Leaderboard

I normally use commercially made bushings, such as by Bergeon but sometimes there is a need to make a custom made bushing. A simple job on the lathe apart from sometimes catching centre is a bit hit & miss. So I decided today to make a centering tool that I see a few years ago on the net so here goes. 1. facing off a 7mm brass round rod 2.Then the dreaded catching centre (this time OK) 3.Started by drilling on the lathe with a 1.90mm drill held in a pin vice 4.However changed to my Proxon piller drill as it gave more control 5.Inside conical shape formed 6.Checking the fit with the 1.90mm pivot wire 7.Grinding point for the handle then hammered on 8.Marked with a sharpe pen into 4 for a diamond style point 9.The finished tool 10.The tool in action finding centre one handed you just know when you have centre with the conical shaped end and with gentle pressure on the handle it marks centre JOB DONE

Winders are only useful for watches that have a lot of complications...moon phase, leap year. They usually cost a bomb so the price of a high-end winder is negligable. What I usually do is have my man give my perpetual calenders a few shakes after he brings my breakfast in bed....but before he lays out my clothes for the day. Note: the toilet seat warming is left to Hector as I prefer his ..er.. temperature.. more to my liking. Anil

If you wear a few watches regularly, a winder is a nice accessory. If seldom worn, it will not hurt the watch to let it run down between wearings. If you choose a winder, don't buy cheap. The cheap ones just continue to rotate and eventually wear out the friction of the mainspring. The better winders are programed to wind, rest, then wind again trying to simulate actual wrist movement. Expect to spend a tidy sum for the better ones.

Strangely enough I was in Ikea today and came across these for £1.70 I have a feeling I know where you bought yours too. Didn't spot the egg cups though :) Ishima, I suppose these sort of things are a bit larger than the ones you have. They are handy for keeping bits and bobs in though. They have a screw down top too.

Was reassembling the keyless works on a Waltham Ruby movement, and it has a c spring that can be a bit of a pain to re-install, it took off, so the search began, the watchmakers desk was thoroughly checked, and the floor was gone over, finally ready to concede defeat, I started going through my parts movements looking for a replacement, so I was looking into the drawer I noticed my shirt pocket, when I wondered, could it have, so I checked my shirt pocket and there it was. Well I have learned my lesson, when I get a spring that has previously tried to escape the work area, I like to use a clear plastic large ziplok bag, I cut a hole just big enough for my left hand in the bottom and reseal the zip part around my right, try keep the movement in the center of it during the installation, it has saved me plenty of time doing grid searches. Also it is a safe place to practice spring installation, I would always try to pick the end of the spring I was installing, instead I found if I used the tweezers as a pusher and pushed the end it was so much easier!

haha.. this is a textbook case of watchitis..the progression of the disease usually follows the following .... 1.First you buy watches any old how.. 2.Then you become a snob and buy only swiss. 3.you then realize there are some other countries which make good watches..eg America. 4.You slowly realize that ETA and AS movements are not that rare and interesting anymore.. Usually by this time you have progressed to light tinkering of your watches.. movement removal.. signing on WRT forum.. 5.You then narrow your focus down to higher end watches like Longines and Omega..selling your earlier purchases to fund your latest 'fix' 6.You finally realize that nothing else except the best will suffice.. hence more expensive, haute horlegerie forays. 7.The final and terminal stage is when you have bought that ultra rare Patek Phillipe with all the complications under the sun and you come to the conclusion that there is nothing that this watch can do which can also be done by done by an smartphone. You then sell all your high end watches to a WRT forum member by the name of Anilv for the token sum of USD1.00 each and retire to a hut in the mountains.While walking in the woods one evening, you stay out late past sunset (no watch right?!!) and get lost in the woods. Your body is discovered 3 years later, next to a crudely fashion sundial and a smartphone (dead). ps.. I am probably around step 5.. :D