Leaderboard

Hello watch guys, I finally finished my pilot build with my handmade dial. Now I don’t have to buy an IWC. What do you think?

I bought a slightly modded Seiko SKX007 off of eBay, about which in general a more experienced man than I here aptly quoted Obi Wan Kenobi: "you will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy." LOL. To be fair, the watch was accurately described cosmetically, more or less, but I didn't take the time to read the description. One thing that wasn't entirely accurate was the representation that the watch "works well." Well, it did run, but not to expectations. The amplitude was low, the beat error high and the rotor felt sluggish. So what's a newby to do? Well, a full service of the 7S26 is still a bit beyond my skill set. So I replaced the movement with an NH36, which meant removing the hands and dial from the 7S26 and mounting them on the new movement. I also discovered (last to know) that the crown and stem were not a clean "switch over" between the two movements so I measured, cut, and filed the new stem that came with the NH36 movement and epoxied the crown on to it. Now I know that this hardly qualifies as watchmaking, but I have to admit feeling a bit proud that the watch is now better regulated, that I managed not to bend or lose the hands, that the epoxy is only on the intended part and that the thing is back together with no extra bits sitting in the tray. Or, more precisely, you have to celebrate your small triumphs along the way to some level of actual competence. Remember that feeling when you first got parts to play well together to resemble a functioning timepiece? Well it's been a pretty good morning so far. My family appears to be tolerating this with an air of bemusement, as in, "I wonder what crazy scheme Dad's up to now?" But you all will get it. Happy Wednesday . . .

They're very useful for all kinds of things. I have a bunch of these scattered around the workshop. There are two main types- ones with flat plain tables and ones with the die plate like yours; and two main makers, both made both types, Tavannes and Prazision Falke. The Tavannes are usually 0-25mm, Falke 0-15mm. They can be used for finding lengths along an arbor, using the die plate or a bench block if you have a plain table. Taking heights/depths off a plate or bridge. Nice for measuring inside of barrels (from barrel bottom to lid ledge for example). Pretty much any time it would be tricky to take a measurement with a regular micrometer these can help.

Seiko meca quartz movement. Quite impressed for £50

Imado 1970s AS 2600 movement. Love the instant day/date change in this model, very un-Seiko like. Grey/brown dial. Plated brass case.

Of course it is still up to the individual to decide but, I usually reply not to "Lick" the dial. From the many times I've seen this question asked the general replies are there is more radioactivity surrounding you each day than there is on the typical dial. So don't be concerned. Even on of biggest horological foes with whom I had many intellectual dialogues with ( a nice way to say we butted heads) actually agreed with me on this one! So I offer you what I have to others. "You get in a Timex 600 ft diver and I'll gladly hold on to it for you until the half life of the radium has halved!" Just some northern New Jersey humor there! "What you got a problem with that?" see I did it again.

Hi all, My humble watch collection has only been going for a couple of years now. You will see that the value of my watches is very much towards the budget end of the market, but each one has been bought because I like the look of them, but most offer really amazing bang for buck. I will get photos uploaded at some point, but for now... Seiko SKX007, my first 'proper' watch and what started to pique my interest in what a watch really is, they are so much more than a way of knowing the time. I am not a fan of the rubber straps, so this is on a green NATO strap. I loved the look and feel of this watch, but about a year ago it lost all time keeping and needs a service, so possibly going to be sorted soon. My next watch was meant to be a 'stop gap' while I figured out what to do with my Seiko. A very cheap (I think it was under £20) Pulsar quartz diver. Only bought because of it's similarity with the Seiko. It was head only, so it was paired with a green Zulu strap. This has hardly been off my wrist. It has taken some hard knocks. I then found out about G10 watches, purely by accident. Their clean lines appealed to me. And then someone on another forum had a Fat Boy for sale. A bit more than I wanted to spend, but when I got it I was very pleased with it. Again, head only, so it was put onto the green Zulu from my Pulsar diver. But that is 20mm wide, the G10 with fixed bars was a struggle every time I swapped over, so just recently I have bought a green 18mm Zulu, so the G10 is on that permanently. I don't tend to wear the G10 very often as it is the Fat Boy version. I am tempted to get a 'normal' CWC G10, but I am going to struggle justifying that to my wife.... 'no dear, this is nothing like the other watch. This one is thinner'! So I found myself wanting a Diver style watch that was nicer than the Pulsar, but not another auto. I found my next one on ebay. Pulsar Y652-9020. I fell in love with this and bid up higher than I initially intended, but still got it for a very reasonable price. It has a diver style dial, analogue and digital using the same movement as some Breitling Pluton and Chronosport. But being branded as Pulsar meant I could afford it. The only watch I have on a metal bracelet and I think it will stay on it. Again I don't wear this very often, for fear of damaging it at work. And just recently I felt I needed another Diver style watch that was nicer than my daily Pulsar, but one I won't worry about as much as my Y652. So I picked up a Veteka. From what I found out, it was a diving equipment manufacturer that had some Monnin style watches branded up with their logo, similar to Dive Dynamics. But this has a black PVD coating on the body. The watch was sold as head only and not working, just needing a new battery. New battery didn't help and looks like there is a contact missing in the battery compartment. It has a ETA 955 day / date movement, simple dial with some amazing lume. Really my sort of watch. Naturally it needed a Zulu strap, so it is on a black one. With some advice from this forum, looks like I'll be able to get it up and running soon. And that's my modest collection for now. I am on the lookout for another budget quartz diver. And that too will probably end up on a Zulu strap.

Here we have a mechanical wind Timex Camper that has a broken mainspring. Over the next few days I will post pictures of its progress. So here we go -

When I spotted this watch listed on eBay my first thought was what is going on with the crown. Its all wrong and I'm sure there is going to be signs of water damage inside. It did not disappoint there but the end result turned out great. That is just what I found and did end up replacing the movement . I began with a breakdown and inspection. Movement has seen better days and not worth the effort. So it gets replaced. Now the cosmetics - and there it is on the left along with the other 600 ft divers.

I’m working on the hands for the pilot watch I’m building. 5 attempts to apply lume and has proven to be difficult. The airbrush gives me good professional results but the lume is a challenge.

A year or two ago, I decided that I was going to start selling off everything. I was not using it. I sold one thing...a bottle of oil for $15...it was vintage and full. The buyer replied and thanked me saying that the bottle would sit in a treasured spot on his watch bench. At that moment, I had a blinding glimpse of the obvious! I cannot sell this stuff...I have to USE IT!! That is when I started the journey (that began well more than 50 years ago) back into watchmaking. I am a newbie, but so many things my dad taught me are bubbling up from long-dormant places in my brain. With the help of you fine watchmakers on this forum...I am having a blast!

Well, you found it! ? I see that almost every watchrepair tool on eBay is being snapped. People pay x2 x3 more for some tools now that a year ago. I guess, there are so many people now starting new hobby not to lose their minds during this endless pandemic-business time. Thank you for posting these photos as when i saw a similar bracelet i could not believe it was Rolex.. I thought it was fake, but then i realized it was the first owner with all sorts of certificates, boxes, receipts, etc. I am puzzled as why would anyone pay so much for these bracelets or frankly speaking for the Rolex also. (sorry Rolex)

I saw one (just photos) in much worse shape, but identical design. It was on Rolex watch from 1970s. I maybe asked to service that watch soon. Well, servicing it is understatement as that watch is in awful shape. I might be looking for a similar bracelet or several links - don't know yet. Do you see some numbers on it? Perhaps 380, 9315?

Forgot all about poljot, resourceful.?

Looks somewhat similar?

I always keep the Balance and the Pallet Fork separately from other parts. These two items are extremely delicate. For obvious reasons, I clean these components separately using different cleaning solutions, methods and tools.

agreed the fun is in knowing you completed the task is the true reward. You don't need much to get started with vintage Timex. Just search eBay for vintage Timex lot and there are plenty to be had. They do not require any fancy or expensive setup to get started with. Know that if you get hooked in to the hobby your work area will start to look like this before you can say "Saltpepperketchup" when ordering an egg and cheese with Taylor ham on a Kaiser roll. ?

Here are my accupuncture probes

Don’t worry I always take pictures, it’s just good procedure, especially if You are working on so many different movements from different makers.

I have never tried to repair a quartz movement but Poljot's comment seems right on mark to me. Based on my background (Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering), I would say the following: 1) The quartz crystal is very unlikely to be bad. On the movements I have looked at, the crystal, in theory, could be replaced. However, you would need a very fine tip soldering iron. I have done soldering (PCB surface mount assembly) and I would not wish it on my worst enemy. 2) You will not replace the integrated circuit because it is almost always potted. If it is bad, you are done. (see exception below). 3) I think the coil, in some cases, can be replaced, so the instructions in the Witschi document (measure resistance) could be applied. 4) A digital multimeter is useful in general. However, the leads that ship with virtually every multimeter on the market are unwieldy at the fine geometries of watches. My solution for this is to purchase some accupuncture needles on Ebay and using alligator-clip leads, grab the needles and use them as probes. Still tricky...you have to focus on the probes and then look up at the meter. I have a dead quartz movement in a very nice looking watch. The replacement movement is about $12 and $12 in shipping. EXCEPTION: I have attached an image of an ETA 556.112. Here is one case where the IC and the crystal could be replaced (I could do it). The crystal is very likely 32,768 Hz and there are billions and billions of them made every year. They are interchangeable for the most part. The IC??? I bet it would be very hard to find.

Never had a problem with these, and never had static problems with them either

Or better NOT test ? I just found that those tiny Jewels (Cap Jewels) become very "attractive" and jumpy inside plastic containers. Also, having a large tray with all parts is not preferable (my opinion). Something about all eggs in one basket :-). Aluminium pots help you to keep entire components separately - you do not have to guess which screw goes where. Makes it so easier during reassembly especially if you clean your parts manually. I use some larger pots for storing my donor watch movements, or items "to be fixed" later. It's very practical - takes almost no space and i can see what's inside without opening the lid.

No doubt you will need a basic voltmeter to check batteries. Also, many quartz watches that I fixed came to me after someone (usually the owners) tried to DIY repair / battery replacement. Those watches usually have snap-on type back covers that are tricky to open, but even more challenging to close. I am not kidding - you need a press (same as crystal fitting press with various nylon and aluminium dies) to properly close such covers without bending, damaging or destroying your watch cases & back covers, or crystals. Most common issues are: dead battery, damaged components due to battery leakage, broken "-" or "+" terminals during DIY battery replacement, damaged coil (aka Screw Driver Accidents), WD40 sprayed all over the place trying to snap on the stubborn back cover, rusty Stem, dirt. In many cases - repair by replacement of the entire movement makes so much sense. I was lucky to find some 2-3 GBP new coils, but in many cases this item would be listed as obsolete. White vinegar is your must have consumable item ? to clean up "leaked battery" accidents. And one additional suggestion - always try to cross-reference various Brands when searching for parts or Movements. You will be surprised how many times a Coil under "Whatever" watch brand would not be available, but the same coil is available under Seiko, Hattori, etc names.

Here it is. They did a pretty poor job IMO. I ordered a set of NOS hands (for a pretty penny!). When the new hands are installed, I will post an update.

I ordered some of the aluminum cans this morning. I printed this with PLA. Not sure how it takes a static charge. Will test for that.

Longines Super Thin 1970, caliber 428, 17J

"Minchia" like a true New Jerseyite you come in with an attitude. Vintage Timex parts are only available from leftover stock that may been stored by a watchmaker or repair centers. These parts have made their way to online auction sites, flea markets or other such palces. So even if you find a replacement movement it has been sitting idle for decades and will need to be serviced anyway. What separates vintage Timex from the traditional jeweled movements is that they do not have to be fully broken down to be serviced. I and many others have posted the how to steps to service a vintage Timex. There are even a few videos on YouTube. Of course none of these videos were made by me so they are sub par in my opinion. <<< "just displaying my Jersey attitude there". What watch are you working on or thinking of working on?

There are many alternatives: https://www.cousinsuk.com/product/aluminium-pots-in-aluminium-box https://www.cousinsuk.com/product/compartment-boxes-with-divides-bergeon I personally prefer aluminium pots - they are very convenient and safe. I would stay away from any plexiglass containers (static is not your friend).

Are you sure it can't be repaired ? There seems to be most parts available for this movement - check ebay and Cousins.

The watch of the day for me is my father-in-law's 1957 Bulova Sea King, not be confused with Seamasters of the same vintage lol. After he passed we had it serviced and it runs very well. It was given to my eldest son who wore it for awhile until he decided that 32mm was too small for his muscular early-20s shot-putter's "guns" (arms). I keep it in the rotation on my wrist, patiently ticking away the seconds until he decides that is is cool again; maybe a few decades form now. Then it will return to him.

My father's watch which he has given to me. 1958 I think. It has a lovely linen effect on the dial which I don't see that often.

It's just so you can see things more easily; with a horizontal bench mic or handheld mic it's not an issue, but with these you find yourself bending over a lot to get at eye level with the spindle. I usually use it on my watch bench so rarely use the tilt

Looks like a really professional job.

Wow I like that nice clear clean dial even with my poor eyesight I would be able to see it. A really fine job.

I didn't want to start a new topic, but I thought I would show you what I did this afternoon. First thing I did was solder up an 8 pin mini Din plug to cable. Used my new smooth jaw pliers and they worked well. Then I pulled this apart and fixed it. 5mm square and 1.4mm thick. It's a momentary tactile switch from an LED light that I have. For working on the car, but will be using it to light the work area I am setting up at the moment. Used the bent nose smooth jaw pliers, an X-Acto knife and my new pointy nose tweezers. Used the knife to get the tabs of the cover open from the plastic body. Then used some acetone and the knife to clean the contacts. Then cleaned the 3mm diameter spring/contact. Took the brass button out with its plastic insulator. Cleaned all that and then used the tweezers to put the top back together. Put the disc spring/contact back in then put the base back into the top. Gently used a pair of pliers to ease the metal sides back into place then squeezed down the tabs to secure it all. It now works as it should. And I did it without a magnifier. Why? Because I didn't want to buy 100 from India just to get one new one. I looked at what I did and given the size, I reckon after I get my clocks sorted out, I'm going to look more seriously at Mark's course. I don't know many people in Australia that still have analog watches. I don't know why because I much prefer the look of an analog watch. I think some of the smart watches that are on the market should be called ugly watches. Would be much more accurate. Just had my 31st anniversary with the my wife. She bought me a pocket watch. Had it engraved. It's a quartz, but I love it.

SG$ 46.45 39%OFF | QD-20 Watch Maintenance Tool Quartz Movement Tester Made in China Watch Movement Tester Can Measure the Battery https://a.aliexpress.com/_mtrld85 Check out this tester on AliExpress. It can do battery test, coil test, pulse test, gear train test and even claim it can test the accuracy of the quartz oscillator. It is probably enough for most jobs. When it comes to quartz movements, I tend to replace damaged movements rather than trying to repair it. The only exception being high quality vintage quartz movement that may cost upwards of $200. Then also only if the gear train uses all metal components. Those with plastic gears are simply designed to be thrown away. Good luck.

Did you already look at both Balance Staffs? Are they both broken? ?

I think the real question is what is really necessary. So I guess you're saying we need a multi meter but? I'm attaching a PDF yes I know everything they make is superexpensive. But Starting on page 22 is troubleshooting. So scanning through It looks like you need a way of testing a battery, testing a coil, you need some sort of power source need to measure consumption whatever the heck that is? Then in some of those tests it sounds like you might need some sort of variable power supply so basically do we really need all that crap to do a quartz watch? After all it's a quartz watch don't they just run or not run and that's the end of it? Knowledge Quartz Watch.pdf

Hello and welcome to the forum Andy, plenty of brains to pick on the forum

I would like to share a simple modification of a cheap Chinese demagnetizer. I found the modification in this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AhTYBPdJG7A. I applied this modification in a newly bought demagnetizer (from Aliexpress) and it works quite well.

Go to Pocketwatchdatabase.com and enter your serial number. It will give you some basic info, including worth ADVICE not appraisal, based on internet trends. Check it out. I use it. Good luck.

I put the coffee over the existing lume material to darken it. if it has a lot of sugar in it, it crystallizes on the metal and looks like corrosion.

Yes thats a TIMEX in the corner! ? Hopalong Cassidy! And a Medana too, i love them. With £4.83/item they will not make it to the 404 club.

Hi, Just wanted to share my experience of radial brushing on a Seiko 7005-8160P. I built a little jig using a block of wood, plastic case press, and Wood screw. I think the pictures are quite explanatory. The red tape was used just take up the slack. Using a junior Jigsaw blade with some 600 grit paper wrapped around it and short 5mm strokes back and forward as the case is rotated slowly. Using the long slot I made in the screw head as a guide. The height of the screw is adjusted so that the Jigsaw blade is flat against the case and not at an angle. It's working pretty well. Will post a picture of the finished case.

Arrived today from Japan: A lovely Hamilton Jazzmaster Automatic. Nice clean lines, and is currently ticking away on the TimeGrapher: +13 s/day, Amplitude: 258 deg., Beat Error: 0.4 ms. in face up.

One of the great things about collecting and repairing is that feeling of taking a bunch of parts and making a working watch again. This restore begins with a scrap pile of cases from a former Timex repair center. I chose a late 1960's Marlin case that is missing the stem tube. So to the parts stash and one issue resolved. Off it than goes to get a bath in cleaning solution , polished, new crystal added along with correct case back. Next I service a used #24 movement also from the same lot the cases came with and the assembly begins. Since the hands are chromed, I just use an old eraser pencil to bring back their shine. The sweep comes from NOS stock. Grease the stem tube, set lever, insert a NOS stem\crown, snap on the case back and there ya go. Will give this one a wear to test its time keeping.

Hi, I designed this Bergeon style part dust tray for watchmakers or hobbyist to put tiny dust sensitive parts to prevent the dust landing on it, it usually comes with a clear glass bell cover, but I can't print glass, untransparent will do for me, enjoy. The bell cover needs support while printing, I printed in 0.15mm resolution, looks good and works well, if you have more watchmaker tools requirements can be printed in plastic, please let me know, I'll love to design them, thanks. Thingiverse: Watchmaker tools - Bergeon Style Prat Dust Tray https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3594536 Darak

Night two - reassembly. oil the pivots, drop in the barrel and set lever. *tip - to help hold the set lever in place I smear a little grease on the plate.

Night two - cleaning parts. Ultra sonic cleaning in some ammonia for 6 minutes than let sit for few more. Dry all and inspect. They all look good. Since the main spring was broken, I took one from a donor. To test it I held it in place and with a pair of pliers I turned the arbor to see if it would hold and it did.

It's amazing the number of folk that get blinded by price! They think expensive means it must be good and cheap means it must be bad, what a load of b*****cks. There are cheap tools and expensive tools, there are also good tools and bad tools, but cheap tools are not always bad tools and expensive tools are not always good tools. I have a fair mixture of both and have experienced both of these scenarios. If you really are happier in your mind because you pay more for something I don't have a problem with it, but what I do object to is folk saying it has got to be expensive to be of any use. Remember, it's not simple black and white, there is some beautiful grey in there.