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What ever you do don't touch the banking pins because if you do you will end up with all sorts of trouble. The first thing I would do is release all the power, remove the pallets, put a little power on and see if the train is free, make sure all the train has good endshake, inspect the pallets make sure the pallet stones are are set firm and pallet jewels are ok, put pallets in making sure the pallet bridge is fixed, add a little power and make sure the pallets are free up and down and have good endshake, now touch the pallets with your tweezers and see if the escape wheel will escape. Try that first and let me know.

I'm probably going to make a new topic about this one just because it is a VERY special Timex: Today's watch has been worn all weekend including today; I just can't seem to get this Timex 400 off my wrist simply because it looks good AND sports a 17 Jewel Hatori (Seiko) 70-4 Caliber movement! (VERY accurate movement as well)

My re-furbished Helvetia lots of work but it worked our well just need to give its name back. Even the most distressed watch on the bay can be given life if your prepared to put the work in

Wearing my around-the-farm beater, a cavalry-dialed Amphibia today. I rarely bother setting the date, and today was no exception.

Hello from Sunny California. My name is Ryan and I am an amateur watchmaker/technician from Rancho Cordova, California. I've been interested in watches and analogue gauges for about as long as I can remember. One of my earliest memories is of the watch given to me by my grandparents when I was only two years of age. I can still remember the day it went missing- many tears were shed. It would be 36 years before I secured a replacement! Through the years I've had a number of watches- most quartz and never of high enough value to really warrant contracting with a watchmaker for service or repair. This past Christmas my wife gifted me with a vintage Breitling Navitimer. I had one before but we decided to part with it to help pay for our wedding. Ownership of a fine Swiss timepiece got me thinking about how to properly maintain the it and that's when I stumbled upon the Watch Repair Talk Forum and Mark's helpful videos. I suppose from that point I was hooked. I purchased George Daniels book and found myself riveted to every page. The next thing I knew I had invested in the tools of the trade and the rest is history! My hope is to parlay my experience as a hobbyist into a bonafide profession. I'll need the proper certifications to do so but from what I have read, I won't be ready for any exams until I have a bit of experience under the belt. I expect to be a regular on the forums here as this seems to be one of the best places I have found thus far for advice and guidance. I know there are many other amateurs on the forums here that have the same goal as I and information is shared quite freely and uncritically. So I would like to start my endeavor by thanking all the good people here for making the journey down this path everything but a lonely one! I'm sure it is with your assistance that success will be achieved. I am looking forward to sharing all my experiences (be them good and bad) here for support and guidance. Cheers!

I think more likely the 50s. Spring bars were not very common before.

I would say that it's absolutely right and well worth the effort. Mine says "Hi". It's been in the normal rotation for over 2 years and has never let me down; still as consistent and reliable, and still looks great.

Well I did order an Etic demagnetizer in the end, however delivery is really slow and it won't be here for a few weeks so I had to make do with something else in the meanwhile. I read up in the ether world and there were several seemingly good home made designs that anyone could craft, however when I tried one of them I was stymied when I tried to tear an old transformer apart to use it as the laminations were all glued together with a hard varnish. Back to the drawing board. The solution I came up with, and that worked quite well, was to simply grip the edge of neodymium disc magnet in the jaws of an electric drill and rotate it at high speed then hover the parts by it and slowly draw them away. I did this twice with the particular parts I was having trouble with and they become completely and magically demagnetized. I can't think of anything simpler frankly as most people have an electric drill and the magnets are available anywhere. Total cost was about $1. I'll be interested to compare it to the Etic when it finally arrives, though I'm sure the Etic will win the contest - I really hope so as the Etic is about 80 times more expensive than the simple magnet shown. I'm sure you'll all be upset to hear that the Oilers didn't make it to the playoffs - again!

Omega is my top choice too! JC

Its normal is the answer to both questions. If the glass is a low dome which it should be a watch repairer might have bent the minute had a bit so it doesn't rub the glass which could stop it. My late grandfathers watch was chrome with gold like hands and numbers it was a Vertex and a very good watch. I don't know why you should think that it might not be normal. If you under take the repair the strap needs replacing as its not the correct width and the lugs could do with replacing. It has a nice little movement.

I'm replying, because the site won't let me "Like" this more than once. I consider myself an amateur watchmaker. I repair watches. I've successfully completed the two complete movement servicings I've undertaken, and made smaller repairs to other movements. I also "make" watches, in the sense of putting together cases, movements, hands, and dials. The dials are often home-made, and the movements sometimes slightly modified. And when I need my shoes fixed, I take them to my shoemaker, who I'm pretty sure has never made a pair of shoes from scratch. On the other hand, my wife's saddlemaker does actually make (and repair) saddles.

Good one;) I almost forgot one VERY important site that's FULL of useful info -> the Timex Forum. Now I am not a member there but it's worth at least paging through the topics. Start with this page, it is very detailed and specific about the history of Timex along with specific meaningful dates. I STILL go there to read;) http://www.network54.com/Realm/timexforum/timexfaqs.html#timeline

Don't worry...I'm an old fart but I don't dent easily!

Pleasure; as a fair warning, my sickness got worse after reading up on the history of Timex so read up at your discretion

This was a pretty good read - http://www.fundinguniverse.com/company-histories/timex-corporation-history/ Of course the usual Wiki was informative as well:) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timex_Group_USA

I am not totally in love with Timex, but I am really impressed with the movement that's pictured. Very high end looking.

I also just won the West German version of the 400 on Fleabay and it wasn't cheap, lol. (only manufactured for less than a year there) I was going to start a new thread about all this but there is not much love for Timex anyway so here's a quick shot of the movement at different angles/lighting. Yes, Timex was able to to produce a 21 Jewel Movement later on but it was no comparison to the quality of these versions. The 21 version is still nice but it's no Seiko:D

I'm wearing my small Seiko diver today.

It looks looks escape wheel is not engaging the pallet fork .

I would like to support a very talented Australian Machinist who is hand making a clock from scratch. I give you Chris ... Mr. "Clickspring" on YouTube. Enjoy! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B8Y146v8HxE&list=PLZioPDnFPNsETq9h35dgQq80Ryx-beOli

It sounds like the click is not installed properly .That stops the mainspring from unwinding . You can see it in the pics . There is a little return spring under it .

I can't really answer your last questions , but it seems that you are slowly moving forward in your progress . I tried to find a tech bulletin for a Bulova 11BLC with no luck yet , but I had worked on one of my Bulova's ,1133.10 as a mater of fact , and the movement being Swiss made I was able to get more info by the stamped ETA 2879 # that was under the balance wheel and then I looked up the ETA info on the O. Frei and Old Swiss Watches .com I saw some parts lists at least .

Is the pallet fork installed right side up ? Usually the pallet jewel on the longer arm is to the left . Is the impulse jewel on the balance between the fork fingers ? With out the balance installed you should be able to tickle one of the gears to see the escape wheel and pallet fork engage and move the pallet fork left and right . I don't think that I would file the the solid banking to solve the issue .

If you have an iPad or iPhone you can download the Watch Tracker App for£3.99. I find it quite useful at times for checking watches both mechanical and quartz, as well as clocks. It doesn't give you the detailed information that you get from a timegrapher regarding mechanical condition of the escapement, but it certainly lets you regulate a timepiece, and shows fluctuations over time in graphical form. https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=watch+tracker+app&rlz=1C9BKJA_enGB686GB686&oq=watchtracker+&aqs=chrome.1.69i57j0l3.16621j0j7&hl=en-GB&sourceid=chrome-mobile&ie=UTF-8

and it's a tricky part sometimes, too. has to be levered off to be safe. hand levers work if you don't want to buy a special wheel puller. and when setting the second hand on these, you need to support the pinion from below or you'll just push it down, too. that little friction spring isn't strong enough.

I really like Seiko and have a few. But it's the graceful flowing lines of the Omega that does it for me Sent from my SM-G900F using Tapatalk

I had the electronic monster on today. I used it so that I could hear the mobile phone ring or the message service pinging whilst I was doing physio exercises with doggy.

Pocket watch conversion, yes? Do you know if it's a 10s or 8s? Was the dial refinished to put the stem a 3 o'clock?

Here is the watch i wear today

Get Bergeon 4040, you will use it all of the time.

You are correct, I didn't realized that the device above doesn't do what you require. I could not find a cheap dedicated instrument so all you have to do is to use an external battery and a good multimeter. This one has a 20 uA setting which should work http://www.aliexpress.com/item/High-Accuracy-General-Manual-Range-Digital-Multimeters-UNI-T-UT39A-Amp-Ohm-Volt-Meter-Digital-LCD/1000001391486.html

What a terrible comment. You may never be, but that doesn't mean we won't! When I was 18, my tutor at university, a professor of pharmacology was a collector of Patek Philippe (££££). I become obsessed with the images and videos of watch manufacture and decided to build a watch. I purchased a Unimat 3, used it to sharpen a pencil on my bedroom floor, realised that I couldn't even attempt a watch so decided to build a clock and work my way up. I purchased a shed load of brass from Ian Cobbs, it arrived, I failed and sold the lathe. When I was 22 I purchased my first house, setup my workshop and purchased a new lathe, retrieved all the brass that was stored at my grandparents, didn't have a clue how to use the lathe and failed. When I was 23/24 I spent my evenings turning engines. I've no interest in steam engines but there is a hell of experienced group out there of people willing to show you how to engineer engines rather than clocks. I spent 2 years building them and learning how to use my tools at the basic level. At 28 I got the material back from my grandparents again and spent a year building my first clock. At 29 I put together a cnc machine and used it with manual tools to build my next clocks. I'm now 32, I've spent the last year stripping watches ready to build one from scratch....... Never say never!! :-) rant over.