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Here's a couple of watches from my collection. An IWC Mk11 and a '56 Longines 6B/159. I mainly collect military watches.

...I think calling it a collection would be a bit much... Here are some of the watches I am currently calling my "collection" (if you insist)... My fathers Bulova Accutron Railroad Approved...unlike a lot of these floating around, this one actually lived a hard life on a real, live railroad (he retired after 36 years on first the Southern Railway, then Norfolk-Southern Railway...He retired in 1993, IIRC). The crystal is missing...where would be a good place to get a replacement? As I related in my intro post, my dad's original railroad watch was a Hamilton 992B that was stolen from his lunchbox by a short-lived employee...he always said he had intended to leave that watch to me one day, and he would occasionally curse the fellow's name...I think after the Accutron gave it up, he wore a couple of Seiko Railroad Approved watches, and by then, the railroad quit caring watch you wore and he just ran assorted quartz junk until he retired. My dad passed last November, age 81. I had a Seiko Railroad Approved that I purchased myself for awhile...it may or may not have survived the trip it took through the washing machine...we will never know...because the subsequent trip through the clothes dryer, it most certainly did NOT survive..I was picking watch bits out of my underwear for a week... The watch that I have personally had possession of the longest...my uncle Lloyd's Bulova A-11 that he was issued in World War 2...he flew B-17s out of southern England, and fortunately, arrived on the scene late enough (around February of '45) that he didn't have to deal with the Luftwaffe too much. Aside from one harrowing day over Schweinfurt, he had a fairly easy time of it, and spent much of the middle of 1945 dropping food on starving civilians rather than high explosives on German factories. The only casualty on his tour was the base fire truck, which he (the story goes) stole while intoxicated on V-E Day and crashed it into a fountain in town...the deal struck: while everybody else got to go home, he had to stay flying VIPs and food around occupied Europe until December. As plan B was a court martial, he eagerly accepted... And this was the same uncle's Longines, as seen in the intro post, Im guessing 1940s-50s vintage...it is of rather small calibere, about the same as the Bulova he was issued during the war. Lovely watch, only loses about five seconds a day...I was told it was worth something on the order of $275-300, owing to its small calibere, and was quoted about the same to have it CLAed...it sits until I either gather up the money or the expertise to have it done. Some quartz cheapies from my dad and my wife's Pulsar, all in need of batteries... Another pair of what I believe to be cheapies, an Accro and an Orvis, probably from my grandfather, circa 1920s-30s... And now, some Russian Vostoks...this one was apparently imported in the '90s badged as a Cardi Vostok... A Kommanderske and a man's dress watch, which may become one my everyday wearers...I just like the looks of it... And now, a few more Vostoks that I was too lazy to take my own pics of, so these came from eBay... A "rare" Cornavin Olympic commemorative, with Vostok movement, for the princely sum of $.99 delivered from Ukraine... Just another Kommanderske... And, I have more of these things on order than I care to admit, either as complete watches or as stripped movements...I mean, I went a bit nuts there last month, and while most of the stuff out of Ukraine has arrived, the stuff from Russia is just now starting to show up... :-/ Anyway, I hope this has provided some amusement... >>>BULLET>>> AKA -Tom

1. It will probably run slow. 2. Worn pivots or jewels. Cracked jewels. Dirt. Poor lubrication (too much or too little). Hairspring touching the balance cock. 3. Magnetised or dirty hairspring causing the coils to stick. Bent hairspring.

I have borrowed this photo from the net. The part what is possible broken is labelled "B" on the photo. Yours may well be different in detail, but check the part that looks similar in your watch.

Lemania with my favourite two tone dial.

In Hawaii... I received a Bulova Accutron Astronaut Limited Edition re-edition automatic signed by Buzz Aldrin today . It is a re-edition of the 60's- 70's Accutron Astronaut tuning fork watch . The Specs are : Accutron Astronaut Watch. ETA 2893-2, automatic, self-winding mechanical GMT movement. Domed sapphire crystal. Luminous hands and markers. Exhibition see-through four-screw caseback featuring Buzz Aldrin signature. Stainless steel case and bracelet. Fixed bezel-ring with anodized 24-hour scale in day/night colors. Deployment buckle closure with lock. Water resistant to 100meters/330feet. Approximate case diameter/width 42mm. -#0237/1000--SWISS MADE -AUTOMATIC 21-JEWEL MECHANICAL GMT MOVEMENT CALIBER ETA2893-2 -DUAL TIME ZONE WITH A 24-HOUR SCALE -LUMINESCENT HANDS AND HOUR MARKERS -100m WATER RESISTANT -100% SOLID STAINLESS STEEL -TWO-TONE POLISHED/BRUSHED STEEL FINISH -SQUEEZE-RELEASE BUTTERFLY HIDDEN CLASP -SAPPHIRE BEVELED CRYSTAL -SEE-THRU CASE BACK ETCHED WITH THE SIGNATURE ENDORSEMENT OF THE LEGENDARY ASTRONAUT Buzz Aldrin--INCLUDES A NASA LAPEL PIN -CASE DIAMETER IS 42mm EXCLUDING CROWN BY 12mm HIGH -LUG SIZE IS 22mm

To Mike & WillFly: Follow up on the above, the mainspring was the problem in both cases. Thanks so much for your help and info. Gratefully, Timezone (Rich)

I use a cheapo press, once you've got one you'll never go back. Also I keep a few ink rubes from ballpoint pens floating around. Amazing what you can do with a blob of rodico on a toothpick and one of these!

3. If you put a whole watch movement in a cleaning machine, it won't clean out the balance jewels very well (since they're capped). If there's gunk there, the watch will have low amplitude before you clean it, and will probably still have gunk and low amplitude after you clean it. Low amplitude results in a watch that runs fast.

Normally I do all my watch glass replacement by guess work, I don't know of any guides that can help. Armoured glasses belong in waterproof watches. Low dome go in most vintage watches (If possible I normally always go low dome unless I don't have the correct size) Extra think high dome armoured glasses go in super compressor divers watches - These are extremely rare, I only have a couple and don't like to waste them. I've been looking for a year a 340 sized one to fit in my first model iwc aquatimer. I managed to make one for my longines nautilus divers that looked just like the original, but I consider that to be pure luck. The inner rotating bezel doesn't work without this special glass. High dome are only used if hands touch the glass. Flanged glasses go in military watches where you unscrew an inner glass ring. Rolex glasses are specially sized, they have a thin edge where they pop between the case and bezel. And glass glass go in early trench watches or pocket watches, the cases have a tiny lip where you pressure fit them in. I think cement should only be used for rectangular watch glasses, or other unusual shapes. - That's my view on all watch glasses

Thanks! I'm kind of a nut when handling radium, lol....I just blow it away from me and I feel safe at that point;) I have to start handling it more carefully! P.S. - My jokes are worse;)

You can't have any Omegas then Max, they have the serial number on the movement.

Sounds to me like the setting lever plate lever is broken.

Hi Jeff, Glad the problem is sorted. I've been following this thread and learning from the pros. Careful with the radium, it is not healthy to say the least. In a lighter note, I had the same problem with a clock and I solved it by feeding the hamster that was running it! Easy! :) Cheers, Bob PS. a bad joke to lighten the mood now that everything is OK.

Hey, it happens :-) In my case it was a pile of Timex's. Have fun!

Try epoxy:

Military Jaeger lecoultre with white 12, little bit uncommon.

Some more bits

Whoopee! Just off to trim the beard, grab my stick and put on my fake Rolex... Look out girls!

Good stories. I think I'd have cursed the 992B thief by bell, book and candle - what a bar-steward! My great-grandfather was also a locomotive driver, on the north-west London-Glasgow line, driving the Royal Scot class. Unfortunately, no watch of his survives in the family to my knowledge. He lived in Horwich, got a local train to Crewe and then either drove from Crewe to London or from Crewe to Glasgow - never the whole way. His son, my grandfather, was a fitter in the Horwich Locomotive Works, and I have his retirement watch, a 9-ct cased Smiths "De Luxe" - the standard retirement present for many thousands of workers in various industries.

A whole bunch of nice watches and stories, thanks for sharing !

That's happened to me too. I broke one when I was adjusting the beat - stupidly, I was using it as an anchor point for my tweezers when rotating the stud. It's possible that a previous repairer did the same thing?

Good stuff there - thanks for posting this excellent advice. I would take issue only with your opening statement about avoiding eBay and auctions. I don't believe the majority of sellers are dishonest, though some undoubtedly are. I've sold a number of watches myself over the years, and have been scrupulously exact in my descriptions. Some eBay sellers are ignorant of what they are selling - as are some auction houses. I've bought the majority of my 60+ watches from eBay and, with one exception, all the transactions have been straightforward and as advertised. I should add that I've scoured eBay for years and got to know what to look for and what to avoid! And, of course, I've been able to put right any minor faults in purchases for next to nothing. It IS possible to snap up the bargains if you're on the ball. I've used a sniping service, and very effective it can be. Some auction houses really don't know what they're selling - which can be an advantage. I bought my beautiful Ball-Waltham 1903 RR grade pocket watch online from one house that didn't have a clue what it had. Good auction houses will refund any purchased items if the description has been inaccurate - and I've always asked for a proper condition report before bidding. The disadvantage of auctions - particularly online - is the buyer's fee, anything from 15% to 22%, plus 3% for using the online service, plus p&p. At least there's only postage to pay with eBay, and some sellers give free p&p. Buying from anywhere always involves that useful Latin phrase Caveat Emptor - Buyer Beware. So: Do your research, keep an eye on the marketplace to see what goes for what. Always get a picture of the movement - not just the dial and case. Don't be swayed by brand names and go for what you really like. Forgot to say: Some eBay sellers also have shops, and it's worth going straight to the shop from eBay to discuss a potential purchase - that's how I got my lovely LeCoultre, from a good guy who lives about half an hour away from me.

If my trusty Seiko went missing I'd be upset whatever had replaced it.

Erm that's only 56 so its an even better deal

My Father was a New Zealand sheep farmer and he worked a large tract of land for 35 hears or so. Hard work and I still vividly remember the Smiths pocket watches that he wore in a little leather pouch on his belt. I can still hear the sound of them and remember the worn look of the pouch. He went through a few, either busted them in his work or drowned them in the winter. Either way it resulted in a trip to the farmers COOP to choose another. In many ways, the life long penchant I've had for dismantling watches and repairing them started there as I always inherited the casualties of his work and rapidly reduced them to the sum of their parts. I now have a few Walthams floating around the bottom of my draw that I quite often take out for a spin. The trouble is we don't wear pocket watch friendly clothing anymore, except for the Levi's jeans with the small watch pocket on them. My favorite is a 16 S gold filled hunter case. It clanks and chatters away in my jeans pocket often. I don't use a chain as the 16size sits nice and snug in a standard Levi's watch pocket. Though I rather suspect that chains look after balance staffs by preventing a fall. Because there is no longer time at a glance of the wrist, there is almost a ritualistic removable from the pocket, flick open of the case for a measured perusal of the time. I find that going out with a pocket watch, I become a little less time conscious as I don't seem to be able to have the constant monitoring that a wrist watch gives you.

This CEO of Swatch (pictured below) has just ordered some of his top henchmen to visit you with large sledgehammers:

I have done this once in the past with a friends old pin lever: Firstly the dial was photographed & loaded into Adobe Indesign (this can be done on Adobe Illustrator or similar as well) & a new dial drawn using the photo as a template. This was then printed onto photo card, cut out accordingly & placed in the watch. Due to alignment issues I eventually printed it on white waterslide decal paper, clear is also available, but white was used to cover the marks on the old dial. It is the cut slightly oversize & placed on the existing dial . This looked fine although on very close inspection the printer (an Epson Stylus Photo P50) does tend to square off the circles slightly & the lines are little heavier (sorry forgot to photo the final version). Printing onto waterslide decal paper is the same as printing photo paper. After printing it is given a couple of coats of acrylic spray varnish & when dry used like the decals on your old plastic model kits. The manufactures recommend lightly baking the item in the oven to permanently fix it. Unfortunately I don't think this would work on a heavily textured dial although I haven't tried it yet, but I do have a Smiths National 15 in need of some TLC and may give it a go soon. Thanks for the TZ article Stroppy.

The Geneve range of watches in the 60's and 70's where affordable watches placed at the lower end of the price range in the Omega line up where as the top of the line Omegas where chronometer rated or cased in gold the geneve watches rarely where with a few exceptions the main aim was to be affordable but still have the quality of other watches in the range just not all the bells and whistles. I cant think of any equivalent range in todays line up as Omega seem to have taken the view that all their watches should be unaffordable :D

bob - i gotta respectfully disagree with you. ALL of the stupid drivers are here in north carolina. all of them. i could tell some stories. i liked this watch so much, i got one for each wrist.

I use to use tweezers until I lost a minute hand on an old waltham pocket watch. It was a bit of a tight fit and was probably using too much pressure. The thing pinged off into the unknown and to this day I have never found it. Now I use a staking set. Tweezers are excellent for adjusting minute hands up and down. Sent from my SM-G900F using Tapatalk

I never used a hand press, I don't think they were about in my time, I always used tweezers and never had problems.