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Not a collection per say, but the watches I have for now. First, from left to right : Festina Quartz: the first watch I ever bought for myself, I wanted a dress watch, I had to save a lot to get it (it's not expensive, I was a poor student at the time) Lip Electronique: a pretty cool watch, not a quartz. It needs a service, but they are very tricky to work with and I don't want to touch this one Swiss Army Quartz: the watch that started it all!!!! The watch my significant other got me when I graduated college, very dear to me, my daily wear (as you can tell from the huge chip in the crystal right over the 4) From left to right again : Lip from the 50s (carrying case still has the old newspaper in it :) ). A very precious watch for me, it comes from my grandfather. I wasn't running when I got it (broken balance staff) but I cleaned it all up, replaced the staff (the most stressful thing I've done in a very long time) and now it runs nicely and keeps very good time. Swatch skeleton, automatic. The second watch I ever bought :) I wanted an automatic watch and this one looked really cool :)

My ongoing obsession with Smiths watches continues with a recently purchased, tired, non running & grubby fleabay special. Cant find it in the reference book, but would suspect it was made between 1960-4, with a Calibre 400 15 jewel movement inside. Slightly larger than most of my Smiths, measuring 35mm with 17mm lugs: Back off, balance removed: Now the reason for the lack of movement: The hairspring & the regulating pin are totally mullered. Luckily I have a spare so I can get this one going again, but liking a challenge I see what I can do with that spring: Getting there but it will require more tweaking (to be continued, maybe). Anyway back to the watch. Out of the case the dial looks like it has suffered from either drowning, solvent abuse or Friday afternoon quality control: Dial off, all present, correct & unbroken underneath (click springs are a weak point, generic ones are available), complete with a thick coating of heavy oil: Flip over & into the movement holder, note the bevel has been applied to the barrel bridge over the '15 JEWELS'. Strange: Bridges & pallet removed, luverly filth: The crown wheel lives under the barrel bridge: Centre & ratchet wheels removed: Everything out: Spring out of the barrel: The spring looks good so I will reuse it. While everything is buzzing away in the ultrasonic lets see what can be done with the dial: Its taken a fair bit of abuse & I will have to live with the blurred printing. The dial is degreased with lighter fluid & dipped in HG silver dip: Much better, it has removed the green stuff (not to clear in the before pic) brightened it up somewhat but has removed a little of the print on the R in ASTRAL. The dial is the given a couple of coats of acrylic satin varnish. Case & movement cleaned, pegged, oiled, reassembled & back in the case: New strap & low dome crystal: Cheltenham (English made) Smiths are easy movements to work on as they were designed to be hand assembled, hence the large pivots, screws etc. Shame the dial is not the best on this one, but the movement is running well with an amplitude of 280 after some serious cleaning with lighter fluid & Priory No.1. Also nice to be able to fit a low dome crystal instead of the standard as it give the watch a smoother look. With the poor dial printing & the bevel on the barrel bridge I wonder if this was a reject that someone rescued from the factory bin?

Again, thanks for the warm welcome! Yeah, I have been >>>BULLET>>> or some permutation thereof since I first logged onto a BBS back in 1993...had to call myself something, looked around, my computer was in the reloading room, and sooo I became >>>BULLET>>> (plus some memorable numbers when I need them, most commonly "308") I started out shooting metallic silhouette pistol and rifle back in the '80s, then moved on to NRA Service Rifle, where you shoot tuned-versions of the M1, M14 and (nowadays, mostly) M16 rifles. Was on the SC State team for three years and went to Camp Perry for the national championships three times, where I was, in 1992, the TOP shooter on the third worst Service Rifle team in America. :-) In one match, I came in 285th out of 1600 competitors, which means I was thoroughly okay as a shooter, in the thick of the other okay shooters from around the nation. Drop one point or pick up an extra X, and you could move twenty places up or down in a heartbeat. I think eight more points and three Xs would have put me in the President's 100, but there were 185 people between me and that honor, soo... Along the way, I apprenticed to the gunsmith that built up the State Team's and our National Guard teams rifles and helped him build them in preparation for going to Perry...so, I got pretty good at building National Match Garands and '14s up out of parts, doing all the arcane tricks and tweaks you have to do to get them to shoot well...lots of fun. I also worked going general repair and cleaning work in a couple of gun shops around town...ah, evidence of a misspent youth... Attached is a photo I recently found of the two rifles I took with me to Camp Perry in '91-'93...I helped to build both of them, the top one is my personal rifle, built up out of rejected parts from the Marine Corps Team's armorer shop at Quantico on a Springfield Armory Inc. receiver...the lower one is my team-issued TRW M14NM, US government property...hated to have to give that one back, but apparently, it was needed more in Afghanistan rebuilt into a designated marksman's rifle than in my safe gathering dust...(that was the rumor when DoD ordered them all taken back up in the early 2000s, in any case)... Nowadays, I mostly just tinker with my own stuff, AR-15s or whatever...but once I get the lathe wired back up and running, I may hang out a shingle as a gunsmith once again... Oh, and one of my prouder possessions: a BSA Model 12 target rifle, about 1948-vintage, complete with Parker-Hale 7A rear sight...an ex-UK club gun, from what understand...shoots very well indeed... I am quite familiar with the BREN, and wish I were more familiar than I am...there are quite a few transferable .303 BRENs in the US, but they still go for tens of thousands of dollars each, and there is precisely one transferable L4 in 7.62 NATO on the NFA registry...Lord only knows what that thing is worth... All the Vostok stuff I had been ordering over the last month has been trickling in, first the Ukrainian stuff, and now the Russian orders are starting showing up...I now have 4 Komandirskies and three Amphibias on-hand...unfortunately, all of the Amphibias that have arrived so far are going to need to be overhauled before they can be put into service...cool! I mean, bummer... :-) And now, I am off to install a video camera and capture card and associated software and cabling for a client...they will be doing a two-week training starting tomorrow and that stuff has to be up and running, um, very soon... And again, thanks. -Tom aka >>>BULLET>>>

Well that's a lot better and ready for my wrist. Isn't Ebay Brill.

I really didn't expect such a nice movement.

Its funny how despite having handled and still handling so many timepieces i have never bought a watch brand new for myself. So with a few ideas in mind i decided to bite the bullet and say yes, treat yourself :) Whilst i do still love my Omegas,JLC's and Rolex's, they are all pre-owned and have always been someone else's first. My first watch which i bought myself was actually a Casio but that was well over 25 years ago now and i felt the need to finally have something i can happily say is mine, and mine first. The problem i had is likely the problem we all have as watch lovers, and that's choice, so with a few key factors in mind i thought about and searched for my perfect everyday wear watch. Its been a long tradition in the male side of my family to buy a Seiko, my great grandfather and grandfather both had Seiko's as has my own father ( in fact he has had 3 ;) ). I myself have owned a few good Seiko's, again these have been used, never new. So in keeping with a family tradition i set about finding one that was just right and ticked the boxes. Requirements > Good Looking - Both daily and Dress Reliable Quality Movement Tough & Waterproof Value for money Fully Automatic with day & date Comfortable This is what i found and fell in love with..... Seiko SNZF17 K1 - aka Sea Urchin It's still very factory fresh and running a little fast ( i expect it to settle down after a few days of wear ) but she fits like a glove. The watch is stunning quality for the money ( £90 with free shipping :) ) with a very good strap that is heavy but comfortable. It is still early days but i have to say im impressed with the quality, and for what i paid i think i have a good daily wearer. I may be investing in another Seiko in the future ;) Just sharing my thoughts :)

the movement itself is absolutely filthy. i know this watch is of little commercial value. je connais ca i do not care about its value. i just would like to bring it back to life. any help would be appreciated.

As a reminder timekeeping is not purely the length of the hairspring and the physical characteristics of the balance wheel there's something else that screws timekeeping up that's the escapement. The escapement supplies the energy to run the balance wheel but in doing so it influences the rate of the oscillation. Then there is the other things like external influences physically moving the watch temperature changes vibrations. But the biggest one is the escapement. So your word for the day is Isochronism. So a balance wheel is considered to be isochronous when the duration is independent of the amplitude. So here's a thought on why beat at anything less than zero is bad. First what exactly is the hairspring for? We think about it as part of the oscillation system but it has another purpose which is it supplies the force for unlocking the escapement. So the strange way to think about this is by being out of beat it's almost like one side of the escapement is running at a different amplitude because it doesn't have as much energy to unlock the escapement. Everything we do with the escapement is bad for timekeeping if it's not adjusted correctly. So I'm attaching timing requirements for the 2230-2235 Which are almost identical to the 3135. I don't actually have a beat error for the 3135 but it should be the same. So the first criteria for the 3135 is 15 seconds and the second criteria is -1 to +5 seconds. Then to understand how Rolex comes up with those numbers I have another image.

Found this. Looks like you can.1497 is the bearing. http://www.startimesupply.com/merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=ETA2824-1497

hi everyone. i saw in an old post that willfly is a Hamilton 992B fan. so i am going to show you all my favorite. i have a few of them but this one is special. it is the lowest known serial number 4C prefix 992B and is absolutely mint, never been worn serial number 4C944280 link here to a database of numbers. http://ihc185.infopop.cc/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/254108073/m/1253949667

Latest ebay purchase a bargain at £11.10 it's been running since winding. Needs a clean and a service and i think ill give matabog's glass polish a go I'm well pleased

Hi Bob! Thank you for the "pep-talk", highly appreciated :) Even though I fully agree that quality tools do the job a whole lot better than my "El-cheapo's, in this case you would have needed 1mm wide or so. The hand in question is the red one, top right (it shows how many minutes the stopwatch has run). As you can see it is even situated a "level down", which made it very hard to get to. The top part of the hand was more or less flush with the "top" of the dial. Also, if you look close, you can see that whole hand consist out of two pieces, the red hand and a center bushing. It was for me indeed the most difficult hand I worked on up till that point. They are extremely thin. Of course, then there is the risk of scratching the dial. Normal plastic from a zip-back was far too thick, I had to use kitchen cling-film to get just underneath. No, an insurance is out of the question. I'm not in it for profit and I have no intentions to get to any kind of professional level. Anyhow, I didn't get that discouraged.......played whole day with my Rolex, adjusting the beat error :)

According to Energizer's website, a 384 or 392 should work.

Another thing to try. Get an old screwdriver and using a lightweight hammer tap down on the screw head a couple of times before trying to unscrew it. Make sure the case is well supported before doing this.

I've found this tool, dressed to a very smooth finish to be of great help when the setting of hands go "left". Great for cheap watches with iffy fitted hands too. They allow to get in between the hands and separate/level too.

Found a new rotor with bearing with some even nicer finishing for pretty cheap so will just replace the whole thing. Thanks all.

No Bob, I didn't take it personal whatsoever and it didn't came across harsh either ;) I think it is a very noble point of view / stand you are taking and it takes courage / high sense of responsibility to do so. Nothing but respect ! I'm very thankful that I had this experience so early in my new hobby, it made me very humble. Just trying to find out how to proceed, or just stick to my own watches, which are only a few and they had already (as learning objects) multiple services in the last month. They now seem to shy away from me if I look at them :) At the moment I feel & like what Frenchie said: "unless they tell me they'll just chuck it if I don't look at it". Is such case, only a gain can be made. As for the Seiko, the damage to the small hand is for the naked eye invisible and once I replaced the worn oscillating weight bridge/bearing, capacitor and two worn wheels, it goes back to the owner. The owner is informed about the incident and seems still very happy that I took the time & effort to look at his watch and replace the worn parts. Hopefully the story ends with a smile and the watch will perform well for many years to come, but it will certainly makes me think twice in case another friend / family watch turns up. I hope that, combined with forum members experiences/stories/ideas, I'll have a clear view of where I stand, what the risk are, my responsibility or which responsibilities I'm prepared to take on. To me all a part of the learning curve ;)

Referring to Bob's remark "I don't take anything I'm not sure I can fix or pay" and Frenchie (pulled out of context regarding the risk involved) "tell them what I can do" Knowing that pulling / placing hands is tricky, I warned the owner about the risk, but I actually thought (I hadn't experienced any problems with other watches before) it was within the reach of my capabilities. Being a novice in watch repair, I first made sure that I had the full service manual, the "right" (but still the all-round)-tools and before I removed any component, I looked at the manual and studied how it was placed and how to remove it. With the Seiko I don't have the idea / feeling that I went beyond my capabilities, that is to say; I didn't do anything I wasn't sure off that I did the right thing. Then the unexpected happened. The only thing I can think off, to possibly avoid my mishap, is perhaps that Seiko has a very specific hands-puller for this particular hand, but no mention or reference was made to it in the manual. Still, even with a very specific puller, the bushing would have been extremely tight. Surely, the unexpected and unforeseen must happen to other people, even experienced; you think you can handle it, but then the unexpected/unforeseen happens; fixable or not. What I'm trying to say is that for me the lesson learned is that I can only warn people about all the risk involved, that I may ruin their watch forever and they may never see it again (or securely sealed in a little coffin :) ), but to judge on beforehand that I can fix it or it's within my capabilities......that is surely not for me anymore and I don't know what that would take either....... years of experience / education, cupboards full of parts and a shed full of machinery.........? That I took Bob's and Frenchie's remarks is by no means, in any shape or form meant in a negative way ! I'm just trying to distill my thoughts and learn from what is being said. I'm very thankful for their valuable contributions and experiences. Hope no offense is taken ;) I would welcome very much any further thoughts........... Roland.

Hey Mike - what an interesting idea - I'll give it a thought... :thumbsd:

My two cents; I saw a few years back N.O.S. CWC, 1989 issued military quartz watches. Swizz ETA 955.114 movement. They had the full military code stamped in the back, new, unscratched and in immaculate condition. I couldn't resist and bought a couple. I wear one, the others in the drawer to gain years and value........ (They doubled in price already). As Will says, military watches keep their value........ I hope......

this is a great thread. and my methods are similar to most of you guys - especially will's. i never buy with the intention of resale. the only watches that have left my possession have been given away. i'd love to sell to make money, but i'm just not good at it. i rarely buy plated or gold filled. stainless all of the way. however, seeing will's explanation of gold filled watches, i would reconsider them. if i buy a plated watch, it's with the intention of placing the movement into a SS case. automatics and handwinders are neck and neck with me. quartz is almost entirely out of the question - i don't go looking with the intention of buying quartz. although, i do own a few. small watches - i don't buy them because no matter how beautiful they are, i don't like how they look on my wrist and therefore i won't wear them. two of the most beautiful watches i own are bulovas - but they're too small. i've not had them on my wrist. it's interesting to see what the rest of you view as being valuable watches. lately, i'm drawn to bulova, mido, roamer (and i will keep in mind will's tip on pre 70's roamers). these are the mid level swiss watches that are often overlooked. another thing that i'm drawn to is unusually shaped cases. mido makes a sweet oval shaped case, bulova is way out there with some of their stuff - especially asymmetricals. to me, these could hold the most value because you almost never see them on someone's wrist - and they attract the most attention. it's always the round watches that get wrist time. as much as i love seiko watches, i am strongly attracted to swiss movements. therefore the bulova, mido and roamer attraction - and i count accutron in there with the bulovas. i see an omega in my future. just a simple 60's seamaster with date and i'm good. i think you would do well with bulova, roamer, waltham, hamilton, longines and the like. they are the steady eddie of the watch world. just keep away from the midos - i want all of them.

I built on myself now: http://dirkfassbender.de/dial-feet-soldering-machine.html Regards Dirk

Hi Frenchie, Sometimes screws do that due to either manufacture defects or fatigue. Sometimes a defective screw doesn't show it until the very end... I guess you got lucky there. It happened to me with a brand new Seiko movement right out of the box (screws are screws no matter what movement and/or manufacturer). I do clean my screws too and never had a problem. Will you be able to fix it? An Omega is a nice watch! Cheers, Bob

That's a fascinating post-production run - and a great looking watch. My 992B dates from 1951 and has a Montgomery dial:

Never had a problem with screws & ultrasonics, it probably just age. However it appears Omegas have issues see here:http://watchguy.co.uk/omega-spare-parts-quality/#comments

Wearing my 'new' Movado today. This arrived from the 'bay with a movement that was superglued together, but the dial's in great condition. The only useful bit of the movement was the setting lever spring, and the only thing missing from the donor movement was the setting lever spring. I love when that happens. Happy Christmas, all.