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Check this one out...

Be careful with that idea. Before you know it your living room will end up looking like this. .. or maybe this..

Probably within 1 meter radius from where you put it... ? Search - don't give up. You will find it.

Who says it's not looking like this already? ? On a smaller scale - watches, tools, parts, parcels - it's like a minefield!

The clock strikes Christmas 1975 and these two sister were each given a watch which they are, here on a picture, proudly showing off. Their last parent recently passed away and in the parents "jewellery-box" one of the thought long lost watches emerged again. Inside the back-lid was the name S.Kocher stamped, a Swiss company long gone, went begin 1980's during the "Quartz"-crisis under. The watch was in their line of the "Royce"-watches and had an undisturbed Swiss 21.600BHP, 17-jewels AS1726 cheased /non-running movement. I serviced the movement, which now runs with a 0.0ms beat-error and a 270 degrees amplitude (DU & DD), polished the acrylic-crystal and case. It gets presented back to the owner on Christmas 2020, exactly 45 years later, in a nearly as new condition ? I'm sure for her a happy X-mas with some old memories ? For me another fulfilling job done ? Happy X-mas !

The watch I have coming in the mail will not belong to me. But I get to work on it. My brother has had good pay these past couple months. And he wants his Elgin serviced (along with four others). I include the photo to show off the decorated movement. Five mechanical watches - and a brother who knows the costs and wishes to spend for proper maintenance. I may be able to pick up the staking set I was eyeing sooner, rather than later.

Thank you for your kind words! ? It's a very slim automatic movement. Just take a look at the oscillating weight (rotor) size and how it is fitted.

Isn't a wonderful feeling to be able to succeed at a repair that others have been instantly overwhelmed by? To take a small collection of parts that had daunted a lesser man, and make a nice, running watch from it? That I think is a great and satisfying skill to have.

If strong enough to break the center pinion, it could have moved or knocked a jewel unlevel, or slightly bend center tube. Do you wind through ratchet screw? if so you are pushing on the screw hence on barrel arbour, that can push the arbour or barrel down enough to let free a possible rubbing, rubbing might take place inside the barrel. Funny, we can't see a fault thats starring at us. ? Regs Joe

Having a long winter break from work I decided today would be good day to attempt to get one of the rare "Quartron" electronic prototypes I have working. I had done this once before with success and do wear the watch now and than. The key task is to replace the existing regulator board which more of a blank and the negative lead is shaped differently. What I had done previously was to refit the board from a model 87 movement. Easy enough right? All I have to do is lift the lead from one and solder it on to the other. I thought I had it all set and popped in a battery to test ? ! As it turns out the trace on the board is so thin it melted along with the solder. So I'll try again and here are some pics of the process.

Hi all, if you have trouble holding onto your screwdrivers then you should try this. I reckon this bloke is pretty cool. Please watch the whole video. I think you will like.

Speaking of quick fingers.. ... not only could Barney play the banjo at 1000 mph, he also played the mandolin and the melodeon (button keyed accordion) with equal skill an humour.

Hi AndyHull, it's a public piano anyone can play on it. Cool hey!

Found a (imo) nice looking cushion cased Alpina in steel on eBay. Probably from the 1940s on eBay. Obviously I had to have it. It’s been sold as defective, we‘ll see in what shape it is once it arrives.

I have a link to the company that makes the machine. Then there's a fact section which makes for an interesting read explains a lot. Even explains why it's good for cleaning stones which I found interesting because normally they don't conduct electricity. That's because basically this is a really mild cleaning solution used at room temperature. Then there's a reference to electropolishing Which Wikipedia makes me feel nervous? But I'm guessing this is the super mild version and I've never seen anything bad. Then for other metals typically I've used it for things that are tarnished. Like watch plates the settings and watch plates. Occasionally I've used it to solve a nightmare? The ultrasonic machine that's used for cleaning bands cases whatever whatever they're using for the current fluid sometimes doesn't like nickel cases. Twice now I've put a nickel case in and it came out a gold color? Thinking about it now I really should have photographed it. But going in this machine I'm guessing the gold color was more of an oxide or something and then it went back to being a nickel case. The worst was a case with a chain which look like a bathtub chain. One of those things with little balls all attached each other you would never build a refinish that and it was gold. So it works miracles in situations that should never occur. It wasn't just before the Christmas rush I would go find something tarnished and dip it halfway in and take a picture for you. But unfortunately were in the mall and the last days before Christmas are becoming a nightmare. Plus Seattle had a little snow we don't have snow and everyone panicked to get nice and quiet for the evening. I'll leave myself a note and see if I can find anything that looks tarnished and maybe clean it tomorrow. https://speedbrite.com/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electropolishing

I've done this "trick" many times. Started off with cooking water and let it cool down somewhat. I noticed that with the water cooled down to say 60-70 degrees C, the solution still works fine, perhaps the progress somewhat slower. Never experienced any deformation of an acrylic crystal. You could start off with a "low" temperature and see how it performs. Soda and aluminum foil comes cheap and you can easily make up another batch. You could also go the other way, start cold and with the item submerged in the solution, start heating it, keeping an eye on the cleaning progress. You can always lift the item out the solution to check. In general, the idea of aluminum foil with soda in a glass bowl works well .....

Oh, God! No! ? I did not have some many failed projects! (YET!) One day, when I collect enough broken / useless parts - perhaps, but not now.

I have been known to call my shop The Dark Crystal. Think I just dated myself. Oooold reference..

Hi all, I am working my way through the BHI Technician Grade course, and it's time to do the first clock stripdown and inspection. I've got a decent amount of watch experience at this point, but when it comes to clocks, clock brands, etc, I am adrift. I need a single-train clock. Preferably spring-driven, anchor escapement. Wall clock or table / mantle is okay. I'm in Canada, so a cheap but respectable North American brand that I won't have to have shipped from the mother country. I dunno - Seth Thomas??? Help me out, and forgive my ignorance!

Another option is something called an ionic cleaner. The first link has the machine and the special solution. You can also go to YouTube and there's lots of videos on using the machine. It just works super fantastic on tarnished items no heeds no ultrasonic and it takes less than a minute. Then would always bothers me is because I'm cheap fortunately I didn't buy it it's at work. But attempting it doesn't seem very heavy and is powered off one of those little transformers so it makes you wonder what's really inside? The second link comments how to make one but they do skip something. There is a timer built into the machine so he put it in the machine you push the button and according to the YouTube video I was just looking at 45 seconds which seems about right. On rare occasions you might have to push the button twice. https://www.amazon.com/Speed-Brite-Turbo-Ionic-Cleaner/dp/B003GF2VXA/ref=sr_1_3?dchild=1&keywords=ionic+cleaner&qid=1608580143&sr=8-3 https://www.ganoksin.com/article/make-ionic-cleaner/

Brilliant indeed

This discussion and you in this discussion is not disappointing. Disappointing is sometimes posting a response and never seeing it if it was helpful at all. I was thinking of something one of my instructor said? "Do not please the timing machine" Maybe that might work here. In other words all you want to do is get the watch to run preferably better than it was before. But don't get obsessed with it has to look perfect on the timing machine or it has to be perfect don't worry about that. Worry about's okay don't worry at all try to have fun and see if You can get the watches to run. A unfortunate problem especially for new people is the assumption that every single watch you work on is going to run perfect. Or for that matter even a run at all.

If you spot any bargains in the UK that are less than 2kg but won’t post to Canada then let me know and I could possibly forward something.

We were taught in school to do just as you've done here, with one simplifying step: when you have your shellac strand on your pegwood, break it off leaving 2-3 mm. Now you have a shellac applicator. Heat your fork, and apply the shellac directly with the shellac-tipped pegwood. You very quickly learn how thin to pull it to have a useful "tip". This is done with sharpened pegwood.

A previous fella opened the watch, broke some parts, did not even recover all remaining pieces out of the case, replaced the back cover and declared it dead. I had to resurrect it :-). Thanks God, CousinsUK had spare parts available.

Aim higher! Steampunk factory!

I'm a bit of a fan of Russian watches, and in my opinion not only are they pretty robust, but with a little care, they can be very presentable. Just to illustrate that point, here are a couple of 404 club members. One is 9ct gold and originally cost the best part of £1,000.00 and the other is a USSR era 20 mikron gold plated Sekonda. Now I'm not saying they are equivalent, but neither would either of them embarrass you at a formal function. Sure the lines of the Sekonda are a little more solid, and the hands and case, perhaps not quite as well finessed, but on the wrist it is a pretty close match, and I know which one I would be less worried about scratching.

One day I got loose on Russian web and got these! I know what Soviet watch is. But honestly, I enjoy them a lot with their big imperfections + they make me feel like real comrade ?

Welcome to the forum. Most friction in escapement is at escape teeth running on pallets. Put a bit of Kerosene or diesel fuel on escape teeth, you would see surprising jump in amplitude. Fork arbour and it jewels should be clean and unlubed. Check all end shakes, most important of all on balance staff. I work on hairspring once installed, to get the coil level and flat, even on new balance completes. Do you remove shock spring, end stones and chaton, gives additional bath and peg? Do you makes sure impulse jewel is in beat? I stick balance pivots into a tooth pick, turn the tooth pick, add a bit of lighter fluid as I turn. Drop the flat side of end stone on a piece of card board pour a bit of lighter fluid on it whilst you put you finger on the endstone, scrub the flat side on the card board, nothing short of a perfect glittering shine is acceptable. Examine balance jewels under high magnification. Stay tuned and ask questions. Regs Joe

Today's "Watch of Today" - posted here, because.. Poking out from between my gloved hand and my fleece sleeve, about to venture out in to the wintry wilds of Scotland for the day. A fully serviced, fully functional piece of finest Dundee technology. A 1973 Timex Viscount Automatic day date (46850-3373).

Hearsay and misinformation is why I replied to that video. If you are going to present yourself as someone with knowledge or a level of expertise you better have your facts straight. Well that is unless you are running for political office. Peace and happiness!

A kind and generous offer of help as you go along, if you need it, from @Nucejoe Perhaps a useful tip if you are working on a particular movement is to reference the ranfft site and be aware of movement IDs within the same family. As you'll see if you look at http://www.ranfft.de/cgi-bin/bidfun-db.cgi?10&ranfft&&2uswk&AS_2066 your AS 2066 comes from a large family! What this means is that if you can't find information on your specific movement ID you might be able to find it for a movement within the same family which will share all the same core components as yours. As a good example if you search for AS 1900 on YouTube you'll see that Mark has done a very comprehensive service, over three videos, of this movement type. Sure your movement has more capability (automatic and day/date) but at its core it will be the same as the AS 1900. My other top tip is that when taking off the date dial guard remove slowly and carefully (perhaps even in a small plastic bag) in case the date jumper spring is not securely in place and wants to make a bid for freedom! That is unless you want to spend an hour trying to find it again somewhere in your room. I speak from hard won experience...!

I have two K&D tools like that. Oddly enough sometimes one won't pull where the other will, and it's a toss up which one works or doesn't. Great tools though.

So many things in life are more important than money... Like wisdom, knowledge and a profound understanding. All of which one can not get on eBay... You see, a wise man understands that to gain knowledge we must seek out the wisdom of others. Or learn the hard way by trial and error... ie; (costly mistakes). And this profound understanding is that the wisest of men knows that we must share what life has taught us, it's a form of achiving immortality. So, no I am not selling these items on here or eBay. But they would make a great gift for someone who can use them in the way of their intended purpose.. kind of like if someone else, let's say taught me a few basics on operating one of those miniture lathes and decided to give me one of their old ones as a gift to get me started... See, a wise man understands what holds real value... "Give a man a fish and he eats for a day, Give a man a fishing pole and teach him how to fish and he eats for a lifetime."