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Here are the watches that started my collection: Bell Ross BR01-92 Certina DS Action Laco flieger MAT Ocean Force Casio Oceanus Solar Raymond Weil chronograph (that I will have to learn to fix one day) Tissot squeletal watch

Thank you to all. Gentle reaming. Hand now fits.

I know this thread is a bit dated, but I recently ran into some issues with 6138 and 6139 mainsprings from eBay being slightly undersized and underpowering the watch. I was finally able to find the exact correct replacement mainspring and thought I'd share it here for future reference. The correct dimensions for the spring are: 1.05 x 0.115 x 420 x 10.5 A search online references GR2534X, which can be found from Cousins. While the spring has the correct dimensions, the inner curve for the arbor is a bit wide and fits somewhat loose. This can be adjusted, but there is another (and cheaper) option. Cousins also has part # GR25341X, which has the exact same dimensions, but costs about 30% less. This part number is not referenced (anywhere that I could find) for the 6138, but the inner curve is smaller and fits the barrel arbor perfectly. If anyone is trying to source a mainspring for their Seiko 6138 chronograph, the GR25341X is what you'll want to get! I ordered a couple of them and just installed them in two of my watches. It brought the amplitude up from 190/200 (with the eBay spring) to 230/240. Here's a photo showing the difference in the inner curve between the two Cousins springs. The correct spring is on the left. FYI, the washers are the correct size and the spring drops right in. I hope this is helpful for someone in the future trying to find the correct aftermarket mainspring for their old Seiko.

Was genuinely excited to have picked up a contender for the 404 club at a local thrift store. I saw this lonely Seiko Kinetic 5J22 sitting in a cabinet, and without too much investigation I grabbed it. Because it was $2. I got it home and started a better inspection, and that's when the fun started. I actually wilfilly ignored a lot of red flags because who would make a fake Seiko Kinetic. And it was $2. The bracelet is badly corroded, and doesn't look like stainless. The case back looks right, the model and serial info match up, but the model should have a date complication, which this watch clearly doesn't. Wait a second.... does that say SJ22? I had given it a few rattles and didn't hear anything, so thought maybe the rotor had seized or there was some other issue. It wasn't working so assumed it needed a new capacitor perhaps. I managed to open it with a rubber ball, and.... that is definitely not a Seiko Kinetic. Closer inspection of the dial revealed some very, very obvious external signs of fakery. There are lume dots on the indices. They aren't even centered correctly. The SEIKO logo is slanted. The 12 o'clock indice is slanted and not centered correctly. It was $2 so... whatever. I'll probably throw a battery in and see if it ticks. But really, who makes a fake Seiko Kinetic!!??

I have had some dealings with a couple of dubious sellers in the past. Ebay did look after me at the time, being on my side after putting my point across. I mostly stick to the ones i know now and have developed a good rapport with them. I've also tried this and had a better response and outcome instead of raising a complaint with ebay. I bought a few job lots of small cases of labelled watch stems. When they arrived quite a few of the boxes had come open leaving a hundreds of jumbled up stems. So i let the seller know and sent him pictures of the sealed bags littered with loose stems. He apologised several times and offered to send more stems or a refund. I never even mentioned wanting a recompense and left the decision up to him. He actually did both and received a very positive feedback from me for his gesture. I did spend nearly two days though sorting out the mixed up stems, which was good because I'm bloody fantastic at measuring them up now .

Interesting how your problem is the opposite of mine. If I go to work I might actually have more wristwatch timing washers than I do pocket watch. Then here's an interesting link to a video review of a book. A very interesting book by the way and I snipped out an image of one of the pages. Just in case you're having a problem finding a timing washer you could always make one. https://youtu.be/op68gwVvsCo

https://www.hodinkee.com/articles/heres-how-the-new-omega-spirate-system-works The author gets a few things wrong. Clearly a game of telephone, as he admits to not being a watchmaker, and only having talked to one who is not actually involved in the engineering of the system, so it's possible some things are lost in translation. To wit as an example, he states that the adjustment tail of the hairspring goes 270° all the way around to the "0.1s/d" cam screw, when one can clearly see that leg of the spring only goes 180° to the "+/-" adjustment screw. I [i]think[/i] what's happening is the balance screws are a coarse adjustment as in a free sprung balance. Then you have the "+/-" screw for sort of a medium adjustment. Then the "0.1s/d" cam acts on the mounting point through the lever terminating in the "+/-" screw point (obviously not directly on the tail as the author states) for the fine adjustment. The flexure of the flexible frame at the origin on the hairspring is not quite defogging for me. The author states that the spring is made more or less stiff by this adjustment, but I think that's part of the telephony, and a red herring. I think what's happening is that the balance screws get the timing >90% of the way to in beat. The screw/cam flex the origin of the hair spring and physically move the tail around to get the last few seconds of regulation. Anyone feel able to confirm/refute/clarify any of that?

I suspect if you go looking there should be a patent on the design that would explain things in excruciating detail I give you a large headache which is what typically happens when you read patents. Then part of this comes about because that's a silicon hairspring which means their pre-made to very exacting specifications and that means things end up being done differently with them than a conventional hairspring. Yes I met reading the description is a bit confusing I wonder if they got the press release? In any case you'll notice it is a silicon hairspring it's premade this is why you have to have the timing screws to match the balance wheel to the hairspring because they hairspring is what it is and is not much into the change it except thou add a magical something? Okay went start off with the vintage silicon we get a video. https://youtu.be/MZ9j-MYDs9Y Now the question is if I look the same source will we be lucky and get a new video? Probably not Then I don't see a video yet So casually reading through the description I don't think the description is actually right at all. I think something else is going on here. But as you point out when you're talking to someone remotely and getting a description of how something works I think it just doesn't quite come out right Okay let's see if descriptions better here it does make a reference that there is a patent I'm sure there's a patents on the original silicon hairspring and there's probably a patent on this. If you actually look up horological patents I think it basically is impossible make anything in horology without stepping on somebody's patents either current or past. Yes the description reads like a patent it's wonderful we have it and it works with magic. Note the word magic does not appear at the link below but we need a better description and this isn't it. https://cpp-luxury.com/omega-reveals-the-speedmaster-super-racing-with-a-new-hairspring/ Okay this one is a much better description because I think something isn't quite being explained to write oh and you will note the patent is pending us we can't look at that yet and because this is brand-new there should be better descriptions out there eventually. https://timeandtidewatches.com/omega-ousts-rolex-with-brand-new-spirate-system-technology-that-promises-0-2-second-accuracy-a-day/ Okay amusement in that the balance wheel still has the timing screws the evil screws that have to be absolute perfect as they point out of look at our wonderful new system and avoid you touching those screws that we still have to have because otherwise you can't regulate the balance wheel. We don't get enough pictures but if you look at the end of the hairspring not the new flexible part but the other end there is a bit of a tail and I'm wondering if by pushing on the blade you're pushing detail in an out of something which basically changes the effective length of the hairspring. Because otherwise the description they have just isn't quite right. But maybe more press release material will come out eventually

You should have the outer most coil in regulator slot. In case the coil next to the outer most get stuck behind the regulator slot, you would have a centered coil when you instal the cock. correction , would have a centered coil. correction would NOT have a centerd coil.

Impulse jewel is clearly out of beat in this pcture, aprox 120 degrees out, thats too much even when cock/ balance assembly is uninstallled. So if balance- fork- escape pivot fall on a streight line. Was the watch galloping before.

These, they qualify for the 404 club. I have about 35 to post on the 404 club when I get around to working on. Them.

The photos are a bit blurry but does the end of the stem have a threaded hole? I've never seen a stem like that. If indeed it has a threaded hole, does that short bit of stem screw back into the hole?

These three arrived today. The Oris and Rotary are running quite well with good amplitude and beat error, the Sekonda alarm watch not quite as well but hopefully a good clean and oil will sort it out. The Oris has a pin pallet 712 movement which is handy as I've just serviced a 7 jewel 715, the Rotary has a ST 1686 and the Sekonda is an unsigned 18 jewel movement. Edit - It's Poljot 2612. Looks pretty straightforward. Famous last words.

Yes that's definitely something you should do as we get older not saying I'm getting older but as we get older you start to regret the things that you didn't do that you can't do anymore because somebody is no longer there to talk to. Then even before you fancy bookstore my understanding was that you can make an appointment to go and visit. Always nice to visit horological book dealers I visited one when I was visiting the UK once picked up a lot of really interesting books. Then that book dealer is out of business when she died I think that was the end of her business. Which tends to be with book dealers at least in horology of that when they go that they take the books with them apparently.

Yeah, he was a very charismatic and knowledgeable guy, and an excellent teacher. Jeez, he's still alive! I should truck over to his shop and chit-chat while that's still the case.

Someone brought this beauty to my office today. Though it may get some appreciation from this group. The chain has solid gold nuggets as portions.

Can you tell me a little about this piece?

Essence (French) == Petrol (UK English) == Gasoline (US English) == Benzine (Italian, German, many others languages) == Naptha (Argentina Spanish). Chemicals for sale in the UK must make available composition and hazard info, so check there. My knowledge of chemistry is rudimentary, but I believe that purity affects boiling point, however not making a difference for our purposes.