Jump to content

Leaderboard

Popular Content

Showing content with the highest reputation since 02/19/24 in all areas

  1. Hi guys, I wrote this lesson for my second students to understand the theoretical aspects of the Swiss lever escapement in conjunction with the practical application of end-shake and setting jewels using a jewelling tool. Both Seitz and Horia-type jewelling tools were used. Although I talk about measurements using the settings on the side of the jewelling tools, it is more about what 'feels' right, especailly when gauging the end-shake of a particular component, such as the balance, pallet and escape wheel. Ideally, you wouldn't start by adjusting the end shake of the balance to suit your needs, but if the IncaBloc setting has been replaced or the Inca setting has been moved to replace the shockproof spring, then it is important to set the end-shake correctly. This presentation also looks at how to set the correct end-shake of the pallet in relation to the balance safety roller as well as other critical measurements, including the height of the escape wheel teeth hitting the impulse face of the pallet fork in both dial-up and dial down positions. The escape wheel and pallet have to have the exact same end-shake as each other for this reason. Unfortunately, the slides that contain videos can't be played as I converted the PowerPoint into PDF. I have used some diagrams from a WOSTEP handout on this subject, to show the vital measurement of the escapement in relation to the balance safety roller, so all credit goes to the author of that hand-out, which has been posted several times on this forum. All the students that set all the jewels after removing them and the balance end-shake to its optimum got a watch movement working with much improved amplitude than when they started. All ten jewels in the wheel train were removed as well as both IncaBloc settings. Another lesson was created just about the balance setting and disassembly and assembly of the EtaChron balance system which included removing a replacing that Inca setting. I haven't included that lesson. Not every aspect of this work is within the presentation, as it would be very long otherwise. I talk a lot and explain more as the lesson proceeds. This lesson was held over six to seven hours. If anyone is interested in learning more on this subject, please message me. Lesson 16. Balance endshake & Incabloc adjustment.pdf Lesson 16. Balance endshake & Incabloc adjustment.pdf
    14 points
  2. I have wanted a Robur watch crystal press and dies for a long time, but when considering the cost of about £510 (CousinsUK, excluding shipping and VAT) I just couldn't defend it. However, as the Robur-like press, shown in my video, now and then shows up in various YouTube videos I got curious and ordered it from AliExpress. I don't think it's on par with the Robur press, but for the price, it seems like a decent option. In the video, I happened to mention that I was going to link to my WRT service walkthroughs, so below is the list in case anyone would be looking for it. Hope you'll find my video useful! My Service Walkthroughs: Citizen 8200A ETA 2892-A2 2804-2 2836-2 955.112 2772 2472 2824-2 Vostok 2431 2409 Enicar 161 Miyota 8205 9015 Tissot 781 Omega 268 Orient 46E40 Unitas 6380 6325
    10 points
  3. Hello lovely watch people, i rarely post up my watches and i should do more of them because we all love to see and read stories about them. So today, i do have a little story of yesterday but first i ask to bend the rules and post not one but two watches side by side. The Sekonda in my picture i believe belonged to my dad's father, i found it while emptying my dad's flat after he died a few years ago. This is the watch that started it all for me, in terrible condition but after 2 failed attempts at restoration it now happily sits ticking away on my wrist most days. As for yesterday's story, i attended 100 miles away from where i live my 93 year old uncle's funeral my mum's brother, a kind and generous loving family man who will be sadly missed. Now his father my other grandfather worked for many years keeping the shipping lanes clear and safe for vessels coming into the Hull docks in the town where i live. After many years he retired and received the traditional retirement watch for good service often a Smiths watch was given. From my mum I became aware of his watch less than a year ago and obviously my interest was sparked so i began to ask questions of it's whereabouts and if possible could i have some photos of it so i could hunt down the same brand and model. Turns out my uncle had given it to his son 20 years ago and pictures promptly arrived on my phone from my cousin. It was indeed a Smiths Astral which by strange coincidence i had already collected 5 of but not that particular model. I began my hunt for the same one and by another strange coincidence i found the exact model for sale in the same 9ct gold case not 400 yards from my house, i was very happy. Back to the funeral, sat drinking with some of my family my mum takes my hand opens it and places my grandfather's watch in my palm " thats for you " she said. My cousin had given her the watch to do with it as she saw fit, six of my family including myself got hmm well rather emotional. As it happens my grandfather hardly wore it, my uncle never wore it and neither did my cousin who had kept it in a drawer for 20 years and could have quite easily given it to his son. I was told yesterday that " it's now in the right hands ". Coincidences are a strange thing, I'm a big believer in fate, my grandfather's brother was a watch and clock repairer and lived just 2 minutes from my house, my treasured new watch was given to my grandfather on his retirement the same year i was born. I kind of believe it's been making its way to me for the last 57 years. If you've stuck with me this long then i thank you and you need a bloody medal . Here is grandpa Jack on the left and grandpa Fred on the right. Soooooooooo happy today .
    10 points
  4. I don‘t have to do this task (replace balance staff) often, maybe one time in a year. As I ruined a Valjoux 72 balance wheel by pushing the staff out without any work on the staff before, I became a fan of the „grind the hub away“ method. So here is a description of my amateur without lathe setup. I put the balance in a vice, hub side up. I use my micromot with a ball grinding attachment. Then I grind the staff away freehand until the rest of the hub is maybe 0.5 mm. Then I put the micromot in a stand and adjust the height roughly. Now I grind away the hub step by step by putting sheets of paper (0.05 mm thickness) under the vice. Stand and vice have to be placed on a very flat table of course. When the hub is grinded down to about 0.05 - 0.1 mm you can punch it out in the staking set (correct support from the downside!), the thin rest of the hub will just break off, no damage to the hole, as many others already mentioned. As always you should first try this with a balance from the scrap box.
    7 points
  5. Sooo, after initially following @HectorLooi's advice and kinda abandoning this project and then following @VWatchie's advice of waiting patiently for a good deal on a complete set, my moment has come: For an incredible 125 EUR, I managed to get a pristine (basically unused) "new style" Steiner set. It's the large set with the center wheel runner. In addition to two perfect lantern discs (hidden under the covers), a another perfect pair of spare runners were also included. The burnisher was not included, but after such a bargain on the tool, I treated myself to a new Bergeon burnisher. And a pair of retractable keyholders ;-). Now I need to practice.
    7 points
  6. Total amateur. Can do most things now. Just need to practice more. Tools? What tools?
    6 points
  7. Just finished this one, a 1970 Bulova Golden Clipper 'H' on the original bracelet.
    6 points
  8. You seem to have posted 8 pictures the same, each one tells no more than the previous except what trousers you are wearing . Ebel was one of the brands used by the British MOD during WW2 ( ATP ) this looks military ? so it should have something decent inside.But we wont know that unless we can see it, this brand doesn't come up too often so will be interesting to see. The movement will give a date range to it's age, value is usually estimated, its only worth what one/some want to pay for it. Crack it open .
    6 points
  9. It's no difference using a platex tool or any other method to perform the same task. The risk comes from the rivet being forced through the hole in the balance arms and potentially opening up the hole and not the tool itself. You're correct that removing the rivet or hub when in a lathe isn't fool proof, just as any operation in watchmaking, but from personal experience it is a lot safer than just forcing a balance through the hole of the balance arms. When you perform this task using both methods, then you will more than likely favour cutting the hub off first, as this minimises the risk we are talking about. As I've already said, there are many ways to perform a task in watchmaking and I never want to dispute what works for someone. If it works, then carry on. I'm not trying to change anyone's mind to how someone should remove a balance. I've used both ways to do this and they both work, but it is safer to cut the hub or rivet first, as I have opened up the hole like the OP is experiencing now. The one thing I love about this forum is we can discuss different ways to do things and learn from each other. From knowledge comes experience, which then leads to wisdom You're most welcome. I'm glad I could help
    6 points
  10. In school we were shown the punching out method, using a K&D tool that presses down on the balance arms to keep things flat (as the Platax tool does), but were told the proper technique was cutting away the hub. They showed us the punch method simply because many professional watchmakers only ever do it that way. On a Glucydur balance, which is heat treated beryllium copper and very hard, there is less risk of enlarging the hole; likewise with steel balance arms. But not all bimetallic balances are heat treated, and many monometallic balances are made of nickel, and these will almost certainly see their holes enlarged from punching. I don't do much Rolex work, but I understand that on the modern pieces they instruct to press the staff out with a Horia tool. As I heard the staff is designed in a way that the rivet breaks away during this process. I wouldn't try it on anything else!
    6 points
  11. I think there maybe a perception issue around Marks video for @nevenbekriev , Mark targets videos towards us who are trying to learn about it all and would find the idea never mind the expense of one a lathe for best current practice to be out of reach. To this end I suspect that the staking set method of driving out the balance staff is actually a well accepted practice for professional watchmakers , although perhaps not the best. Having spent a lot of my life teaching people how to do my job and creating best practice on a per customer basis I maybe understand more how this misunderstanding could come about. I truly believe both nev and Mark have our best interests at heart and only want us to improve as we go and become the best watchfiddlers we can be. my tuppence Tom
    6 points
  12. Hello all, So for my birthday, I asked my wife for a stereo-microscope (actually, I told her exactly which one I wanted). I've read many times (and seen this video of Alex https://youtu.be/tAtATqwI5A4?si=NlU3TwHFBwpDKitw) that a good stereo microscope would be a "game changer". I resisted for the longest time, and ended up buying a staking set, jewelling set, glass press... heck, even a Jacot tool. But now I made the jump. And OH MY GOODNESS, it is so much more amazing and "game changing" than I ever imagined. I go the Amscope SM-3TP (https://amscope.com/products/c-sm-3tp-hd), with light ring and 0.5 Barlow lens. It delivers the perfect amount of magnification and working distance. (Please note that the 3TP version allows you to use full stereo vision while using the camera port at the same time. The 3T version used by Alex (see video link about) will force you to either use stereo-vision for your eyes and NOT use the camera port at all, OR use the camera port but only have mono-vision on your eyes. The camera port and the left eyepiece share the same "tunnel" and there's a lever that you pull/push to decide which one is active. I definitely recommend paying 20 bucks more to get the 3TP.) I think that one really needs to experience a stereo microscope like this to fully appreciate how incredible it is. Pictures (which are two-dimensional) will never do it justice. To see three-dimensionally is SOOOOO useful. I've never oiled a pallet stone with such perfect accuracy and ease. And I can see in perfect clarity how the drop of oil spreads over the next 3-5 escape wheel teeth. Until I apply another perfect drop in the perfect spot. And INSPECTION: my goodness. You'll find the tiniest speck of dust or debris with ease. Honestly, I'm over the moon with this new acquisition. After using it for 3 days, I can't even imaging how I lived without it.
    6 points
  13. Showed up on FB marketplace. The guy acquired a storage facility and this stuff was in there. He just wanted it gone. Vintage Bergeon. Bushing tool I am bushed!
    6 points
  14. News Update 29/02/2024 Yesterday Cousins and its legal team went to the High Courtin London to oppose the application by Swatch to have our UK claim struck out. The case was heard by Mr. Justice Michael Green, a High Court Judge who also sits in the Competition Appeal Tribunal. In previous news stories, I have explained the arguments that we intended to bring, and I will not repeat them here. However, I am in no doubt that by the end of the day, Judge Green had a full picture of the consequences for Competition if Cousins action is not allowed to proceed. It was noteworthy that the Competition and Markets Authority sent a member of their Legal Team to observe proceedings from the Public Gallery. As expected, after more than five hours of evidence and legal argument, Judge Green advised that he would consider the matter further and release a written verdict in due course. Afterwards, our legal team said that the case had gone as well as it could have done, and better than they had thought likely. There is no fixed timetable for the verdict, it entirely depends upon the workload Judge Green has, but we hope to be able to advise you of the outcome in a matter of weeks rather than months. Regards Anthony
    6 points
  15. @rossjackson01I would start with a perfectly working movement, that has the correct endshake of the gear train and balance, with a high amplitude and a perfectly new mainspring, so you are eliminating as many variables as possible to start with. You can then rule out any initial problems with the movement. Screwing down bridges and cocks tightly should/will have no bearing on amplitude. In fact not tightening them properly will give you problems! I would then move on to using proper cleaning fluid and rinse, rather than lighter fluid and IPA. They work fine, but it would eliminate that variable as well. Watchmaking is witling down what it can't be and you're left with the possibilities, then probabilities. Always do only one thing and measure the result of that change or adjustment. A good movement would be an ST36 from AliExpress, which I use for my teaching. Cheap as chips. https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005005872942857.html?spm=a2g0o.order_list.order_list_main.23.55171802P4233F Measuring the endshake of a balance is vital. The more you do it the more you'll know what feels and what feels wrong. A lot of movements would be about 0.02 to 0.04 mm endshake of the balance, but the St36 is close to 0.08 to 0.09 mm, as it is a very big movement. I take a class on reducing and increasing endshake of the balance and seeing the huge drop in amplitude by adjusting the balance endshake by as little as 0.03 mm tighter or looser on the ST36. Usually the big drop will be in vertical positions, but also in horizontal ones as well, but not as much. At least using a new movement will eliminate that variable of too much or little balance endshake to start with, although I had an Incabloc setting move with a students watch this week and I had to increase the setting by 0.06 mm so the balance didn't stop when the balance cock was tightened. Checking the impulse face of the pallet stones is also vital, as they have to be mirror clean. I use Moebius 9415, but at a push you can get away with 9010. You'll get there, I'm sure!
    6 points
  16. Regardless of what the cause of the problem may be, as long as the option is open to return it to the seller, I would say return the watch to the seller and let the seller sort it out. As soon as you open the watch, that option is out of the window and it becomes your problem / responsibility; could be simple & cheap or costly ........ ? AND; a good Rolex shouldn't have any of those problems ...
    6 points
  17. Haven't posted for a while as I've had family visiting and then sick with a cold . but did manage to work on this Gruen (AS 5203) watch which has really grown on me. It also has a cool escapement setup, and an even stranger keyless works (no sliding pinion!). Picture of pallet fork (stock image): Here is the before shot: Movement with and without automatic works: Here is the dial side showing the complicated keyless works without a sliding pinion Here is a closeup on that pallet fork in the movement: showing only 1 banking pin The image below shows the mechanism where the hands setting wheel is not horizontally brought into position, instead it engages and disengages vertically, rather than use a sliding pinion (stock image): And here is the finished watch with its new strap and crystal (original was cracked):
    5 points
  18. the ramifications of putting the roller jewel in the wrong location is the watch will not be in beat and it will never run. one of things you should always check on a watch especially after replacing the balance staff is to verify that the watch visually is in beat. The above quote is telling you that and I'm attaching a picture so you can visually see what it should look like.
    5 points
  19. Pull the roller table and put it back where it should be. The position of the hairspring is (very) important too, there is often a little "pip" on the balance rim marking where the stud should line up. When in the watch, no power, the roller jewel should be in the fork slot, and the fork should be midway between the bankings.
    5 points
  20. Time to test my skills 3 watches, all working. In need of servicing. From purchase to end. Lets see how I go. Herlin. Grand Prix. Roma (facet crystal)
    5 points
  21. You'll always be holding the stake so it doesn't follow through to even get close the the balance arms and be tapping it lightly enough so you don't lose control over that stake, but I do understand that it could happen that the stake hits the balance arm. That would be down to the technique you use when using the stake and a watchmakers hammer. Always have control of the stake and accidents are less likely to happen. I'm going to do a video (not like there aren't many showing this) to show how to perform both methods of removing a balance staff by cutting the hub and using a staking tool. My website/SEO guy is always on at me to add more content to my YouTube channel, so this will get him off my back for a while and maybe give me impetus to post more techniques
    5 points
  22. yes one of the problems with the group is it can't stay on track and were going to discuss all the theoretical first which I'm going to do to because everyone else does it and then we'll get back to the problem of your watch. one of the things I like locally as we have the remnants of well at one time it was in AWCI chapter but we left them and still are functioning. One of the people who's given a lot of lectures was the head watchmaker of the service center for chain of jewelry stores it has stores all up and down the West Coast and a few other places. So he would comment share the knowledge from people like Rolex. So Jeff demonstrated a particular Rolex that we found or I found quite fascinating. The particular Rolex you could not remove the hairspring there was no way to get it all. He remove the roller table by using a lathe and holding onto the roller table and just rotating the balance of removing up that way it was the easiest way. Otherwise he may have used razor blades or something to get the table off don't quite remember because that's not what I was impressed with. So how to get the hairspring off the Rolex how to get the staff out easy it's designed very specifically designed exactly what I quoted above.using the Horia tool and all the special bits and pieces that came in a really nice wooden box and probably cost a small fortune. And asking everybody to be really quiet in the room he started pressing and then the rivet sheers off with a pleasant pop. Then he picked up the rivet part that popped off and walked around the room and showed us there is a beautiful ring were the rivet just sheared right off because it's designed to do that with the only way that you can remove the staff is that as the staff has to be pushed out of the hairspring collet it's designed to work this way. then here's a snippet from a AWCI magazine from 2014 and how exactly are they removing the staff here's something that Rolex has so punching out is the work of the devil but yet Rolex and AWCI says pushing out is there a difference or is there something else going on that were not paying attention to? I always find the term in school interesting? the reason for this is schools can vary depending upon the instructor if you start gathering up people to specific schools and asked specific questions he begin the wonder if you even went to the same school at all because of various instructors how people were taught etc. etc. so for instance my first school the instructor liked to weaken the rivet as he called it. Balance staff in the latest that he would just take a little whiff of metal off and then using either the two methods quoted above knock the staff. Then later on in the other school we had this really nifty tool that just ground the hub off in the staff fell out which worked perfect providing it was set correctly for the particular size watches we were all doing. Then this discussion has occurred somewhere else in the universe remember the person Jeff I mentioned he was annoyed with the discussion somewhere else in the universe and get a lecture for us. So in his particular lecture he totally watch that he had been at whole bunch of balance staffs for and I think he staff did at least 10 times and drove the staff out every single time with no problems at all done. So what does this demonstrate? Now to understand better we have to go back to a previous lecture yes Jeff is given lots and lots of lectures. In a previous lecture Jeff and Doug gave a staffing lecture on Jeff did modern watches and Doug did pocket watches. Too long ago to remember the exact details of everything but the general consensus was you can not the staff out as long as it's not in super tight. in other words with a rivet is over the arms or something else is going on and tapping is not going to take it out you're going to have to cut things or something else? One of the lectures I think the last one especially if it's the beryllium copper balance wheels or brass you just remove your hairspring roller table and then use alum and dissolve the staff out after all it's still in the rest of it's not it can be safely dissolved out. now we're back to the interesting problem of balance staff? Do we have one procedure for everything across the board with no variations of course not that assumption would be extremely stupid which is the problem with some of this discussion. The Hamilton watch company the Elgin watch company and Rolex have all designed specific staffs that will break. They've specifically say in their literature you can knock the staff out Elgin even goes so far as to bring up the balance wheels themselves. I'm attaching a PDF from the Hamilton watch company replacing a balance staff. it's an interesting handout explaining of that somebody skilled in replacing a balance staff shouldn't have an issue but those starting out or going to have issues which is why they have a handout. like everything else in watch repair requires practice and knowledge of what you're doing. on the first page there is some cautions let me snip out the image because we get something really interesting that I've highlighted? notice the reference to the balance arm simplistically it has to be harder than the staff itself which would either be steel in this particular case which brings up the problem of watches with brass or soft balance wheels. The unfortunate problem of variations another major problem to watch repair one method doesn't necessarily work everywhere now on the second page you are reading the second page are you not? Sometimes I think when I attach PDFs no one bothers to read them at all. They show weakening the rivet and gently tapping the staff put. Which means using any one of the tools for driving a staff out work just fine as the rivet should be weakened and it should come out. then notice on pages 3 and 4 explain in detail about their new staff designed specifically to do what and explain how to put it in how it looks etc. and basically we end up with this picture the staff is designed to be driven out safely without problems. while looking for the Elgin balance wheel issue here's something interesting if you're ever looked up watch patents I'm convinced that everything has been patented at least once every single aspect of everything which of course presents challenges for other companies at the time. Here's an interesting image the taxes interesting it basically says a multi-method assembly method with one aspect being used for disassembly or basically break the rivet when you knock your staff out here's an Elgin patent as the patent was granted obviously it has to be somehow different than the Hamilton yet achieves the same goal a way of disassembling your staff from the balance without destroying everything Elgin was even so happy with their staff they had a handout with a talk about its wonderful features and how to use it identify it etc. here's something important for Elgin their nifty new balance wheel which basically Hamilton has also pointed out if the balance wheel arms are harder than the staff itself you can drive the staff out. now hopefully everybody grasps that everything is possible all the methods can work and all the methods can fail. There is no perfect method as usual and watch repair their lots of different ways to achieve the final goals and lots of ways to destroy the balance and everything else in the watch. identical? let's repeat the steps of replacing a balance staff as we are now aware it's 100% identical it was made by the Elgin watch company with the correct dimensions and it's perfect and yet it doesn't work let's just review anyway? in the procedure especially on vintage always best to use a micrometer and measure the old staff and the replacement staff the dimensions have to exactly agree. It would also be nice if they agreed with whatever you perceive is supposed to go in this watch. Which is easy we only have one balance staff so says the pocket watch database how many mistakes could they have? so as you can see only one balance staff one balance staff number and there's a note? This by the way is my favorite balance staff because how many balance staffs are there? All with the same part number of all of variations and for this discussion we can explore all of that because the balanced seat is 1.30 mm to all the staffs should work they just won't be the right staff but they should still rivet just fine. in addition to the specifications above is the replace of balance staff actually made by Elgin or as an aftermarket and is the shape of the riveting shoulder the same as what the original had yes there can be other sizing variations then in this entire discussion this is the only picture I see like this and we really need a slightly different angle to see what we need to see because this despite its curvature looks almost concave a little bit at the critical part and if not it's flat with the curvature and is that what is specified for doing a balance staff? Yes I see images above and they don't quite correspond do they? then this is a interesting picture isn't it? I have to go and find another balance staff to look at but definitely you haven't push the rivet down at all and I don't know I just don't like the look of this. Hamilton technical data number 129 replacement of broken balance staffs.pdf
    5 points
  23. I don't take it like that, so no worries. I understand that both Cousins and Gleave advertise the same GR mainspring as 2377X, but the point I'm making is sometimes what mainspring advertised isn't what is sold. That's why I said about the mainspring for the ETA 2824-2. So, Cousins have that spring as a GR57162 which is 1.23 x .134 x 400 x 10.5. Gleave and Co. have the spring for an ETA 2824-2 as a GR3149X which is advertised as 1.23 x .134 x 400 x 10.8 and a GR3149X on Cousins website is down as 1.25 x .125 x 420 x 10.5 Now look at the GR mainspring size table I've attached and it says a GR57162 is 1.25 x .125 x 420 x 12 and the GR 3149X is 1.25 x .125 x 420 x 12 There is a lot of conflicting information right there! So, when I bought a mainspring from Gleave and Co. for the 7S26C, I actually bought an original Seiko 7009 spring from them and not a GR spring that they advertise, now I don't know what Gleave and Co. will actually send you here and now today, but last year it wasn't what they advertise now as the spring needed. You can email or phone them and ask for an original Seiko spring if they still have them. I've bought springs from Cousins in the past and when measured they are not the size that was advertised, so I'm assuming that people assume what they have been sold is what was advertised and what they require, which isn't always the case. 99.5% of the time I buy my mainsprings from Gleave and Co. and so do many watchmakers here in London, because if there is a problem with the wrong size being advertised or being received they will sort it out, where as Cousins more than likely won't, because they believe that they sent you the correct spring from the start and once the spring is out of its retaining ring, all bets are off, so to speak. Those same watchmakers, who I personally know, have been through all this with Cousins, so don't really bother with that kind of crap shoot anymore and rely on Gleave and Co. not to make those kind of mistakes. I think what I have said is a pretty important issue that many aren't aware about, especially when the springs inner coil won't fit the arbor and several springs are trashed in the process. I always tell my students, 'Never make assumptions!' Unless someone is measuring the dimensions of the mainspring, then don't assume it is the correct size just because someone says it is and relying on a sticker with a GR number on it that has been put on the packet by the seller. Me too!
    5 points
  24. I am sorry. My pen is sometimes more sharp than neded, and this is due my temper. The idea that someone might think the plates may be made not of brass, but of still, made me wonder how and why is this possible. But Rich is right, i don't see any difference in the meaning of the both phrases. See, the main problem of no jewels Timex watches is the wear of the balance staff tips. They wear for 2-3-4 years of constant use and the watch may still work, but with lo amplitude and bad timekeepinng. The way to restore the movement is to sharpen the tips and if they have been sharpened allready 2-3-times, then the cup bearings must be restored too. Just forget the other bearings, no significant inprovement will happen from there.
    5 points
  25. Well, after a service, finding some bit of metal in the gear of the step rotor and reassembly, no joy. Today I broke out the microscope and what did I find but a broken wire! That will do it every time. I was able to unwind the broken wire a turn and glue it down with some conductive ink. Voila! Back to running properly. Thanks so much for all of the helpful documentation and advice. It really fueled the fire of my though processes to get this fixed! I might have to wrist test it for a couple of weeks before giving it back to my brother though!
    5 points
  26. If watches could talk ... I gave my grandfather's pocket watch (Waltham) to my son on his 21st birthday. He wore it with his wedding suit and carried it with him to the hospital the day his son was born. I never thought it would mean that much to him. My other grandfather was a machinist so I got his tools.
    5 points
  27. I think the Lutheran prayer says it best. "God, grant me the serenity to accept the watches I cannot buy, the courage to buy the watches I can, and the wisdom to know the difference."
    5 points
  28. A 0.99 pence Chaika R2356 7 jewel quartz went on the healing bench last night. It seems to have perked up and is running fine, so today I'm wearing it on a fresh new strap. If you want to see an interesting collection of Chaika / Чайка (seagull) watches click -> here <-
    5 points
  29. Update. And I know it is nice to read about an update and not wonder at the outcome. Before I commence to tell. I would like to send special thanks to members, both in the post and those who contacted me via private messages. Many sensed that I was becoming stressed and being concerned for me, contacted with help and messages of well intention. As you may have realised, I was very close. Despondent. I took the advice of many and set myself down and read the messages a number of times. Do you know how good you are? Friendship is not a big enough word. Where am I now? Back is where. Thank you. And possible end of my woes. I put into practice what many said. Look at what you do. As you have all said, in some form. I needed to look at all aspects of my system of installation. Well, this I have done. I looked at:- Disassembly. Did I pull, twist , damage any item in removal, especially the balance and pallet. I checked a number of watches that I had serviced and it looked ok. Checked all items on the microscope. Showed how careful I was. No damage seen. Cleaning. As before. Pegwood. All items in lighter fluid (Naptha) then Ultrasonic. Pallet fork and balance cleaning in fluid but not Ultrasonic. All items in Isopropyl and Ultrasonic. Pallet fork and balance cleaning dipped in fluid and then blow dried (no ultrasonic for these). Everything checked again with microscope. No damage to pallet or balance. I now needed to reassemble, so plenty of more practice now. Each item installed, following many members videos. Took my time. always check train of wheels ease of free movement. Barrel and spring always cleaned and lubricated. End shake checked. Dial side, motion works and keyless works always check and lubricated. Pallet installed. Exit stone oiled and rotated. Jewels removed and installed, correct way up folks. Oiled as per directions. And now. The balance. And the problem amplitude. After a number of tests it would appear the culprit it is me. I am careful with screw installation of all parts. I never overtighten. I close down, check item and then tighten gently. Using Alex Hamilton's guidance of down, check and then tighten only the width of the screw head gap, if that. Never had a problem. It would appear that as the balance is always on a heavy bridge I always secured it tight. I inadvertently closed the end shake, increasing resistance and decreasing the Amplitude. This is the only screw on which I ever put a 'full' pressure turn. It would appear that little amount of extra pressure always gave enough to close down the end shake. Less is more it would seem. I have tested this with a few watches now. Removed the balance. Cleaned, jewels also, and replaced. Installed to the bind, but this time watching the groove, tighten to possibly half the distance. Amplitude is increasing to a tolerable rate. Certainly in the 200 degree area, an increase of 30% all round. Whilst it is not the bee all and end all to my problems, at least it has given me a way forward. Have I overcome my problem? Could it have been so simple? In reality, I don't think so, still some way to go. But sitting back, going over system and totally applying what members say is the way. The outcome? Watchmaking, ongoing. I feel able to begin to partake in discussions again. So, thank you. Ross
    5 points
  30. Should be standard equipment in a beginners kit
    5 points
  31. Here's the 20 February, 2024 update from Cousins in case they haven't sent you one... Cousins in High Court Next Week Fighting for Parts and Now Fighting for UK Law ALSO! Since deciding last year to serve our High Court claim on Swatch, Cousins has been very active in explaining to the outside world what the consequences of the Swiss verdict will be if it is recognised here in the UK. Of necessity, we have had to stay silent about this work, but as it has now been included as part of our evidence to the High Court, we can reveal more about it. At the end of my last news story (https://www.cousinsuk.com/page/news), I outlined that the Swiss decision affects wholesaling in any industry, but the true extent of its consequences go way beyond that. At the simplest level, the ruling opens the door to manufacturers being the sole source of supply for anything, which in turn gives them the power to control or eliminate wholesalers and other intermediate markets such as retailers or repairers, with potentially devastating consequences for long standing government policies on consumer rights, sustainability, and the right to repair. However, at a higher level are two issues relating to the function and creation of UK law. The basis of UK and EU Competition Law is the protection of consumers, which in all but the most exceptional of circumstances is achieved by maximising competition in every market, to give consumers the capability to choose the price and service levels that suit their individual requirements. Consideration of the effect on consumers and competition is the core principle of the law itself and has been at the core of every judgement in Competition Law, but the Swiss verdict creates a precedent which eliminates that principle. If that is acceptable in one part of the law, inevitably it will be argued that other parts of the law need not consider the effect on consumers. Setting of precedents is a normal part of the legal process, but those precedents have to be in line with principles of the law, not acting in reverse of them. The Swiss verdict has raised serious issues about firstly, whether or not the actions of the Swiss courts comply with the treaties that exist between our countries, and secondly whether it is acceptable for a foreign jurisdiction to interfere with the base principles of UK law. Cousins very quickly brought these issues to the attention of the Department for Business and Trade (DBT), and our Trade Attaché in the British Embassy in Switzerland, both of whom reacted positively and promptly. The issue was extremely pertinent at DBT, because the Minister for Trade was just commencing talks on a new Free Trade Agreement with Switzerland. Our local MP, Sir John Whittingdale OBE, came to our offices for a full briefing within 48 hours of being notified of the issue, and with his assistance the matter has now been brought to the attention of no less than six government ministers and four departments, including the section within the Ministry of Justice that deals with international treaties. In addition, Cousins has been very active in engaging with the UK Competition and Markets Authority, who have examined in detail the papers relating to next weeks’ High Court hearing and have taken the highly unusual step of writing to us to indicate their potential interest in the case if the Swiss decision is not recognised. In itself, this might seem to a layman to be a rather ineffectual action, but it has much greater significance in the legal world. “Global Competition Review” is probably the leading subscription news service for Competition Law professionals in the UK. They are frequently the first source for their readership on the most significant stories in that sector, and with their kind permission reproduced below is an article they published ten days ago. You will be pleased to learn that the article very quickly made its way into their “Top 5 Most Read” list. I hope to get one more update out to you before next week’s hearing. Regards, Anthony
    5 points
  32. Some people think ANYTHING related to watches must be worth a fortune ‐----- Granted, there are 2350 fancy crystals, but 2349 will never be used
    4 points
  33. MO-3 is comparable to Moebius HP1300 and to be honest MO-4 can be the same, but I use Moebius 9504 in place of the MO-4 which is for high friction parts, but as I said you can use HP 1300 instead. There is a big difference in viscosity of these two lubricants, as Hp1300 is 1300 centistokes which is pretty thick and 9504 is only 305 centistokes, but I find it better in the situation for high friction parts. If you ask 10 watchmakers which lubricants they use, you'll get 15 answers!
    4 points
  34. I believe that the fundamental principals of shaping and moving metal with punches remain the same irrespective of what metal you are considering; i.e the material under consideration has to be sufficiently malleable to deform rather than break, the punches that you are using to push the metal around must be harder than the material that you are trying to move, and you need to hit the punch hard enough to to move it. In the case of steel you have to consider the grade of the material. Any kind of carbon or tool steel is going to present problems on at least two counts. Firstly it is unlikely to be malleable enough to deform before it breaks, especially if it hasn't been tempered from its full hardened state, in which case it could well just shatter. Secondly, the punches in your staking set are made of the same material and are therefore going to have about the same level of hardness as the material that you are trying to form. As a result you are going to deform you punches to the same extent as the work piece. If we're talking about mild steel or some other free machining alloy then this is likely to be softer so you will have a greater chance of success, although you may have to use more force to achieve the same level of deformation as you would with brass. This is a perfectly reasonable and sensible question to ask. You have deduced that the plates in your Timex are made from steel, which would be an unusual choice of material for this application but not impossible. Someone who doesn't absolutely know if your deduction is right or wrong and has doubts about your conclusion might well be reluctant to provide an answer on the grounds that they get it wrong, so a request for further information is perfectly reasonable and sensible. It is in fact a "good response" in the "Safe zone for learners" as it helps to encourage a more thorough investigative approach to identifying the problem, something that is of enormous value if if the most appropriate solution is to be found. In this instance your conclusion is incorrect. In common with general horological* practice Timex watch plates are made from brass. Timex (and a lot of other manufacturers) have then electroplated it with another material, either for aesthetic reasons or to protect the underlying brass, or both. Whatever Timex use is silver in colour, but it is not steel. One simple test for this is a magnet, but if you're feeling a little more adventurous and don't mind the damage then try lightly running a file over the edge of the plate in a non-critical area, you'll very quickly see the silver colour come off and the yellow brass colour show through. This of course is good news as it means that you are dealing with a material that you already know. *One of the more notable exceptions to this is the use of an alloy called German Silver, which is actually a copper alloy with zinc and nickel (no actual silver). It is silver in colour but is non-magnetic.
    4 points
  35. I haven't actually encountered anybody selling data from this site, but I do encounter people who are selling non existent electronic components, and flogging free PDF datasheets, so it wouldn't surprise me to find my ramblings from WRT wrapped up in a PDF and offered for sale on the "free market" internet. Don't get me started on the so called "free market" and all its pseudo-scientific mumbo jumbo. A near infinite number of euphemisms for "greed" dreamed up by the "Loadsa-money" generation. Don't worry that we are poisoning the planet, killing ourselves with corn syrup and cheep ass food and lining the pockets of the already rich, the "market forces" will fix everything, and "trickle down economics" will make us all rich. Everything else, we can fix it all with technology we haven't invented yet... and probably never will... carry on and consume, consume, consume! We won't be able to breath the air or drink the water, but we will be rich I tell you RICH!! Give me a moment, I think my medication might be wearing off..
    4 points
  36. I have in the past pointed out actual glaring errors in listings, but generally these days I don't bother. It generally just results in a rude reply. If they want to tell me that a 17 jewel mechanical watch "just needs a new battery", or that an item is "untested, may work", when the pictures show it is obviously damaged, who am I to interfere. Move on to the next listing. There are plenty of other less dubious items to look at.
    4 points
  37. I couldn't agree more! That said, letting a seller on eBay know what you, as a buyer, think is a reasonable price, I don't consider interfering but negotiating. However, I wouldn't get in touch with a seller if I didn't have at least some personal interest in the item being sold. When I politely initiate a negotiation and let the seller know what I think the item is worth and why, I expect the seller to be cordial and respectful in his reply. I treat buyers the same no matter their offer, even if it's a crappy offer. Even in these cases, I thank the buyer for his interest and offer. Then I offer the buyer the price I can currently think of accepting and close with a friendly greeting. How hard can it be? Although I always try to be friendly and respectful, I have had buyers become aggressive and rude when I politely declined their offer. When sellers get angry and rude about an offer, I think it's because they have a hard time accepting that their item isn't worth as much as they hope. The strange thing is that they react as if someone tried to steal their money. Why not just politely decline? Unfortunately, money has a personality-changing effect on some people, and unfortunately never for the better.
    4 points
  38. In the past i have had them land on my side with seller issues, but this is the first time i have had something missing from a lot. Impossible for either of us to prove ( i should have recorded the unwrapping which i have done in the past with expensive buys. The seller has just told me that the complete listing was there when it was sent, asked if the parcel was damaged and has no idea how just one watch could be missing. Hmm i know exactly why it's fooking missing . Ebay is nearly always on the buyer's side, i spend a lot of money on ebay, so helping me out should be important to them. To add the seller's feedback isn't squeeky clean so i expect a good outcome.
    4 points
  39. Pardon me. Is "policing" equivalent to "observing?" The marketplace is just fascinating. You have the person who happens upon these crystals for watches that most people do not care about, but he does not know it. He gets on ebay and finds somebody selling a Mido crystal for $30 (those are a pain in the @ss...I have had to buy a few) and thinks OMG, I have 2000 crystals!!! That is $60,000. I will offer a bargain at $1000!!! It is just funny. Then you have the case, in real time, where some dude gets a storage locker full of clock repair tools and takes no effort (I suppose) to search ebay and sells them to me for 1/4 the ebay value. Probably less than 1/4 because I have cataloged the collets in the deal--65 total of which 36 are Levin. That is at least $700. Add the Bergeon bushing tool plus bushings and the lathe with collet-holding tailstock...prolly $2000. This does not include the misc stuff. The market determines the winner. That is why I love capitalism.
    4 points
  40. The bladder for another fountain pen arrived today. So here is the follow up. How now *not* to replace the bladder in your precious fountain pen. The process started innocently enough. I attempted to unscrew the cap. Instead, the stainless sheath parted company from the plastic of the top and started to rotate. This produced two new problems. First, I obviously now needed to re-secure the stainless sheath to the cap, but more importantly, I couldn't actually unscrew the top from the pen. I reached for some light oil and attempted to dribble it in to the threads. In the process, I managed to pour it down my leg. Nice. "Well.." I reasoned, ".. these jeans needed to go in the wash anyway." so I pressed on undaunted. Next I wrapped some masking tape around the body and the top, and carefully grasped them with mole grips, trying in the process to avoid crushing anything. This worked better than expected and the cap started to unscrew. Unfortunately however, the next problem became obvious pretty quickly. The pen still had ink in it, which it proceeded to vomit on to my leg... "Well.." I reasoned, ".. these jeans needed to go in the wash anyway." so I pressed on undaunted. I cleaned up as much of the mess from my hands and leg and the pen as I could, and set about replacing the bladder. With the pen now spotless, and no obvious possible source of further trouble in view, I set about securing the stainless cap to the body. The cap by now was considerably more stainless than I was. I poured out a small measure of shellac into a little plastic container, and started to dribble it into the gap between the two components, and ... promptly poured the contents of the container onto my leg... "Well.." I reasoned, ".. I am clearly an idiot." so I pressed on undaunted. The job is more or less complete, but I suspect the jeans may never quite be the same again. Now I need to sneak them into the washing machine before my wife sees them, and hope that a quick boil wash will hide the majority of the evidence.
    4 points
  41. No mater what you use wear a mask in a well ventilated space and protective gloves.
    4 points
  42. The polishing worked out well. It only needed a bit of satin brushing on the sides and mirror polishing of the case back. The reason I got this watch (in dire need of a service) was because @nickelsilver spoke well of Peseux. Now this movement (Peseux 7040) probably wasn't their top-of-the-line but still performs very well after a service. No repairs (except replacing the scratched-up case and case back crystals) or adjustments were required so easy to work on. Here are the numbers. Fully wound minus 1 hour: Dial up: Rate: +5 s/d, Amp.: 310°, B.E.: 0.1ms Dial down: Rate: +3 s/d, Amp.: 305°, B.E.: 0.1ms Crown left: Rate: -1 s/d, Amp.: 260°, B.E.: 0.1ms Crown down: Rate: +8 s/d, Amp.: 265°, B.E.: 0.1ms Crown right: Rate: -5 s/d, Amp.: 275°, B.E.: 0.0ms Crown up: Rate: -12 s/d, Amp.: 265°, B.E.: 0.1ms Fully wound minus 26 hours: Dial up: Rate: +4 s/d, Amp.: 265°, B.E.: 0.0ms Dial down: Rate: 0 s/d, Amp.: 270°, B.E.: 0.0ms Crown left: Rate: -6 s/d, Amp.: 240°, B.E.: 0.1ms Crown down: Rate: +2 s/d, Amp.: 225°, B.E.: 0.2ms Crown right: Rate: -3 s/d, Amp.: 223°, B.E.: 0.0ms Crown up: Rate: -12 s/d, Amp.: 223°, B.E.: 0.1ms
    4 points
  43. I really don't think anyone is. I sometimes am interested in items where the seller believes they're sitting on a fortune whereas I know they are not. Letting them know the truth hopefully leads to a deal, but as Richard experienced more often than you might think it just annoys the seller. I even had an experience where the seller became very rude and threatened to block me for just very politely suggesting and explaining (linking to historical selling prices) that his asking price was way too optimistic.
    4 points
  44. Why policing eBay? Isn't it the free-market who determines the prices? And if it gets sold for a ridicules price, who's is the stupid one, the seller or the buyer?
    4 points
  45. So, being a frugal Yorkshireman, I bought a cheap Indian burnisher for about £12 There is no handle, so it functions both right and left handed. The metal does seem hard enough, and I have refinished the surface on some oiled wet and dry. It does seem to do the job. I haven't used a 'proper' burnisher, so I don't know how it would compare. So the question is, what would spending and extra £130 on a flat piece of metal gain me ? What would a £££ burnisher do that this one is not able to ?
    4 points
  46. which theory would you like to hear my favorite is alien abduction. In real life people learning watch repair tend to be very destructive. I like to relate watch repair is similar to learning to be a doctor except? Doctors usually study and practice on nonliving patients before they get the work on the real thing living. Where as here people like the learner as they go practice on living watches and it's probably good that doctors don't learn the same the same way otherwise their malpractice insurance would be even higher. So yes people learning watch repair are very destructive. I have an amusing video. In the video he has a Swiss watch versus your clone where they didn't quite follow the same manufacturing steps. So in the real setting the spring will typically hinge back exactly as shown in the video. Although it would be preferred not to do this when the watches running. Makes it a lot easier if it's not running. So on a Chinese clone and watch typically when you hinge back the spring likes the fallout.
    4 points
  47. Thanks for this excellent tutorial and very fine illustrations @Jon! Really first class! I noticed that your image was a bit too small to read with ease, so here's a larger copy of it. I summarized @nickelsilver's method for adjusting beat errors to the following, but you can find all the info in the thread I linked to: “For everyday work, from the smallest ladies’ movements to marine chronometer, I set the balance with the cock on a bench block so the roller table is in a hole, balance on the block. Lift up the cock and move it over- not flipping it, just moving laterally, until I can see the slot in the hairspring collet, get in there and adjust (for tiny watches this is usually with an oiler, larger, a small screwdriver). Go back in the watch and check on the machine. I hold a balance arm of the rim with tweezers while moving the collet.”
    4 points
  48. OK. So, high school AP level. Not exactly straight up CS, but something with substance. A raspberry pi timegrapher... wait for it!... that provides diagnoses. A Raspberry Pi should have all the computing power necessary, I'd imagine. The usual piezo transducer pickup. The usual timegrapher interface, like you do. But, and here's the kicker that puts it into money territory, diagnostics. You can show timegrapher outputs to the old timers here, and they can tell you "pallet depth is off", "bent wheel", whatever. This stuff is all in multiple textbooks somewhere, I'm sure. The other half of the money territory is the cost factor. By building it on a Pi, you can chase the low cost angle. Build a kit with the transducer, an adapter board, a touch screen, a case, and the memory card, you should be able to get the cost of this thing in the neighborhood of the Weishi jobs, but WAY better. People will fall all over themselves to buy these. So the easy part to get into the project and wrap his mind around it is obviously the basic timegrapher piece. The novel/challenging part is to give the machine the intelligence to interpret the output. The fun part is printing money. And I'd bet there's bonus points if he finishes early enough to sell a few on here, and can go to his teacher and say something like, "and I've sold X units so far across Y countries."
    4 points
  49. @BirbdadBuy yourself an automatic watch winding machine from AliExpress for pennies https://www.aliexpress.com/item/4000004784736.html?spm=a2g0o.order_list.order_list_main.159.594618024QfCOB It will pay dividends and make timing your watches so much easier. For any watch, aim to always gain time, and never lose time. Take a reading after 24 hours as the movement may be gaining time when fully wound, but lose a slight amount when sitting on the bedside table for 8 hours. With a Seiko, it should gain about 20 seconds per day. The specs say more. With this type of movement don't try and aim for zero seconds of gain or loss as it's futile. I've just serviced a Citizen 8260A manual watch for a client and it went out the door gaining 25 seconds per day when fully wound. After 24 hours of running it gains about 8 seconds per day, so at the end of the week it should gain about a minute or two. This is more than acceptable for the quality of this type of movement. In London, I charge £190 for an automatic and £140 for a manual watch with no date plus £20 for a new mainspring which should be fitted as standard. I always expect to see at least 270 to 280 degrees amplitude, maybe more. I think this is a reasonable amount to charge. Some charge more, some less. Always charge what you think you are worth. Never charge less than your value. If a client doesn't want to pay your fees, then they were never meant to be your client. That's just how it goes, so don't bring yourself down to meet the client's expectations of price. Don't ever question your worth if you know you are good at what you do, only others will question that, and again, they are never going to be your clients or pay what you are worth. On a side note. The main positions to look at are dial-up, crown left and crown down (as you look at the dial), as these are the main positions your watch will be in. These are unadjusted positions.
    4 points
  50. The concoctions members use on here in order to clean their watch movements. I’m sorry if this sounds harsh, you only have yourself to blame. Use the proper cleaners and rinse that is what they are manufactured for. Read about them see what the pros say. Watch parts are very fragile, you can’t just plonk them in any solution.
    4 points
×
×
  • Create New...