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Showing content with the highest reputation since 03/21/24 in Posts

  1. This video demonstrates how to hold a burnisher comfortably, safely, and efficiently for burnishing a wheel pivot in a Jacot tool—a huge thank you to @nickelsilver, who generously shared this information. I can’t thank you enough! https://www.watchrepairtalk.com/topic/28602-longines-balance-staff-pivots-are-they-too-flat/page/2/#comment-241887
    7 points
  2. New crystal fitted XAC 321.577 .Tension ring inner diameter of 27.5mm hides the gap nicely.
    6 points
  3. Over the last weeks I followed VWatchies thread about his ETA 2763 showing erratic amplitude: https://www.watchrepairtalk.com/topic/28929-serviced-eta-2763-having-erratic-rate-and-amplitude/page/4/#comment-245378 I have a similar problem on an Omega 861. The base movement shows alternating amplitude in both horizontal and vertical positions. The range is more than 25 degrees, no periodical behavior, pure random. In the above quoted thread there was a lot of talk about the regulator pins, hairspring, collet, geartrain, etc. and I do not doubt that all these may be sources for the problem. However, I couldn‘t get one question out of my head: Can the problem be on the other side - mainspring, barrel, ratchet wheel? Some kind of error which prevents the barrel from delivering constant torque to the center wheel? To find out where to look I built the following setup: I assembled the movement without barrel and ratchet wheel. Then after some research and calculation about torque in the geartrain I 3D-printed this part and completed it with an axle and a pin. The movement in a well chosen vertical position. Please notice the spoke of the center wheel. Now the „torque generator“ is fitted to the center wheel. The axle is pushed into the pinion and the pin is lying on the spoke. Finally I have to choose the correct weight to get a torque which results in an amplitude in the area of 280 degrees ( yes, watchmaking is an expensive hobby - my 2 cents). And that‘s all. When the lever is in nearly horizontal position this setup provides a nearly constant torque on the center wheel for several minutes (I assume you live in an area with constant gravity). For me this one answered my question. The alternating amplitude was gone, less than 4 degrees fluctuation now, which is always the case with my Weishi. So the source of my problem is somewhere in the area of the barrel - will work on that the following days.
    5 points
  4. My first attempt at silvering of watch hands. First I rubbed the hands back to the brass with 7000 grit paper. Then I polished a bit with pegwood and 1 micron diamond paste. Cleaned in solvent (Essence of Renata is what I have handy). Then used silvering powder as directed from Priory polishes (eBay). Finished of with a brush stroke of lacquer to avoid tarnishing. I think they look quite good, a nice satin effect.
    5 points
  5. Ricoh has a similar pallet fork Tressa 1970s ETA 2788 Unusual Grey Sunburst Dial all original except for the crystal Running really well for its age, + 0.5 SPD, 300 degrees amplitude horizontal after 12 hours. I have another crystal arriving next week with a wider tension ring that I hope can hide the gap between the dial and case (XAC 321.577). Wide tension ring crystals appear to be few and far between so if anyone has any tips for a good source then that's most appreciated. I did look at ATCB range from Sternkreuz but they seem a bit higher than I would like based on the dimensions.
    5 points
  6. I do the fine-tuning with the movement in the watch-housing (with or without bracelet), but one has to be aware of the fact that a housing can cause extra vibrations and those extra vibrations could cause interference / "corrupt" the timegrapher signal. When the movement runs fine without the housing, and the build-in went flawless, but the timegrapher results are slightly "off", I take in consideration that it may be the housing which causes the interference. Most of the times, at least in my experiences, housings don't cause a problem, but if the signal on the timegrapher suddenly changes after the build in, the housing may be the culprit. There could be other reasons too, like one of the hands touching the inside of the crystal. Changing the position of the housing in the timegrapher microphone, or having the crown against the pick-up may help too.
    4 points
  7. For £30 + fees, ~ £37. (only the longines, system merged all my pictures into one post)
    4 points
  8. I don't have small hands, I suppose they are normal size for a 183cm/6ft man? Tip of finger is right in the middle of the burnisher (width-wise). Middle finger is there, kind of in opposition to the thumb, but not really doing much. Tensing up is probably more an issue of your hand being in an unfamiliar position. I shot some arrows last week with some watchmaker friends; never got into archery but had a cheap fiberglass bow as a young teenager, so like 35+years since I held a bow. I was surprised how spastic I was! Arrow flopping around on the bow, a mess. I did finally manage to make some good shots, but I imagine it would take a number of sessions before the motions become natural. One thing that watchmaking schools (used to) do that's great is making you spend hours and hours filing and sawing, eventually turning in the lathe with handheld gravers, making your own tools. The dexterity and muscle memory from the increasingly fine work really does translate over to things like the Jacot, or manipulating hairsprings. I can tell the fellow in the vid linked (I Shoot Watches) hasn't done much filing, haha!
    4 points
  9. Making a cylinder is extremely difficult, they are so hard it is like glass. They consist of three parts, the center and a plug each end which has the points. Here is a picture so you can see what I mean.
    4 points
  10. There are still a few old antique dealers that show up to the local shows around where I live who are stuck in the mindset of 20 years ago when the antique American watch market was much hotter than it is today. They know I like watches and I often have to politely decline their 7 jewel Walthams that don't run and are missing the bow etc for $250. I don't have the heart to tell them the value is closer to 0.
    4 points
  11. Hi We all know why they leak and what causes them to leak, therefore we avoid the causes. We keep them in environmentally safe conditions. I have witnessed a leaky battery that cleaned up ok and still worked but I have also see a watch where I removed the back an all there was left was a crusty deposit that’s how bad it can get @RichardHarris123i doubt you will find any meaning full data as each manufacturer will keep his failures out of sight. Most of the batteries are constructed from the same or similar materials and the most common cause of failure is the separating membrane breaking down , gassing causing pressure in the can and breaking the seal, end of story. Whether you would ever ge5 an un biased report is doubtful
    3 points
  12. Hi guys. I have used Renate batteries for years and only had one failure and that was no leak it just packed up, replaced FOC of course. I think we must not get **BLEEP** about batteries and surveys because as @Neverenoughwatches said who wrote the chart and who did the survey and who sponsored the survey, probably energiszer . @VWatchie if you have used Renata for years and no problem why switch just because some one wants you to buy their higher priced batteries. Batteries no matter what make even car batteries have a shelf life depending on storage conditions humidity levels, heat cold all will effect the life. Indeed I have purchased the odd car battery in the past that packed in in short order. You buy a battery through many dealers and the price depends on the dealer. The same Exide battery purchased via your local motor trade shop is more than likley tens of pounds cheaper than the main dealer or the AA, RAC, etc. it’s a question of choice, I don’t intend to change just for the hell ofi it. Based on my experience Renata are as good as any on the market regardless of price.
    3 points
  13. It's different for me and others who are left handed.
    3 points
  14. Best way to deal with battery leaks - is to avoid battery leaks Have a read of this : https://www.great-british-watch.co.uk/how-to-spot-and-deal-with-watch-battery-leaks/# I used to by Renata, thinking they were good quality. Now I always use Energizer.
    3 points
  15. So the movement was returned to home yesterday afternoon, and my friends who own it are delighted it's now running as is should. (I've not got the whole clock in, as when I was far enough away to see the full height, too much of the room was visible and I did not want to invade their privacy like that).
    3 points
  16. If it's a thick case (diver), the signal can become too weak. The result is then often that the dots on the graph become more scattered (Weishi). Increasing the gain (Weishi 1900) a bit can then help. I've also experienced that the readings can become unreliable if the signal is too strong (noisy movement). This usually only happens when the movement hasn't been cased. TMs are very useful but can't always be trusted. In my opinion, a TM can't replace testing the watch on the wrist or on a Cyclotest watch winder.
    3 points
  17. Hi. Moving the fork higher creates a shallow lock which leads to fluttering ( skipping teeth on the escape wheel) giving the appearance of the clock gaining. Likewise the lower it gets ithe lock gets deeper and will eventually stop th clock. If you intend to work on these clocks it is almost imperative to have at hand Terwilligers book on 400 day clocks . The 400 Day Clock Repair Guide cost around £30.00. The latest is the tenth edition. The book gives you the relative positioning of the fork on most of the known models of this type of clock plus a lot more. Definitly worth the money
    3 points
  18. I feel I should call this post "Artificial Intelligence creates a watch dial." I present possibly the worlds first AI generated python code to produce an SVG graphic for a 30mm watch dial. First... I went to ChatGPT and asked it the following question. It responded with the following code... def generate_svg_watch_dial_with_markers(diameter, num_minutes_markers, num_hours_markers, hole_radius): svg_content = f'<svg width="{diameter}mm" height="{diameter}mm" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg">\n' # Draw white circle for watch dial svg_content += f'<circle cx="{diameter/2}mm" cy="{diameter/2}mm" r="{diameter/2}mm" fill="white" stroke="black" stroke-width="1"/>\n' # Draw markers for minutes for i in range(num_minutes_markers): angle = i * (360 / num_minutes_markers) x1 = diameter / 2 + (diameter / 2 - 2) * math.cos(math.radians(angle)) y1 = diameter / 2 + (diameter / 2 - 2) * math.sin(math.radians(angle)) x2 = diameter / 2 + (diameter / 2 - 6) * math.cos(math.radians(angle)) y2 = diameter / 2 + (diameter / 2 - 6) * math.sin(math.radians(angle)) svg_content += f'<line x1="{x1}mm" y1="{y1}mm" x2="{x2}mm" y2="{y2}mm" style="stroke:darkblue;stroke-width:1"/>\n' # Draw markers for hours for i in range(num_hours_markers): angle = i * (360 / num_hours_markers) x1 = diameter / 2 + (diameter / 2 - 2) * math.cos(math.radians(angle)) y1 = diameter / 2 + (diameter / 2 - 2) * math.sin(math.radians(angle)) x2 = diameter / 2 + (diameter / 2 - 8) * math.cos(math.radians(angle)) y2 = diameter / 2 + (diameter / 2 - 8) * math.sin(math.radians(angle)) svg_content += f'<line x1="{x1}mm" y1="{y1}mm" x2="{x2}mm" y2="{y2}mm" style="stroke:darkblue;stroke-width:2"/>\n' # Draw solid black circle in the center svg_content += f'<circle cx="{diameter/2}mm" cy="{diameter/2}mm" r="{hole_radius}mm" fill="black"/>\n' svg_content += '</svg>' return svg_content import math # Diameter of watch dial in mm DIAMETER_MM = 30 # Number of minute and hour markers NUM_MINUTES_MARKERS = 60 NUM_HOURS_MARKERS = 12 # Radius of hole in the center in mm HOLE_RADIUS_MM = 1.5 svg_code = generate_svg_watch_dial_with_markers(DIAMETER_MM, NUM_MINUTES_MARKERS, NUM_HOURS_MARKERS, HOLE_RADIUS_MM) print(svg_code) I saved this as 30mmWatchDial.py Next a ran the code (using python of course). python 30mmWatchDial.py >30mmWatchDial.svg ... and here is the result displayed in Inkscape. Here is a png of the .svg .. and the .svg saved as a .svg.rtf is attached to the bottom of this post. Save it as .svg and you can open it in Inkscape. Some things to bear in mind when playing with this idea. The free version of ChatGPT can only write short snippets of code, so don't try to get too fancy or you will get incomplete results. Image generating AI will produce arguably more interesting watch dials, like the one below, but they wont be in SVG format. ChatGPT is available here -> https://chat.openai.com/ DeepAI image generator is here -> https://deepai.org/machine-learning-model/text2img Have fun. 30mmWatchDial.svg.rtf Just for fun, here is another AI generated watch. Spooky stuff.
    3 points
  19. Just to note- I know folks who can put the pedal to the metal on Jacot use who don't anchor with ring/pinky, or even have a similar overall grip on the burnisher. But this is how I was taught, and have demonstrated to absolute greenhorns who within minutes are successfully using the tool. Honestly I think the burnisher "grip" is less important than getting your head away from the tool and going on feel and sound. I just did a really short length balance staff (1.95mm) with 0.07mm pivots and it was with me sitting normally and going on feel and sound. Wouldn't do it any other way. Loupe to line things up, sit back, and go. On that staff it was like 8 strokes.
    3 points
  20. My point is that there is usually little difference in construction between 'high end' and 'standard' movements. It's usually better quality balance/hairspring, finishing, jewelling etc. Certainly nothing you would notice when learning to work on watches. I have watches which cost me £30-£50 with the same movements (eg ETA) as 'higher end' Tudor, Breitling etc, but as it doesn't say that on the dial, they cost 1/10 the price., but give similar performance. I go on the movement, not what it says on the dial. If you were learning to rebuild engines, working on a Ford would give you the same skills as working on a Ferrari engine, only a lot cheaper. I'm just timing a Rotary with a Peseux 330 movement I bought for £19. After 24h it's within 1s. And looking at the quality of the parts, I don't see much difference between it and any of my Omega's. Good luck with the new balance. Overcoil hairsprings are notoriously difficult to manipulate - probably the thing I least like doing.
    3 points
  21. Oh yes, it works! I've practised this approach and technique now and it works very well, better than anything other I've tried. In the beginning, it feels very scary, much like crossing a busy road with your eyes closed, but after a while, you start to trust the process. Without having analyzed it, it also seems to be a safe method. I spent a great deal of yesterday practising and didn't once destroy or damage any wheel pivot (knock on wood). One question I have is if you have unusually large hands. I think it looks like that. I tried to hold the fingers of my right hand in exactly the same way as you do but noticed that my hand became quite tense. You probably have to adjust the way you hold the burnisher to some extent depending on the size of your hand. It's crucially important to be able to be relaxed, like with everything else when working on watches, and you look super relaxed. I'm also wondering if you hold the tip of your index finger right in the middle of the burnisher and if the middle finger is hanging freely in the air, or if the index finger is slightly to the left on the burnisher to make a little room for the left side of the middle finger so that the middle finger can support (press on the right side of) the burnisher? Watching the video it's a little hard to tell. (OT: Should we be crying or laughing?! I mean no disrespect.)
    3 points
  22. Add a picture of the balance parts so they can be assessed. Dont assume that everything else will be ok, its very likely it wont be. Take it step by step with help from here.
    3 points
  23. one of the confusions for people new to watch repair is what are they working on? Yes you have a description up above but that is not helpful as we need to know who actually made the watch itself. In other words companies purchase movements and put their names on them so we need a picture of the watch movement itself from the backside to identify the watch.
    3 points
  24. there is some other things that you didn't say like how often do you run these watches? For instance if you only bring about once or twice a year to wear them and then put them back someplace safe then I really wouldn't worry about it. but if you're running them every single day then I would think about servicing them. The timing machine doesn't show everything that's happening in the watch. Like all of the metal on metal let's rubbing for instance the keyless parts the winding and setting components you won't know you're having a problem until you have a problem and then it may be to late as things disintegrate.
    3 points
  25. Yes, a service is always a good idea. Even if running well, the lubricants may be dryed up or evaporated, causing wear to the various components.
    3 points
  26. I recently watched a YouTube video (see below) on screw polishing and in the more information section there were instructions on how to build a screw polisher, I decided to make a 3D printed version of this tool based upon these instructions (pdf instructions of brass tool attached - credit or original author): Here is the version I created based upon the brass tool instructions and instruction from the video - I had to change some of the design aspects based upon the different requirements needed for 3D printing, but the essence of the design and key features are kept: Here is the top of the tool (prototype): Here is the underside: I have used M3 bolts throughout (see parts list below) and reinforced the areas under the bolt heads with a standard M3 washers, here is the FreeCAD view showing the complete assembly: Here is the "Bar" section: Here is the body "Frog", the slots in the top and back are to insert the 'trapped' M3 nuts (point down) Here is an x-ray view of the complete assembly: I used M3 wing nuts as locking nuts to prevent the bolts (legs?) backing off during use, I also included a cutout in the top to insert a bullseye level (10mm x 6mm) which hasn't arrived from Amazon yet, and so is absent from my pictures. Parts list: 2 x 40mm M3 Stainless Steel 304 Hex Socket Head Cap Screws Bolts 4 x M3 Stainless Steel 304 washers 1 x Mini Spirit Level Bullseye (10mm x 6mm) 2 x Wing Nuts M3 A2 Stainless Steel Butterfly DIN 315 4 x Hexagon flat nuts A2 Stainless Steel M3 2 x 30 mm Fully Threaded Allen Key Hex Socket Cap Screws Bolts M3 High Tensile I have uploaded the design to printibles (link here), but will include the file here also, I'll attach it as FrogV2.pdf so I can upload here, please download and replace .pdf with .zip to access. 3D printing settings: Material is PLA+, just what I had on the printer at the time, could also work with PETG etc. Fill is 75% gyroid, setting is high to ensure rigidity of the tool during use 1.6mm wall thickness, setting is high to reduce wear on faces which interact with metal parts. Here is the missing bullseye: Here is the link to the youtube: Enjoy! how-to-make-a-bolt-tool.pdf FrogV2.pdf
    3 points
  27. Doesn't sound like a loose canon pinion. A loose canon pinion results in loss of time but hand are still in sync. Loss in syncing of hands is usually caused by missing dial washer, loose pinion of minute wheel or hands touching each other or something.
    3 points
  28. you don't because the file size would be too big for the message board. It is also not one of the supported file types. That means you can upload it to YouTube because I think anybody can have a YouTube account and just upload anything they feel like or you find some other source or location to put your video file it and give a link for people can download it.
    3 points
  29. You didn‘t respond to John‘s request, did you? We need the size: is it a tiny ladies watch or a gents watch? Who knows? Frank
    3 points
  30. I have several of these pastel storage boxes. See? a degree in art does have value!
    3 points
  31. Marc. Thank you for the prompt reply and explanation. 2788 Date. 2789 Day and Date. 2789-1 Day (2 languages) and Date. You have given me the information I require. I have placed a notation of the ranfft in my favourites. I am very conversant with the 2789 and 2789-1 so will easily be able to do the service.
    2 points
  32. Latetothegame has posted about this watch before, it just might be a lot easier to replace the works than repair that post, your movement looks to be quartz, the Chronosport I saw had an ETA 555.11? so could be ETA, Ronda, I do not understand why a movement model number or picture of said works is scarce?, one can only help with more info or drill the post out and go from there.....
    2 points
  33. The watch may not be identifiable, even if so watches of this age still vary made by the same maker. Balance parts need to be assessed , if one of the cyljnder plugs are damaged then this part should be easy for a watchmaker to source or make. It is also something he would need to fit and adjust to the watch, not something a something a hobbyist with limited experience should tackle. I tried this myself a few months ago only to fail miserably breaking the cylinder in half, believe it or not i consider i was being very careful
    2 points
  34. I can confirm from my experience what @RichardHarris123 said, if light scratches then you can clear them with an appropriate grade scotchbrite. If heavier then you need to polish the deep scratches out then brush again from the start. Tom
    2 points
  35. @nickelsilver Thank you very much for clarifying in such detail. It’s extremely valuable to me and I’m sure to many others.
    2 points
  36. You did better than me, I broke a pivot Just to finish the thread @VWatchie. The pivots on the new balance were just as flat, I assume to make horiz and vertical rates more equal. As I posted elsewhere, I stopped short of perfect balancing, but got close. After a weeks tweaking the timing the results look good to me. I wind each morning and wear for about 10 hours a day, recording the error from true time 3x/day. After 1 week I'm with 1s, and the error was never more than 4s. When on the timegrapher fully wind DU, it's about -3s, which goes to +ve after about 24h. Which goes to show that the timegrapher is just the starting point.
    2 points
  37. Trying to resist saying I told you so. A beginner with an overcoil hairspring = 90% disaster. We all start with confidence that we can fix these things, but we have all made these mistakes, which is why we suggested practicing on cheaper movements. Or as @JohnR725 suggests, keep going on expensive movements then you will remember your mistakes more
    2 points
  38. The stem has a clip fixing rather than a sprung setting lever; it's not the hole.. See around the 6th reply in the article here: https://www.watchuseek.com/threads/removing-the-stem-on-a-vintage-timex-quartz.1837898/ I've not found the movement name or number yet, but this one on ebay appears to use the same basic movement, though with calendar. https://www.ebay.com/itm/175763757672
    2 points
  39. These movements were made on the French Swiss border and there are no I D for makers, date from 1850 to 1900.
    2 points
  40. I think the movement is genuine, the dail being made in Thailand. Put a screwdriver under the head of the screw and apply slight upward force.
    2 points
  41. 12:36 then 10:40 ratios, looking at the photo. /3 the /4, so correct 12:1 reduction.. It must be something slipping or skipping due to allignment?
    2 points
  42. if you scroll down the page far enough you'll see a reference to Wyler 17. Because of the age it's too early for the bestfit book and even another book I looked at the 50s didn't have it listed. https://uhrforum.de/threads/wyler-incassable-ca-1935-aussen-bauhaus-stilikone-innen-technisch-eigenwillig.383435/
    2 points
  43. What Mr. Wyler didn‘t know: the real danger is not the Eiffel tower - it‘s the amateur watch repairer . These balance wheels really look spectacular. But the wheel is stopped in a very harsh manner by its huge lever arm, compared to usual shock protections. And the pivots still get stressed. But a great watch, no question. A broken pivot can be replaced. I suppose, it is the upper one, that will be tricky. Frank
    2 points
  44. Here it is (Kristall 2000S Glass Grinder), was around £200 as I remember: I assume the S stands for the red 'sports - stripe' on the box Thinking that maybe the best way to do it would be to 3D print a dummy plastic crystal, and tweak until it is the perfect shape then superglue this dummy onto the rough cut crystal and then finish the shaping on the grinder - if you start grinding plastic you have gone too far. Once ground to the correct size you could dissolve off the plastic/superglue dummy with acetone leaving you with a pretty good crystal?
    2 points
  45. A guy i worked wih years ago his wife made stained glass lead tarariums . To shape the glass she used a bench glass grinder, which is like a spindle moulder that i use for shaping timber, basically a drum sander fed through a hole in a table. You could make a miniature version of something similar using a dremel tool, if you could add a water feed that will reduce airborne glass particles, or just keep wetting down with a sprayer. Or work in a pan that holds a little water using a cordless dremmel.
    2 points
  46. I found these guys in the UK, I haven't used them, so don't know if they can cut a new crystal without a blank, or what their prices are like, but they have an email address so may be worth asking - would be interested to know: https://www.crystalfit.co.uk/ I also found this web site which gives some basic instructions on hand making a crystal: https://german242.com/en/rectangular-bale-shape-watch-crystal-cutting/
    2 points
  47. I can't open the links you provided, seems some sort of Microsoft were one has to log-in I'm using a Mac. However, I do have a Zeno wrist-watch with a ETA 2783 Wyler modified movement. Servicing was no different than any other watch. But it's a very interesting concept indeed ! Here some info you may find interesting; https://www.watchonista.com/articles/technology/wyler-and-revolutionary-incaflex-system-part-1 Pictures are better and long lasting. Links are questionable if they work, now or in the future. Forums a full of broken links.
    2 points
  48. Yours looks a tad more stylish than my dresser. My wife wanted me to get rid of it as it was only holding clothes we no longer had a use for and it was taking up space. I was about to put a 'free' sign on it and put it by the curb but then realized it would work perfectly in my little watchmaking space.
    2 points
  49. I got there in the end but made a bit of a mess with lots of scratches but learnt a lot in the process. For a beginner, it was a major operation for me but pleased I managed it
    2 points
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