to side, this should really show you anything wrong with the jewel (a small crack will catch the light or cast a shadow). If the jewel is fine, make sure you are very gentle when you fit the bridge, so that you don't accidentally start screwing it down while a pivot is not fully in the jewel (it would snap). You can do the puff of air test with the bridge just held down by a piece of pegwood, no screws (gentle puff, or the bridge can fly off... been there, done that ;)). If all is spinning well, then put in the screws. After each screw, test again.

I fully agree with you :) it's just a compromise if you don't have any idea about the lift angle of a movement.

Hi PeWe! Willkommen in der beste Uhrenforum!

Helvetia not Helvetica ;) . Nice watches nevertheless. Bought this a few days ago. I nice Helvetia Quartz with a ESA 9183 movement. Going to change the date and day ring someday. Has a strange but nice prisma crystal.

They say that every cell in the human body is replaced every seven years. So "Hi" to everyone from Will 10th... :D

That's a nice looking tool. Make sure the holes in the end of the punches are not blocked before using it. It's all too common to find broken pinions or other debris jammed in the ends.

Oh, dear...it would seem that s__t just got real... This is the big order I have been waiting on from Russia. I ordered some 40 watches and movements, for $.50 to a few dollars each from WatchPartsStore on Etsy. The guy sent them promptly and threw in a handful of Kommanderske and Amphibian crystals and extra watches and movements...so, in all, 59 watches and movements are in the box (they came far better packed than you see here, so no worries there). A lot of junker mens dress watches, a Kommanderski, two Amphibias and a number of Komnanderske Kadets...All 24xx or 22xx Vostoks. I do believe I have enough junkers to play with now. :-/ This is one of the reasons I like the Vostoks...because doing this with even garbage Seikos would have cost THOUSANDS of dollars... I like systems, and I like having lots of spares around, so the Vostoks suit me.... And yeah, we probably have been squabbling over some of the same hardware...small world :-)