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I just picked up a vintage Citizen Diver for daily wear , It's a 51-2273 model ...automatic . I have one already in much better shape in my collection but I'll wear this one to work......I'm in construction . I also picked up a very nice Seiko Fifty - Five Fathoms Diver . This is one Seiko diver I don't have yet....Automatic also . Kinda nice looking .

As you know, I am working on a couple of movements, a Landeron 248 and a Valjoux 7733. I use a normal brass movement holder that I bought for real cheap on the bay a couple of years ago, but apart from being a bit unstable (china made...), it has worked me well for the simple watch servicing I have made for hobby. I acquired a cleaning machine the other day, and while I was at it, I was looking for other tools to buy (I had some spare dough I could throw at it... ). I found this auction for a 3d-printed movement holder for a Valjoux 7734 movement, and was intrigued both by the price (a professional one can cost upwards of 100€ here in Germany) and the quality of it. 3D printing is just amazing, and provided you have the right printer and correct design (with correct dimensional measures) it can do wonders... I contacted the seller asking if he could make one "to order" for my 7733 and my L248, and he replied "Yes of course, I've done it already..." WOW! I was in! I looked at the other items he was selling on the bay, and wrote him another email, asking a couple of other things, to which he complied, of course. I received the package from France today.... Ladies and Gentlemen, let me present you my new 7733 and L248 3d-printed holders, and stackable 2-stories parts box: The movement holders are incredibly precise, and themovements fit in perfectly: The holders are marked with the respective movement they were made for, so no problems figuring out which is which: And you can see in the picture above the stackable parts box does come with an acrylic cover... NICE! As you can see, I already put it to use: The seller makes them to recover the costs of the 3d-printer, and each holder costs about 10€ (if he already has the dimensional data - that is, if he made one in the past) plus 6,50€ shipping costs (to Europe, to England I do not know). If you need a holder he has not done yet, you can send him a wrecked movement or the precise dimensional data, and the first prototype will cost around 25-35€ to make. He has made quite a few models up to now, so probably he already has what you need. Manufacturing time is a couple of days only. If Mark agrees, I will post here the contact details of the seller, but you can easily find it on eBay, like I did. The guy speaks english, so no problem in communication either ;) And now... back to the working bench with my new holders!

Saw this on EBay and couldn't say "no". $40 US and it was mine. Has anyone ever seen one of these before? Standing by jk

Yes exactly that one. Try to lift one side of the lecer (the one NOT with the screw hole) while pushing down the other part, and keep them separated introducing in the middle, near the round knob, a needle or the tip of a screw driver: this will separate them and create the gap you need to insert the lever into the "C" dent. The part of the lever without the screw hole should then be slidden flush on the plate, locking the knob inside the dent itself. Carefully push the rest of the lever onto the base plate so that the hole for the screw aligns on thhe protrusion on the plate, and set it gently. This should lock it into position. Finally, insert the screw and tight it down as you would normally. Check that the lever does function properly before tighting the screw, though

This is an ETA 1100 - a very popular movement used by a number of brands. I have two or three watches with this movement. They're nice quality - reliable and well made. You can see one of mine here in a City Bravur watch: http://www.willswatchpages.com/eta-1100.html And here's exactly the same movement in a Hefik: http://www.willswatchpages.com/hefik.html Cheers, Will

Thanks Geo, yes I have come across them and have requested a quote. It would seem from the literature I have on the 170 that it was a pretty standard dial pattern, simply branded Breitling in the middle. I have previously done a 1191, which was in an even worse state that this one, but with a usable dial.

If I remember correctly, the makers mark is on the front of the movement underneath the dial. You should be able to get what you need here once to measure the old staff. http://www.balancestaffs.com/landeron.php

Hey Mike, look forward to seeing your projects. Don't mind Geo ... he welcomes all new comers with his Scooby Doo impression

Any quote from the A-Team needs the correct smiley face

Hi Rogart63, Yes, I will be using a new gasket, I ordered a new one at the same time as the glass, which arrived with a gasket fitted already, so now I have two :-) Sean

Thanks for an incredibly interesting post. It explains why I got the shakes when servicing my Rolex. As a matter of interest I have been having issues with my eyes ( will do a post when off my vacation) and three different optometrist have recommended keeping both eyes open when using s loupe is this again to do with the brain

Being another 64+ here's how I position screws easily before tightening. I have a set of tweezers with a bend at the tip that allows me to hold screws vertically for positioning before tightening. My left arm/hand rests on the bench and this allows absolute stability when positioning the screws. If it is a deep hole, I just drop the screw in, and if it is shallow, I continue to hold it with the tweezers while screwing it in a couple of threads.

Just for you Geo... This is the smallest one in the range, I don't think that I would have a use for the bigger ones. And no, that jewel isn't balanced, it's hanging. I don't know how long the sticky lasts. I've had mine just over a year now and have used it a lot with no loss of tackiness. When it does eventually lose its stick I suspect that it will only require a rinse in cold water and then air dry to rejuvenate it, although at the price I will probably just replace it.