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Just recently i have been rather busy with a large intake of repairs & servicing, i figured since ive worked so hard ( and yet still have more to do ) id treat myself to another tool. I know i don't really need it but i do like Bergeon tools and this one i picked up is in mint condition with original box. I normally use my Bergeon staking set but this will make a nice addition to my growing collection. Sad that a new tool makes me excited, or are you guys like me ? Next on my list is the Bergeon hairspring collet tightening tool :) Hopefully i should have some nice watch photos to upload over the coming weeks as i have had an Omega repair frenzy including a rather battered Omega RAF 1953 Cal 283 and also a return of a personal favourite 1956/58 Seamaster, and not forgetting a complete restoration of a Tudor Oyster Princess :D

I did a strip down of a really nice Seiko 2206a movement last night. Everything went swimmingly. I put the balance cock on a balance tack for safe keeping before reinstalling it after strip down. One errant movement sent the balance cock off the tack and across the desk. Literally, it flew like a click spring from my tweezers. (sigh) That's when you know it's time to pack it in (and maybe have a drink). Luckily it appears the cock, balance, and hairspring survived. It'll be amazing if that's the case. We'll see. We all have days like this I'm sure. I have two containers with cursed movements in them. Nothing I do can go right with those two. I've turned a hairspring into a tiny little rat's nest too. It's amazing what skilled hands can do with so little effort! I hope things go better for you later. Usually bad days are followed shortly by those amazing days where everything goes right and you think, "this isn't that hard".

Thanks for sharing JDM. I think that's what makes this community so valuable. I really appreciate everybody sharing experiences and I can't wait to get things started at my bench in the next few weeks. Cheers.

I think we all have those days jdm don't get too upset. I was servicing my father's watch a couple of weeks ago. It took me a good nine hours and when I was done the clutch wheel didn't want to engage to wind the watch! I ended up taking it all apart again and in the process lost a small spring that flew across the room and I just gave up. It really got to me and lowered my confidence, but I realized that everyone makes mistakes how else can we learn?

We did fine, a lot of trees pruned of their dead branches by the 70 mph wind gusts, a few roof shingles gone , as one would expect. Folks who were foolish enough to build right on the beach have had real expensive damage. This was my sixth hurricane , so we knew what to expect. And as I said I got my watch cased up so It had it's good points. Thanks for asking

I have just purchased a MTG-9900A to replace my ageing 1000 Timegrapher, which still works perfectly, but I have outgrown it, so will be for sale as soon as the new one arrives. This is the beast, with automatic mic. Next Investment by Micky Aldridge, on Flickr

Having only yesterday serviced a 1975 Cal.32 Timex auto in accordance with Timex's published procedures, including adjusting the rotor bearings by tightening the rivet on my staking set, I can happily report an increase in amplitude of about 100 degrees to just under 200 degrees (it was desperately in need of a clean), and a rate of +/-20sec per day. Not the performance I would expect to see from a fully jewelled Swiss watch, but not too bad at all for a 40 year old pin pallet, 0 jewel budget watch that is still on its original main spring. Not only were Timex pin pallet movements most definitely meant to be serviced, but the process is both quick and easy, and the results worth while.

Thanks for the best wishes. Right now it's raining like a cow peeing on a flat rock, "As They Say" On a happier note I just finished cleaning and replacing the mainspring on a Waltham size 18 15 jewel pocket watch. It came without a case, but I had a nice salesmen sample size 18 case to show off the beautiful movement. The case is just base metal but it looks good. Now I have to time it, which I am not very good at. Here are a couple of pictures.

A friend of mine asked if i want to make a stem for him. I have improved my hardware and wanted to try so happily accepted Not in the Dremel now. Here the pulley wheel is serving as a dividing plate with 4 holes making sure that the rectangle cross-section will be perfect. Turning with help of a microscope, no loupe at all. A thin glass strip is hot glued on the "T-rest" which has two purpose. The file is sliding on it easily and it is making sure that the sides will be parallel. Still a lot to file down. The workpiece is a spoke of a Chehoslovak Favorit road racer. Even tungsten carbide is softer if hardened.

Tried to correct shape on an hairsping, It wasn't even much wrong. Failed miserably with the typical (for me) sequence of any corrections making it worse. Now is junk. Grabbed a brand new balance complete, End stud has to be inserted on the balance cock (ETACHRHON, not screw type). Did not follow Seiko instructions to do that with the balance mounted, slip push and pull, another one is distorted and goes to the trash bin. Tapatalk on my "new" smartphone doesn't connect. Stupid day.

In this video I use my new Seitz Jeweling tool to replace a jewel on one of the plates. The reason for this is I purchased a new ratchet wheel and the pivots were too big for the existing jewel. This watch is a very nice Chinese Clone so not all the parts are to ETA spec. Grinding down the pivots was not an option so I mined 50 Russian watch movements for the right jewels. Found the first one in 20 min and replaced the jewel. The second one on the main plate took two hours to find as I looked at and disassembled many watches. Here is my video for anyone who try this out. First time using this tool as well. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Im OCD with my watches and I have screwed up quite a few when I really shouldn't have touched them. Don't get too down about it. At the end of the day they are just objects anyway. And they can be repaired.

Thanks guys. My issue with myself is that I've already made small pile of destroyed HS. Even if Seiko parts are not expensive, it's such a waste. Admittedly today wasn't my better manual ability day and I should have gave up since the beginning.

glad to hear that, we had a lot of rein in Raleigh, NC

That's excellent news! I'm glad everything was OK. Cheers, Bob

It can test the Co-Axial Escapement, one of the main reasons I purchased it.

Sadly Bob on this one the camera was not on the bench. To be fair though the process is so simple that there isn't really anything to see. That being said, the next Timex I do I will present for your delectation.

You are absolutely right, rod, I always have to order a second alcoholic drink...while I never do when it is of water. No, seriously, alcohol and plastic are usually bad news...plastic may become brittle and break...that's probably the fogging you are talking about. Cheers, Bob

Because the original Seiko gaskets are made of and excellent material and will many years. Add that the original (which is always better than the generic) are difficult to order for an individual, and can be quite expensive, at least euro 15 when including the stem gasket. So one goes swimming, and later see that no condensations, that should be enough to be relax about it.

Just saying what the other lads have said its part of a watch timer the vice that holds the watch movement. Nice pictures JohnR725

Yes I actually love the feeling of doing my own work. My great grandfather was a watchmaker and I can't help but think that my interest in watches was coincidental, it had to have been hereditary

Excellent Seiko! Being one's own watchmaker is the best thing ever...apart from the learning curve of course. I bet you will feel much better with the job you know you did.

Certainly looks like the audio pickup for a timing machine to me....

I only ever used washing up liquid in hot water with an old tooth brush. Bracelets I would leave to soak.

Hi Cad101 , Just curious ,...how about a pic of the caseback . Thanks , Louis

My Flightmaster wearing its newly arrived bespoke strap all the way from Indonesia

Can I have your dial someone gave mine a good scrubbing and finding a replacement is like trying to find the holy grail.

I'll just keep posting my interesting watches in this thread if you guys don't mind! Here is one that I just finished today! As soon as I finished it, I said, "I'm Keeping This One!". My wife said, "You can't make any profit in your little business if you keep all the watches that you like!" She's right of course, but I Really, Really like this one! And, I'll probably keep it anyway! The Howard Keystone movement dates to around 1914 and really is in marvelous condition! I had the original Howard dial refinished to the new wristwatch orientation. The case is 46mm, but really doesn't play that large because of the very thin bezel. I would love to do more of these!