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Hey KK, An ET watch....and you still have it?!? Your membership here is now completely qualified! JC

Thanks for the warm welcome. I will take pics of my watch repairs. Going to take my time on the first go around so be patient. For now here is my small collection.

A Pulsar today. Still looking to change the crystal WITHOUT having to take it out first to measure it.

If you can give it,s dimensions & a pic of the keyless works I will check in my bestfit book or other ref books I have.

Todays cheap watch....

ERRORS IN THIS VIDEO: At 3:42 you may notice I have placed the Intermediate calendar setting pinion reversed. If you are following this video whilst rebuilding your 7S26 then please take note of this. At 4:55 you will see that the Intermediate pinion is now placed correctly. Even experienced watch repairers make mistakes sometimes PART 3 of 3 In this video I am stripping down and servicing a Seiko 7S26 skx (Seiko 5) automatic watch movement which has not been serviced for a very long time. View full YouTube video

Before i order a second hand balance bridge from abroad i was wondering if anyone has the upper jewel setting in the balance bridge for a seiko 6139/6138 , i dropped the movement and it pinged off with the clip in the ether!!!! Thanks in advance.

Nice! You must know of Dinosaur BBQ Home of Columbia U and Dinosaur BBQ. I'm a transplant so not too familiar with all of neighborhoods but know quite a few. I'm original from CT and the wife already had a co-op, so being I mostly work in NYC and my office was in LI it made sense for me to move in with her. Now she is tired of the city and wants to move back to CT... Can't win. I'm in Brooklyn today at a client.

Today's work beater...

Just a Benrus 39 Jewel for me today...

Ha. Okay let me clarify. It was the first watch that I have bought. I think my first watch was from the 80's and it was an E.T. watch. I still have it! I have never liked watches or jewelry and I have skinny wrist. But the vintages watches fit great.

Wow that is funky: Omage--I like it!

Greetings! There is a wealth of info and experience on this forum. Good Luck!

Thanks Bob! I'm more of a mad scientist type and yes, it is working perfectly. I can hardly believe I actually repaired this one: it seemed to have so many issues. It'll have to stayin my collection. J Sent from my SM-G925T using Tapatalk

Hi ro63rto, Nice looking pulsar! In my experience, the above is more like a miss than a hit unless you can get the original part! Not a good idea otherwise in time and money! I wish you luck! Cheers, Bob

Welcome Kevin! Here in Miami we clean our watches with salt water and dry them in the sun, since they are in abundance! Just kidding! In any case, I hope you find this forum a good experience and a good company for your watchmaking journey! Remember, every on here make a big community to help one another, so don't hesitate to post your questions and experiences. Cheers, Bob

Decided to wear one of my two analog/digital quartz watches this Friday the 13th. This is a Pulsar NX01-X001, extensively modded to be an 'omage to the Omega X-33 (the original, not the hideous new Skywalker model).

Hi Joe, escape wheel recoil is a good indication that frictional losses within the train are as low as possible. If you re-assemble the train from the barrel through to the escape wheel (but not the pallet fork), then any torque applied to the barrel will be transferred through to the escape wheel which will spin. In a theoretical frictionless system, winding a small amount of power into the mainspring would cause the escape wheel to spin in the correct direction until there was no stored power left in the spring, at which point the inertia of the spinning escape wheel (and the rest of the train) would keep the train turning in the same direction, unwinding the mainspring from its equilibrium state through the barrel arbor until the inertia of the spinning train is overcome by the force of the spring (now wound in the wrong direction), at which point the train would reverse and spin back in the wrong direction under the (reverse) power of the spring. This is the recoil that I was referring to. In the frictionless system described above, the reverse running of the train would again go back through the equilibrium point of the mainspring and inertia would wind the spring up in the right direction until it overcame the inertia, and the system would oscillate for eternity (unless you want to get into hysteresis in the mainspring!!), however, in real life, friction bleeds energy out of the system so it stops. Observing the way in which the system comes to rest can give you a clue as to the general health of the train. If it comes to an abrupt stop with no recoil and there is still torque in the mainspring (check the state of the click against the ratchet wheel) then friction within the train is high and may indicate something like a bent pivot or a damaged jewel. If it comes to a stop at the equilibrium position of the mainspring without any recoil then it may be worth double checking the cleaning, and possibly the end shake on the wheels through the train. It may also indicate the wrong size spring has been fitted as too tall a spring can bind slightly against the top and bottom of the barrel. However, on some older movements it could just mean that general wear, although not severe enough on any individual component to warrant its replacement, has added up through the train to prevent recoil. Ideally though, on a half decent, properly cleaned movement in good order I would expect to see the escape recoil by maybe a couple of revolutions, which would indicate that all is well. I have actually seen double recoil before (where the escape wheel reverses, and then turns the right way again before stopping) but it is not common. Apologies for the wordy answer, but you did ask

Many watches look like one another. I guess which looks like which would depend on who came with the design first: probably Omega although I don't know for sure. Just an inanimate object? I disagree with you on that quite vigorously! This is an instrument with its own character and energy--certainly no mere inanimate object such as a chair or table; and even those can have a warmness and comfort that imbue them with distinct qualities especially if you made it yourself. Surely you've owned a car, bicycle, toy or some other object that you treasured and had "feelings" for? In any case, you're correct in the lesson that this watch has taught me. The Omega has been keeping great time and everything is as it should be up to now. The lesson? Perseverance! JC

Welcome!!

Hi Alexander, In my mind, the Valjoux is going to be good to have but not for immediate work (it may become much more expensive, in the future, after the Swiss regulation on watch parts). Too many things could go wrong in a chronometer and too many "subsystems" to deal with in the beginning. Also, Chinese calibers -- those that don't clone Swiss movements -- are not too advisable due to the lack of replacement parts and other "quality" issues and technology that might very well be "unique"! Not a path I would go... Then of course you have the Russian movement which is also a chronometer and I believe it is based on the Valjoux or similar movement with many modifications. Check etsy.com for spares and such. I think the same situation as the Valjoux applies. This is, of course, a very personal opinion. I think you can tackle anything at this point but the learning curve on those is going to be steep and therefore, might not be as enjoyable as it should. Also, consider the parts availability that might lead you into frustration for non technically related issues (more like supply) and even distract you from your main goal which is learning about those movements. I personally am not too patient when waiting for stuff to arrive...or to never arrive! It is, as always, a choice: where to go next?! I would check on other movements: ETAs and Japanese alike, even simpler Russians (meaning not chronometers). Maybe one or two different ones before starting chronometers so I can get a feel of the different "nuances" of the technology. Consider also that chronometers might require some new tools too you might have to invest on. I hope my previous take on the matter helps you decide which is your next step from where you are, Whatever you decide, don't let what I just said be a deterrent but more like some opinions to consider while choosing. Cheers, Bob

Wearing a new acquisition today.. A Mondia 'Top Second'...the hole in the dial 'blinks' as there is a red panel that is fixed to an extended pivot of the escape wheel. "Poor man's complication!". Powered by an AS1913...not my favourite movement but this is the only one used for these watches. Apart from the movement construction, which is a bit fiddly, I'm not a fan of the quickset by pushing in the crown. Also the clutch wheel is a weak point in these movements. I've known about these watches for some time but they've usually been priced more than I was willing to pay. This turned up at a local flea market at the right price (about what I would spend for a night out with the boys!) so I snapped it up. The dial condition probably didn't help the seller as its a bit spotted. Case is pretty scratched and the crystal could do with a replacement as there is yellowing of the glue around the edges but no urgent need to fix it...one of these days I'll get around to it! Have a good weekend !

Today one I haven't worn in ages and I'd forgot about it's in case 2 and I usually wear what's in case 1. One of my first repairs my old PEEREX

Today its a lovely mid size 'Services Navigator' for me. I got it for a steal as a none runner of the bay it had a few teeth missing on the ratchet wheel replaced that and stuck a cleaner dial on I had laying about in my spares tubs. the movement is a ORIS 292 and keeps amazingly good time for a 60-70 year old a pin lever.

Charity shop find today the GENEVA Sport .

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

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

This little puppy arrived last night in pretty poor condition but I wanted to wear it today so I got working on it right away. This one was a "gamble" because the seller said "not working, not a watch person, as-is". Even though the description almost pushed me away, I saw a Benrus Electronic Technipower watch in the pile of junk watches. When they arrived last night, all the quartz junk was actually that....broken junk. However, the Benrus looked like crap too but I thought it might have a chance. I put a battery in her and nothing. I put another battery in and nothing. I take the crystal out, split crown then movement and waddya know, DIRT! I cleaned it up (not professionally, I don't know how to service electronic movements) put a new crystal in it and voila, a working watch that looks awesome! Pics below:)

The New York Jump Hour... Hmm. That would have to be the Sicura then...it looks just like an old school parking meter

@Cad101 I have a few like that....love them;) Is that a pin-lever single jewel? (I love the sound of them but annoy many others in the process, haha) Today's watch is sort of a garbage pick. This lot I picked up had a whole bunch of junk that the person said "was pure crap but I might get a part or two out of it if I look hard enough". Well, I saw a vintage Westclox that needed some love and after just over 9 hours, she is ticking away again! (took two FULL services to get it going too)

Wearing my 'party watch' made of ebay Bits: I 'pimped' the ETA 6498 movement (polished the wheels, blued the screws and made the plates curvy). Keeps perfect time but MAN it's a loud tick Yes, I know the strap's the wrong size :-)