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I think the case turned out pretty nice in the end. Just thought I'd share a photograph:

Another 404 club prospective member is on its way. This one is an automobile style long stem "pocket watch", with radium lume dial and hands. The seller claims that it ticks, so that's always a bonus. It is missing the seconds hand, and the crystal is somewhat yellowed. There were a couple of enamel dials in the lot too.

A bit nerve wrecking for sure but it was interesting to watch, good job. for anyone interested here’s the video link Tom

Due to my location (and I'm a cheapskate) it takes around 2-3 weeks to get a new crystal, hence I have had to develop my acrylic crystal refurbishment skills to revive the original crystals that come with vintage watches and I thought I would share how I do this as I now have pretty good results, assuming the crystal has only scratches and no cracks or chunks missing here is my process: Use 320 grit wet-dry paper over the entire surface of the crystal evenly to remove the deepest scratches - hold your nerve, this will look terrible after this step Use 600 grit wet-dry paper over the entire surface of the crystal evenly to smooth out the results of the step above Use 5000 grit wet-dry paper over the entire surface of the crystal evenly to further smooth out the results of the step above Use Autosol metal polish (see below) in small circular motions over the entire surface of the crystal evenly with a cloth until the paste disappears, may need to repeat this step 2 or 3 times, this will get you 95% of the way there Use Autosol acrylic polish (see below) in small circular motions over the entire surface of the crystal evenly with a cloth until the paste disappears, rarely have to do more than one application, this will finish the job Side note: I have tried the Autosol acrylic polish side by side with Polywatch and there is no difference in the performance or how it looks/feels - I even got my son to decant some of each into containers in a double blind test and the results were indistinguishable. Hence, in my experience, the only difference is that gram-for-gram the autosol acrylic costs 3.7% the price of the polywatch. Here is a quick example of before and after using the above process:

I've been looking for a tool like that forever. I don't think there is one. Or?

I decided to do a little improvisation last night. I had a case where the sides were extremely worn, dented, etc. The case lines were nearly worn completely down. I've wanted a lapping machine for some time but those are far too expensive for my humble budget. I improvised by hooking up one of my sanders to a voltage regulator to bring the speed down as much as I could. I put some 1000 grit paper on the disc and started to gently work the side of the case. I'm quite surprised at what I was able to accomplish with these rag-tag tools and bit of creativity. I'm limited by the table because it can only adjust to 45 degrees, so there are some angles on that case I won't be able to reach properly. While looking up pictures on the internet of other examples of this case it looks like there was not a sharp line between the side wall and the lugs, so I just tried to bring back a gentle curve between those to sides. Not too bad for my first attempt! I'm going to keep moving forward and go up to 2500 grit and see what I can get out of this before moving on to the polishing wheel.

Try searching for T-Cut Original Car Paint Restorer & Scratch Remover Tin 300ml Expect to pay around £9 to £10 GBP for a tin in the UK. I got mine in Tesco's supermarket a few years back when it was on a clearance deal at half price. A little goes a long way. https://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_nkw=T-Cut+Original+Car+Paint+Restorer+%26+Scratch+Remover+Tin+300ml&_sacat=0&_sop=15

I thought I'd seen the brass taper pins on cousins site. The pin is fitted to the outside of the hairspring, when I've done them in the past i have filed a flat side onto the pin to fit against the hairspring. Doing that makes it possible to square up the hairspring before pushing the pin fully home

I re-brushed it. Originally it had vertical brushing, but it was all but gone by the time I got the watch. The light reflecting off the top makes it difficult to see the brushing, but it actually looks pretty good in normal light. As I stated earlier, I'm not a photographer by trade, haha! I tinker with watches and occasionally upload a video to YouTube, including one for this watch. I'm not here to promote my channel, as I've been a member here long before I began uploading content (started doing it at the request of a friend). YouTube is just a hobby, and this is a place I can come to ask for advice, look at other's projects, and is a wealth of knowledge (on top of Mark's courses which I thoroughly enjoyed). I did not want to sour that by trying to promote a YouTube channel here. If you'd like I can send you a message with a link to the video. I recorded the entire process of using the disc sander and brushing the case. It isn't perfect by any means, but I think it turned out pretty well with the tools I had on hand.

I have had a good look at the first photo and if that is your clock I can see why you are having trouble getting it to keep time. The leader is the wrong one for this movement. The crutch of the pendulum should be about half way in the hole of the leader, yours is resting on the bottom of the leader, it should be free. That is also why the suspension spring is long, a shorter one and the leader would not fit. If you look at where I have ringed you will see what I mean.

If you're just looking for watches to practice on and don't care too much about how they look or if they work, I think Russian watches might be the best option. For example, if you go to the "Watches for parts" category on eBay and search for Vostok, Raketa, and so on, you can sometimes find very affordable deals. Here is, for example, a search for Vostok in that category: https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p2499334.m570.l1313&_nkw=vostok&_sacat=165144 In addition, it almost always pays to negotiate the price in this category.

Here's another few examples:

I'm into Sekonda Slava. I'll now have a look at Vostok Amphibias, not to buy but to compare. Thank you for the information. Just looked. Lovely watches but way above my practice price. Ah well.

Welcome to the forum, enjoy.. Looking at the winding stem crown approx 1920,s

Thank you for your introduction and welcome to this friendly forum. We all look forward to your contributions and continued involvement. We need to see the movement.

This waffle dialled Ingersoll Sealion is heading for the 404 club. This one has all the hands and wheels, but an unstated number of jewels. One would be my guess. Almost certainly a pin lever, perhaps a BFG 866, a Ronda 1221-21, or something similar. Despite the dirt, it looks in pretty good cosmetic condition.

One of the many low cost Hong Kong brand Alarm Chronographs. This one is a little the worse for wear, as the branding has fallen off. I've included a picture of the missing logo, including the fake speaker grill that they all tended to have. Assuming I can get it working, I may attempt to replicate the missing logo, or add my own "alternative" branding using my vinyl cutter and some water slide transfers. Mabe a 404 club logo might look good. Any other suggestions?