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I made a video today on how to size a new mainspring for purchase. Enjoy. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

Added a couple new watches to my Seiko collection last night I thought I would share. The first is somewhat underwhelming at first glance, and what does one say about an underwhelming watch? It has good bones, it’s a good foundational piece, etc. etc. Well in my case none of the above. The watch was a match to one I already own a “Seiko 5 Automatic 6119-8400” August 1969, WATER PROOF with three mouth spread between the two watches probably as close as ones going to find without divine intervention. Why do I want two? I don’t, I want three…lol anyone that caught my interdiction will know I am on a mission, put together three matching collection of vintage Seiko’s to pass on to my three sons when I am not around. So as far as this watch goes, I am 33% away from my goal. Found in the UK. Second watch is just fun and considered a TV watch and one that screams 1968-1970 all over again.This is a Seiko 5 6119-5400, Square Automatic day date 21 jewels, original wristband. It has an interesting band that is claimed to be original wristband and found in Egypt. I generally try to keep my collection grounded around the infamous 6139, 6138 series but one has to occasionally push the boundary. All the best, Will

I would remove the dial and hands and look at the keyless work.

A likely reason is that the square hole in the ratchet wheel has become rounded and is therefore not engaged properly with the barrel arbor. The stem may well result in the turning of the ratchet wheel as expected but this may not actually be turning the barrel arbor properly. [However because the screw is directly in the arbor then if you use this method then the winding does seem to work]. Also obviously check that the ratchet wheel is properly seated. Initially I would suggest removing the ratchet wheel screw and gently turning the stem and observe what happens to the arbor and ratchet wheel. [The ratchet wheel should not pop off in the absence of the screw if you are gentle but if in doubt you can always hold the wheel in place with (brass) tweezers].

Thank you. I feel that sharing and helping others with the challenges I had is the right thing to do. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

Hey thanks. Just tried to answer all the questions that I had back when I started. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

I think it has a warranty till the expiring date, imo you can use it fully functional after that date for a long time...

As Watchtime says ' It will last your years' which is true but I recently purchased some Meobius oils from Cousins which had an expiry date of nine months. Now no way am I going to use it up in that time. What actually happens to it after the expiry date? Does it change its lubrication qualities? I see some companies selling genuine Moebius as 'reconditioned' Anybody tried that? I dont think I would use Chinese oils but some of the Chinese tools after a little 'fettling' are quite serviceable. I think I've adopted this attitude after someone in the know told me that one or two famous Swiss watch tool manufacturers can only survive with a massive markup and actually outsourse work to China. No different to the UK getting Toshiba to build our reactors for the nuclear industry I suppose.

VWatchie branding seems to be the way to go there are loots of examples of that. One fellow Swede seems to got it right with his brand "Daniel Wellington" he started with cheap plastic quartz watches from china ,later on made an own brand and now Selling for millions. You just have to make up an interesting storie to go with your Product. Here is some interesting reading in Swedish for you. (VWatchie I assumne since your located in Sweden you can read Swedish ) https://www.va.se/nyheter/2015/09/01/rekordsnabbt/

If I were you and planning to build watches and sell them on eBay, I think I would consider 2 ways for doing that. 1 - restored and serviced watches : Buy watches on the net, as low as possible, restore the cases and service the movements then sell them back for a fair price ... by "fair" I mean fair for the buyer AND fair for the seller who would get some money as a payment of the time passed working on the watches. 2 - custom designed watches : Choose a "brand name", buy full watches or parts (cases and movements), design custom dials with the "brand name" on and print them or order them on Alibaba, find a way to put the brand name/logo on the cases and crowns. Then build the "custom branded" watches and try to sell them on eBay ... still at a "fair" price. So not exactly a micro-brand but really close.

Added this Vostok "Cadet", or also called "Junior" or "Mini". It has a 32mm case (ex.crown) and nobody is quite sure whether it's a man- or a woman's-watch. Some suggest that these were issued in the '80's to the woman serving in the Russian Navy, but then again, they were also available to the civilian market, product number 461285 and powered by a 2409 movement. Often these dials are full of aging cracks, but this one, even-though used, has a mint dial. These Cadets are, for one reason or another, not much beloved in the collectors world and therefor cheap to get. Regardless, they are still a piece of the CCCP history and aren't produced anymore ..... I like this "dolphin" issue

I acquired this "the end of WW2" commemorating dial a few years ago. Upon reception I wasn't too impressed, in a way I thought it was dull, not of high quality and a bit boring, certainly compared to other commemorative "Rodina" dials like the 1945 - 1995 issues, which are in my opinion much more colorful & elaborated. It wasn't my taste of dial to build in a watch and to wear it. However through time I've never seen this dial on eBay or any other sides. I decided to ask the much bigger WUS audience, who have lots of experience / expertise in Russian watches, whether the dial was a genuine Vostok at all and how come I haven't seen this dial more often? Turns out, if I understood it correctly, that around 2010 Vostok went through bankruptcy and re-organization. So far there have been commemorative dials made in 1985, 1995, 2000, 2005 and 2015. But since "nobody" on WUS had ever seen the 2010 issue, collectors started to wonder whether Vostok, in those troubled days, went ever through the efforts making a 2010 (65 years) issue? Well they did........ As WUS member "bpmurray" puts it: " I think more likely it was just a design that did not survive on the market for long, for one reason or another, rendering it rare today " One of these rare 2010 commemorative dials was hiding in my drawer and finally in 2018 has seen the "daylight" for WUS collectors