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Here’s a few pics of some of the first cases I made a while ago. one was a muck around Bakelite case. A couple in bronze and brass. Moving on to stainless now. Just about to complete 3 bronze cases that house eta movements and utilise Rolex plexi crystals Hopefully the pics work. Cheers

There are several 1960's vintage Landeron based chronographs currently on eBay. Why not buy one of them and use it as a basis of a restoration? I've had this one for over 50 years, and by today's standards it's quite small. Used to be my everyday watch in the 1960's, early 1970's, now fully restored back to it's former glory.....

Building a bigger 7750 watch is easy enough. Plenty of dials and hands out for bigger cases. Anything under 40 and it will make your search much harder. I refurbished a 7750 and I built one with a 39mm case and that took me like a year to collect the parts that I liked and fit right. I even had to shave the dial down a mil and clip off the tip off the seconds hand. Lume is often going to be garbage too. I elected to redo mine. Now it is a wannabe Daytona case but I'll drop some pics of it here anyway in case you want some inspiration. Everything I got was off ebay with exception of the chrono seconds hand which I got off sk-watch parts.

Hello all. It’s been so long since I posted in here yesterday may as well re-introduce myself. My name is Mike and I am a watchaholic !! I am actually Mike from My Retro watches YouTube channel. I’m just an obsessed watch tinkerer to the point of living and breathing watches ... To many in the collection with too many more still to collect! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

The "knack" is to be patient and use the proper technique. You can press the arbor down in the barrel to lift the lid a bit and then use hands levers.

Might still have ya beat. Two old closet folding doors stacked on 6 of the wife's plastic tubs, 3 a side. Hate to post this but it's what I can afford for now. And it works. An old cork board, and a great art pad for $1.99. Someday I'll get a bench..

He goes by schillachi61 on eBay. I’ve not seen any 7 series barrels complete in his listings though, but he adds new stuff pretty often so who knows. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I'm working on our pool table. The wife isn't happy.

I don't even have a bench yet. You wouldnt believe what I use for a bench...I think I posted a pic of it in here somewhere...

What could possibly go wrong? At the very least it will need the wiring gutted and replaced. The motor brushes may need replacing. If you have any issues finding suitable brushes, then bear in mind larger ones can be sanded down to fit as they are only made of graphite.

I made this yesterday. I know they're reasonably cheap to buy but I thought it would be a fun project. I works quite well.

You're welcomed. I bought an equally useless vintage one. Some of our members suggest putting a sheet of plastic or foil over the cannon pinion to get a better grip. I've not tried it. I'm actually in the process of shaving down the sides of the collet so that the jaws can close down further. I'll post an update if it works. If not I'll be machining a new collet from scratch.

There should be a ball bearing on top of the spring. About 4mm diameter.

The base is about 30mm, the opening of the basket is 50mm and height with cover is 50mm.

Haha. I don't drink that much coffee anymore. It gives me the shakes. Sometimes a late afternoon cuppa will keep me awake till 3am. I'm still waiting for my star shaped stirrer and larger tea strainer to arrive from AliX.

Greetings, Mike, from yet another watch addict. (Pocket watches in my case.)

Hi Mike and welcome to the happy factory

Welcome Mike, enjoy the forum.

I guess others might say NOS. The point of the example is look at how much grease Seiko slathered in there. I’m assuming they meant for whoever wound up using it to leave the grease in there. As you note, yes obviously by this point the grease is dried up and flakes out in chunks when I clean it out before using the parts. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

This is what a factory fresh service part from Seiko looks like. I’ve bought several of these ‘new in package’ from Stefan in the UK. It’s from a barrel/arbor set for a Seiko 6 series part #205-613. That great big smear of grease is in every one I’ve purchased. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Please note that Pearl Janta baskets and racks is that a substantial poorer quality than the original Elma. I have just sold a similar set for the same reason as I did not find it useful. I bought instead of a complete Elmaset set of Cousins A little hint! If you buy "basket complete" then you will have to pay 199,50 + vat. If you buy mount and Holder with baskets for themselves will be cheaper. Lid/holder R37669 27,95 GBP Baskets and holder C0386 109,95 GBP Total 137,90 + vat

It's a method devised by Greiner in the late 50's or early 60's which allows the use of the timing machine to find the heavy spot when you have an amount of positional error. I understand that their method rendered the 'static poising' method to be obsolete (their words, not mine). In the most basic form the method is to test in 8 positions (0 to 7) in the vertical, and find the position where the watch is gaining the most. The starting position is to draw an imaginary line from the escape wheel centre to the balance centre and set the movement on the microphone with the line vertical, the balance being above the escape wheel. This is position '0' Each test you turn the movement clockwise by 45º, the first = point 1 second = point 2 and so on. When you find your heavy spot (where the watch is gaining the most) take the balance off the watch and flip it over so the impulse pin is facing up. Draw an imaginary line from the staff through the impulse pin to the balance wheel rim. This is point 0. At 45º from this point is point '1' and 90º is point 2. Point 4 is at 180º on the balance rim and hopefully you get the idea. So whatever position is gaining the most on the timing machine, you would either reduce weight at that point or add weight (timing washer) on the opposite side of the heavy spot. And this depends on the rate when the watch is in the horizontal. If the watch is slower in the horizontal then you will lighten the screw at the point found. If the watch is faster in the horizontal then you will lighten the screw opposite the point found. If the watch is running at zero rate in the horizontal then you would lighten the screw nearest the point found and add weight to the opposite of that point in equal measure to the lightening. If the balance has no screws then the only choice to be had would be to remove material at the heavy spot, it's not possible to add weight. Two things to note is that, when testing on the timing machine, the watch should be wound down enough so that the amplitude is between 150º and 180º And secondly the watch must be cleaned and properly lubricated first. I hope my overview is clear, it's late and I have enjoyed a few fingers this evening :)

Thanks Mark, So I have now found out that I might have been doing it wrong. I don,t know what the breathing of the balance spring is and poising is the real deal of watch repairing and I am now getting a bit lost. I will just have to learn how to dynamic poise. It,s that big learning curve again!!! :startle:

amazing work, well done. The heavy drawers are a bit overkill imo but it really looks good. Like Vwatchie I was looking for the Ikea Bekant table which was around 450 euro but I was able to buy a watchmakers heritage with a few professional workingbenches and a ton of parts. Sadly the family, who were not in contact with their father, only had eyes for the gold and gemstones and had already thrown away at least 20 movingboxs full with parts, books, tools ect....