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Thought I’d show off a watch project that I have been working on. Wanted to create vintage inspired watches. Tell me what you think so far!

Someone had tried on a large Sector watch at the jeweler shop. Only later the owner found that the person managed (how?!?) to snap the stem in the little time he handled it, but didn't say anything. The crown is signed and of a peculiar look, of course Sector service center said that it's not available anymore. Then, somehow I botched on the correct way of removing a stem broken flush on the crown, that is to cut around the top of the female threaded section about 1mm to grab it. The sliding portion left for good and the fixed one was ruined. Time to think something different, all in all it took about two years until yesterday. All work was done an a non-watchmakers baby lathe with standard tools. An extremely useful one is the carburetor jets gauges below. These are now discontinued or sell for a stupid price but I had secured the pair from a German metrology seller. As the usual I apologize for the rough pictures. I started by drilling a blind hole in the original crown "core" to be the largest possible without touching the threads. Then cut off the button from a spare screwdown crown. That revealed the mistery of how the pipe, which holds the sliding portion and its spring, is attached to a screwdown crown. It's screwed in as well! But, once turned to press fit size into the hole of the original crown (3mm) there was not enough material to hold a firm friction fit. That I remedied turning and pressing in a brass sleeve. I left the contact surface a little rough to improve friction on the 0.05mm interference. I don't know why but most of my mechanical repairs involve sleeving and shimming. Then I turned a tube to push the above into the crown. It's sized so to be also used as a stump on the staking set. It went in without issue. Compressing air in there is not ideal, but once I realized it was too late to pull it out back and cut an escape groove. The finished item works fine on the case, all is left to do is to cut a new stem to size and return it to the happy jeweler.

Sorry for the remedial question, but I've exhausted my limited ideas. I was given this by a client who hired me to clean out his attic and told me to keep whatever I found. I found this, but thought it too valuable so I showed him, and he repeated I should keep it. It's clearly spent most of its life in the box. Runs and keeps good time. No obvious markings or hallmarks other than what's shown in the photos. Key wound and set (has the key). Back opens with a press on the stem (latch shown). I can't figure out how to reveal the movement (so I can determine the manufacturer). The crystal is in a frame that is hinged at the bottom just like the rear cover. When I press the latch, no wiggle or movement of the front that might give a hint that the same latch opens both. No groove for a case knife. Nothing obvious to me. I don't want to pull or twist the stem unless that's the way to open it. Any ideas?

Got it with my recent box of watches: FHF 69-21 I thought it would be more difficult than it was. I didn't even take pictures...LOL. Sad that these petite watches are unloved.

Very true, I get a sore back when using a loupe for any length of time on a regular bench. For my back's sake I now use a microscope or kneel on the floor when using a loupe (knees on a kneeler). PS I'm probably not as old as I sound!

thank you, but when do you think i will be ready for repairing this watch ? i will put this one to the side for now

Yup. I have been facing this with Vulcain Crickets. I finally got a donor that had enough wrong with it that I will JUST use it for parts.

By the ton on ebay!

Before taking it out to measure look at it and see if it looks right? In other words it looks like it's the right width and the proportions filling the barrel look correct. So of casually visually looks right then measure it and that should probably work. But you will note my lack of enthusiasm recently I get a Hamilton pocket watch that the mainspring looked good good enough to reuse but the width of the T and and the width of the spring was a little narrower that I would like so it didn't work out even if it looked right. The replacement definitely fit better and I didn't have to worry about the end popping out.

I think it once to be something that it's not. Definitely not English probably Swiss although the words don't look Swiss but probably a Swiss bar movement. On the other hand we could be in for a surprise we won't know until it's opened.

I would say it's not English we do not spell GARANTI that way.

That looks like a really pretty watch. Even more wonderful is that it was free.

Yes the picture we all want to see. If you look at the edge of the case you will notice that you have two hinges one for the back and one for the front bezel. Usually buttons are only for opening things that you need accessibility to as the consumer. So like opening the backup to wind the watch. Or if it's in a hunting case which has a cover over the glass you would push the button to open that so you could see the time. No need for the customer to get into the watch there isn't any button for that. Use something really thin like a razor blade be really careful not the slicer fingers off or even cut yourself we don't like to see blood on our watches. On the opposite side of the hinge gently insert the razor blade in in the front bezel should come off. Usually and you can kinda see it in the picture Someplace were typically you would open the front. I'm sniffing out one even images and drawing a red line as to the most likely place. Just make sure that actually is a crack there The lack of hallmarks the finish of the metal the wording on the back all make me suspicious of? This is also a problem? Look very carefully at the back typically on English watches their sealed it goes through the front which would be revealed when the bezel's open will know the answers if you give us a picture. But this is not an English watch there is a tiny possibility that the back comes off you would more than likely need the razor blade again but let's try for the front side first because there is a hinge so we know that it does open.

Hi that looks like a nice watch but as OH said we need picture of the open case. The last one I did the back opens to reveal the movement and securing screws which when removed and the front bezel opened the movement comes out through the front.

The picture I want to see is one with the bezel open a nice clear one please.

It could be loose canon pinion, which is held by two springs in center of the wheel, canon pinion can slip due to inadequate friction on the groove. A worn tooth may jump over that of the adjacent wheel, Repivot has a real valid point.

I'll take the opposing view then... I've had plastic, glass, and sapphire. My favorite is the sapphire. I do a lot of... high impact/abrasive things. I live in the mountains, and am always fighting boulders, logs, bears, etc. I like to work on cars and other machines. I work-work with caustic chemicals. I weld, solder, and just do a lot of mean stuff to watches. Scratchy things scratch, hot things melt, and chemically things do all manner of fun things. A sapphire crystal can handle those things, glass takes the sort of damage you typically see with plastic, and plastic is just a liability. The cases and bracelets get plenty of love scratches on their own, I don't need a bum crystal making it hard to read as well. Additionally, I try to avoid plastic pretty universally as best I can. Part of the reason I'm into mechanical watches in the first place is because they're made of quality materials. Plastic is not in that category in my book. Metals, precious and otherwise, and rubies, even if they are synthetic. I would never buy a 7750 because there's too much plastic in the movement. Also, for the kind of money some of those go for, I want a column wheel. I have a Seiko NH35 (plastic parts in the date mechanism) in a parts watch with a domed sapphire crystal, but it's my "shop watch" for especially abusive activities.

When I was in school the instructor I had talked about another watchmaker who would Repivot Rather than replacing a staff I was able to do it supposedly faster than you and I could replace a staff. Probably on this discussion group somewhere I've seen pictures of people doing it. Although I would agree on a really tiny balance staff I don't think it's really practical to do there just isn't enough material to hold the new pivot. One of the places where I know it's a very practical is things like a Marine chronometer. Because the pivots are nice and big and lend themselves to doing this googling here's a link that shows that https://chronometerbook.com/2013/06/09/re-pivoting-a-balance-staff/ Also what makes it nice in this case is the balance wheel comes off with a couple of screws So the balance wheel isn't in the way when the lathe work is being done. Also for re-pivoting which I know we've talked about back she made dedicated little tools for doing that and I've seen were someone modified it for a carbide drills. Just have to figure out what it's called the search for on the group

Another thing to consider since the difference is accumulative is that one of the gears in the dial train (cannon pinion, minute wheel or hour wheel) is not original. Here's my thoughts. If the cannon pinion or the pinion in the minute wheel is off by just one tooth (say 9 when it's supposed to be 10) the watch will show an error like this. Also if one of those 2 pinions has a broken tooth, it may show similar error.

Did it have dial washers, did you put them back on the hour wheel? Hour and minute wheel may be disengaging. Push dial plate all the way down, if there is too big of a gap between dial and hour wheel, the two wheels can disengae. Good luck

I don't really have a strong opinion that would universally apply. Sometimes a flat sapphire works just fine (for me), even without AR, e.g. on my Alpinist. I don't think an acrylic of any shape would look right on that one, even though the cathedral hands and the dial have fairly old-fashioned look. A slight dome or AR might be even better though, to stop those complete "white-out" reflections. I think a cold, hard sapphire works with the stainless steel and the weight, especially as it's on a bracelet. That would be the closest thing I have to your Rolex, and I think a sapphire is right for both. Then I thought about the contrast between two Bauhaus-style watches I have, a Junkers (if you are not familiar with it, a bit like a Max Bill) and a Nomos Orion. The Junkers has a hugely expansive domed acrylic on it, which is warm to the touch and distorts and softens the light, is absolutely one of my favourite features of the watch, but I would not want it on the Orion, because the slightly domed sapphire fitted there keeps the watch extremely thin, and the (non-AR) transparency reflects and sparkles and lets the blued hands and gold indices shine through.

Hi Ron, I've seen pictures of Scotish sceneries online, think its a piece of heaven on earth , hope to visit there first chance I get. Welcome to the forum.

Worked on a few ladies watches. Don't think I could do it if I didn't work under the microscope. One was the only Rolex I've serviced, a Cal 2230, 20mm dia. automatic. Gave me palpitations handling the balance But it was a beautiful movement to work on. It's the only movement I've worked on that didn't need any adjusting after a service. The hardest I've worked on is an Omega Cal 455, 16mm dia, automatic, with a sweep second. Very fiddly I still have it, waiting for a new balance, as I trashed the hairspring trying to adjust it. The hairspring is about 3mm diameter, so even with the smallest tweezers, it's not really possibly to tweak it (well not for me)

Could be, but watches still are a sizeable industry. Any man or woman that is just a bit interested in looks and apparel wears a watch, have you seen the TV ad where a young man is belittled for going to a club without one. Below the volume of the Swiss industry in recent years, these are export values, not retail, and taxed prices, which can be easily three times as much. The world data is also available on the same site https://www.fhs.swiss/eng/statistics.html

Plus, manual wind as well

I've worked on a few mechanicals that size. One of them that comes to mind was a little Kingston with an FHF-60, and another was a Seiko with a 4206B. And that Seiko was crammed full: sweep second, automatic plus day and date, all in that tiny little package. They aren't really much different to work on than larger movements. Like you all mention, the small size is the main thing that presents challenges. And I am sad, also, that some of these miniature marvels don't get more respect, and aren't in greater demand. I do have a daughter, though, who adores the little cocktail watches. She's seen the ones that I've worked upon. I am looking for a vintage one that suits her, as a gift. She will likely cherish it more than anyone else has in a long time.

I have serviced a few ladies watches and what always amazes me is how good eyesight they must have to see the time. To state the obvious really good magnification is required for the service and extreme care is required to avoid the loss of parts.

It Is sad they are put aside as a lot of them are nice little watches and most of the movements are nice too but not the flavour of the month though. cocktail watches are long gone now.

My wife has three of them handed down from her mother. Two are quartz. The third is mechanical. I'm not sure of the status of any of them.

If you are talking about Accucells, I've tried them before. But there is no guarantee that they will work without the need to re-phase the watch first. Also, the space needed for the Schottky diode means that a smaller capacity battery is used. Coupled with the high cost of an Accucell, I think it's better to re-phase it to run on silver oxide batteries once and for all.

I picked a box of watches...maybe 30 total (have not counted) at a resale shop for $20. So that is less than a buck a piece. The majority are quartz and some interesting ones at that. The ones I tested so far are working. But the big find was the fake Rolex. I opened it up and it has an ETA 2834 movement and it is running!! Also picked a Caravelle with a Bulova 11DP movement. There was a 14k rose gold plate bulova lady's watch lurking at the bottom of the box. There was this funky mirror-faced LED watch. LOL The 2834 (-x) seems to be a popular movement so I may be able to get another dial and case for it. Researching.

Hi I have no fee. l what ever for soul less watches and prefer to work on old ones that have seen life scratches and all, they have a personal feel to them. If the acrylic is scratches then its polished and even if all the scratches dont come out no worries just because your hands collect cuts and scars through life you dont cover them up and pretend they are silky smooth . Life for anything animate or inanimate leaves marks just get to like them and live with them. That goes for all mechanical/quartz watches, Itreat them all with the same respect. Some of my clocks have seen the world but I like them as they are bruises and all.

I usually make them, check me out on YouTube

Lorsa 237B movement. Part of an eBay lot of 4 watches. Won for £7.50 !!! Some Googling suggests WWII era. Is running but needs a good sorting out as the balance staff seems to be well worn (loads of endshake).

Assembe movement and let it run 5 minst. Afterwards I do it using 9415 on every second teth tip of the escape wheel. Only on the tip of it not on the top or bottom of the wheel I check it under the microscope after 24hours of work if its not enough i do it once more Enough is when the escape wheel tip and the pallet jewel meet you shoul see a droplet of oil between them which is aprox. 30% of the pallet jewel tip length(its dificult to explain) And of course i use epilame as it makes this job a lot easier and the grease stays in place afterwards and does not travel along the surface which will leave the pallet jewels dry, at the begining i said let it run 5 mins, this will wear of the epilame coating and will leave the oil on that places. I hope i made it a bit clearer for you now br emso p.s: sent from my s****y phone so sorry for typing mistakes