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Find below an interesting article from my local newspaper "re- UK Watchmaking apprenticeships". "Watchmaking apprentices training 'by the end of the year' after industry secures top level of government funding" The UK's first watchmaking apprentices in a generation should be training by the end of the year after a business in the county helped secure government funding for the scheme. Industry leaders have spent three years developing what will be a one to two-year apprenticeship course, which will be eligible for the maximum £27,000 grant to help pay for training providers, assessors and to incentivise employers. Matt Bowling, a director at Watchfinder, a pre-owned luxury watch retailer based in Maidstone, has been a key member of the team developing the course under the government's trailblazer partnership, which sees industry professionals design training. The UK's first watchmaking apprentices in a generation should be training by the end of the year after a business in the county helped secure government funding for the scheme. Industry leaders have spent three years developing what will be a one to two-year apprenticeship course, which will be eligible for the maximum £27,000 grant to help pay for training providers, assessors and to incentivise employers. Matt Bowling, a director at Watchfinder, a pre-owned luxury watch retailer based in Maidstone, has been a key member of the team developing the course under the government's trailblazer partnership, which sees industry professionals design training. The luxury watch market is worth £1 billion in the UK each year and Mr Bowling thinks the pre-owned market is worth "at least as much". Yet there are few training opportunities for people interested in entering the industry, apart from courses with the British School of Watchmaking in Manchester and a horology degree at Birmingham City University. Mr Bowling aims to take on two apprentices at Watchfinder once the watchmaking course is formally launched, with potential to hire more as the business grows. Although a training provider has not yet been appointed for the courses, he hopes it can be made a City and Guilds qualification and is in talks with the body. He said: "There is a desperate shortage of watchmakers. "The reason I wanted to get into this is because there is a shortage of training opportunities. "If you are a good watchmaker you will always find employment and it's well paid."

@anilv You can easily make your own caseback opener. I've had great success a few years back. Sandwich wrap over the back, JBWeld metal repair putty pushed and moulded to cover just the caseback and a nut buried into it for using a spanner on to undo caseback once the JBWeld has set for 24hours.

Hey guys, not sure if you'll find this interesting. My girlfriend's Timex was fitted with a jewel-less, unadjustable movement, which was losing quite a bit of time. I picked up an NOS ETA 2540 for a few dollars, cleaned and serviced it and with the help of a trimmed plastic movement ring, fit it into the Timex. The sticker is a temporary fixture...

I think having it back in the movement would help yes. It is unique if nothing else, the setup I mean.....good luck!!

try turning the little wheel a turn or two clockwise and observe the hairspring, I think it will slide out from the 2 pins on the left.

balance arm should have been balance cock.....my mistake

Yes I understand, you need to separate the balance wheel from the balance cock, which is attached by the hairspring right now. I'm not sure on this type of movement, but it almost appears that you would turn the wheel towards the - several turns and the hairspring will come out.....reverse the procedure to re-install....It looks like the wheel simply advances the hairspring through 2 rollers, but don't quote me on that lol....

Have you tried this place. https://www.timebymail.com/seiko-replacement-watch-crystals-49-c.asp

For newer seiko it could be hard to find parts. Check with Jules borel or perrinwatches. They have lots of Seiko parts.

So I just put it on the timegrapher and was pleasantly surprised, here's before and after demagnetization, fully assembled except for hands, the motion work is in place as is the dial. Anyone who says these old pocket watches can't be accurate needs to rethink it. The amplitude is awesome, and I'm fine with 0.7ms beat error, not bad for eye-balling it. If you see wavy traces like this run it through the demagnetizer, I noticed while assembling the rocking balance would impart motion into the escape wheel WITHOUT the pallet fork in place.

One to two-year apprenticeship course. Not long enough back in the early 70's it was 5 years apprenticeship and another 2 years as an improver. You could if you so wished serve your improving skills at a different place of work. I stayed put as my master was going retire and I would have the workshop to myself. Its nice that a revival is taking place

Welcome to this friendy forum.

Ok No big news just replaced my first watch Crystal ...Came out perfect ...I thought for sure, I would crack at least one.

It looks like a common Swiss bar movement. These are tough to attribute to anyone, especially when they are not marked with anything other than something generic, like this one is on the dial. Maybe if one had access to Kathleen Pritchard's book on Swiss makers, one could identify it, but that book is pricey, rare, and may not be much help. I wish you luck on finding out the maker. And once you do, who knows how interchangeable the balance will be. Best of luck on your project.

Very cool - I also recently managed to perform a Timex conversion. Only this was to replace a quartz movement with a mechanical. This was done on the very popular J Crew re-issue of the 24 dialed "Sprite" produced from 1968 thru the late 1970's. Amazing at how well it all fit. Only challenge was to find the space that fits between the movement and the dial. As it turns out I just used another Timex part! Here now is a great 24 hour dial in all stainless case.