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Guys, can we keep this thread on track. [emoji106] It is really supposed to be a "What are you wearing today" photo repository.

Very nice and with a verge escapement its a very old boy. The advantage you have with the movement is it is in two parts. You can have the going side or the strike side all apart with out touching the other. Here is a link I found that you might find interesting. Keep us up to date on your progress. http://www.abbeyclock.com/morbier.html

Evening all, I just thought I would post this a recent acquisition, I bought it in France a couple of weeks ago, it's a longcase comtoise clock standing 7ft 8 inches tall & dates from around 1830 - 1840, it's working but is dirty so needs a strip down & clean. The movement is a verge escapement striking the hour & half hour with a two minute repeat on the hour. Looking forward to seeing it finished.

Can I use this tool to cut down the size of a pivot in a wheel to fit an existing jewel hole. If so, how?

T Swiss Made T is often on the dials of watches, and I doubt it means Tritium, as Tritium is actually a Gas, normally contained in small glass tubes, and is a fairly recent innovation, brought out Long after this Omega was made.... I doubt your lume has any major hazard but I wouldn't sniff at the dust!

Hi Den, The walkthroughs are the actual work of our members, who have done a great contribution of time and resources to all of us. I take the opportunity to say thank you to all of them. Any member is welcome to post their own and they don't have to be as detailed or for such an in depth subjects as Lawson's but the more details the superior the walkthrough and the more we all learn from one another. All efforts are greatly appreciated. Cheers, Bob

Hi rogart, thanks for the info. I've found these on cousins, should be interchangeable with my drivers so i'll give them a go. https://www.cousinsuk.com/product/flat-hardened-bergeon-6899

BTW - I can't play Bach like Glenn Gould either and he's been dead since 1980.

Had to get a new strap as the Stingray leather one was too short. I think it goes well enough with my 7t42.

Bergeon sells two or three types of divers and is not reputed as the absolute best. It also depends on which screw are you working, eg Japanese screws are slightly different, having a wider slot. Don't be afraid to try so called cheap tool, you might be surprised. It's your brain and and hands that do the work not the logo on the tool.

nice

Cowells model you posted above is ME which is made for metal engineering, they have another model for watchmakers - CW 90 (I think) There is a website where are offered used ones, but mostly ME type: http://www.myford-lathes.com/other_lathes.htm Its from UK so it may be a problem for those on other side of big pond. But prices are more acceptable... Those are great lathes, I hope maybe I will get one of them

I didn't like to say.

one-dip is 99% tetra-clor-ethilene

Progress report, August 31, 2016: I've identified several, but perhaps not all, of the problems affecting my watch. I noticed that when the watch would (episodically) stop suddenly, the hairspring would continue to oscillate for a while, but would not release the escape wheel tooth. Manually rocking the pallet similarly did not allow the next escapement tooth to drop. The escape wheel even resisted manual pressure then. At other times, forcing motion of the 4th wheel would vigorously advance the escape wheel. I concluded that my repair of the pallet entrance jewel stone had been inadequate. The stone was still a smidge too extended, allowing proper interaction with the escape wheel MOST of the time, but not EVERY time. Again I fired up my trusted alcohol lamp, and pushed the stone more deeply into its setting. Now the pallet/ escape wheel interface is working perfectly. I also noticed that there were two defects in the hairspring. The first coil was touching the second coil at its distal (from the pallet) arc. Also, there was a weird bend in the hairspring between its stud and the regulator curb pin such that the hairspring touched the first coil of the hairspring.See photos. I have, in my amateurish fashion, corrected those problems. After doing that, the watch would run vigorously, but still stop dead episodically. I had already checked every tooth of the 4th wheel, and every leaf of its pinion. They were perfect, as was that wheel's pivot jewels. Then I noticed the next pathology! The 4th wheel, which lies in a very narrow cleft between the ratchet wheel and the mainspring barrel cover, was episodically touching the latter. See photos. It was then I read that gear train wheels may need to be tried, just as the balance wheel does. At this point I don't know how many of these pathologies were present before I opened the watch, and how many I clumsily created. My next step will be to true the 4th wheel. So far I have lost only one screw in this process, one from the wheel bridge. If I am successful at getting this baby ticking again, I'll order a replacement for it. alt="c95d6201c25d1937c71698a9e8aec489.jpg"> Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Hi AP, I forgot to say that the cleaning cycle on the ultrasound is about 3 to 10 minutes depending on how dirty the movement is and what type of ultrasound machine you have...also, the One-Dip solution is a traditional watchmaker chemical for hairsprings and jewels mainly. I didn't know that L&R was no longer available since my supplier still ships it to me. If you are in the US, check out ofrei.com. I use the "extra fine" for cleaning. I hope this helps, cheers, Bob

Inventor of the staking tool in the mid 19th century when, if it was worth making, it was worth decorating. His early tools were black enameled and decorated with bands of gold decorative motifs (Greek key and the like).

JDM -- your advice saved the day. I bought a small plastic pin press off e-bay for $5.00. It is injection molded cheapo thing but it worked great!!!! I had struggled so without it and with it I went 4 for 4. I do like this forum and all the great advice out there!!!! Thanks!!!! Steve

Well Tim, that appeals to me, honestly, maybe some Geneva stripes on those would make them amazing. Only problem is that whatever you do you will be altering the tolerances and screwing up the measurements they are suppose to have. The best way is to clean them up trying not to alter them in anyway. I believe some use very fine steel wool? Not sure, there is a post about it somewhere in the forum. If the holes are plugged then you have a problem. As it is now, it looks great (from what I can see in the picture). Cheers, Bob

That's just because they bought an American factory in consignment conditions that happened to make watches like that. If they were making e.g. pin pallets movement then the entire Russian population would have been kept awake by their lovely noise for some 60 years [emoji4]

Just a plain Poljot on green shark strap.

Had purchased a seized up 100ish old Illinois Pocket Watch. Looked like this It was not running at all, so I took Vin's advice and removed the balance and the palate fork to see if the gear train would run. Of course I first let down the mainspring. The wheel train would not run freely so a disassembled the complete watch: I then cleaned the movement plates, gears and wheels in lighter fluid. I also cleaned the jewels with a tooth pick (sharpened). I did not remove the keyless springs as they were fine, but they did go into the lighter fluid and I did wipe everything with a fine paint brush. Following the cleaning, I 9010 and D5 oiled the jewels etc. And used the thick stuff on the keyless work. Then I built the watch up from the mainspring, 2nd, 3rd gear plates: to the 4th gear and escapement. Then I checked the free run of the gear train (after oiling ). It worked like a charm. Finally I put back the cleaned palate fork and lowered the balance cock into place. I still had a hard time moving so I removed the cap jewel from the balance and cleaned and oiled the balance jewel. Wow, what a difference. The balance amplified was 310 and the watch was frictionless. I put back the cap jewel (fires adding a very small amount of 9010 on the inside flat part of the cap jewel). The watch is now running really well. Next job is to find good hands and the current hands and completely rusted.

what a beauty!

Fafal, I have only seen pictures of a Cowells Lathe. They are beautiful looking machines but seem to be very expensive and are not radially available in the USA. Here is a picture of a Derbyshire Instrument Lathe from Tony Lathes: The bottom picture is a Cowells Lathe. david