Dial will fit 2824 AND 8515?

[phydaux]

So I'm working my way through my first project watch.  I'm sourcing parts on eBay and trying to assemble my first wristwatch.

I started with a case, hands, bracelet, and a Miyota 8515 movement.  I found a dial that I just FELL IN LOVE WITH:  

 

The eBay description said the dial would fit BOTH and ETA 2824 and a Miyota 8515.  OK, whatever.  They can't put it on the internet if it isn't true.  So I ordered it.

When it arrives, I tried to mount the dial on the Miyota 8515 and it absolutely would not fit.   The dial feet wouldn't match up.

Well, I guess I'm a slow learner.  I ordered a Chinese ETA 2824 clone and new hands.  When they arrived, big surprise, it wouldn't mount.  Again, the dial feet:

 

I'm thinking it's only suppose to have TWO dial feet, and maybe I'm suppose to trim off one pair for the 2824 and the other pair for the 8515.  Does that make any sense?

Any feedback would be appreciated.

 

phy

[phydaux]

Although it's a sterile dial, the item description says it's a Bliger.  If that helps.

[Blixen77]

Sure! Cut feet you don't need and leave those that fit your caliber... [emoji123]

Inviato dal mio LG-H930 utilizzando Tapatalk

[watchweasol]

It sure looks like a universal fit dial with the feet in common positions. As Blixen remarked cut off the ones you dont need and file the stumps flat so they do not hinder the front plate.

[phydaux]

Are there references what will show what feet to keep and what feet to cut off?

[Klassiker]

What sort of references are you looking for? I'm guessing there were no instructions with the dial. However if you identify the dial fixing screws on the movement you want to use it should be easy to work out which feet to remove.

[phydaux]

So I checked a few tech drawings, looked over my ETA 2824 clone movement, and decided what feet I needed to keep and what feet I needed to remove.  I plugged in my Dremel and cut off a foot.  Checked again, and it was one of the ones I needed to keep.

 

sigh....

 

Well, I cut off the two that DID need to get cut off, then ordered some dial dots.  

I fit the dial on the movement and fit the hands.  Then I wound the movement and let it run.  The hands jammed.  A little "adjusting" and the hands ran OK.  Then I put the dial & movement in the case.  It wiggles.  I need a movement ring, which I have no idea how to source.  Or fit, so that the movement gets held firmly in place but the rotor still turns.

Someone PLEASE remind me why I decided to build my own watch and not just buy an Invicta off of the Home Shopping Channel?

 

One other thing I learned - Adjustable movement holders SUCK.  I'm ordering an aluminum 2428/2436 movement holder off of eBay today.

 

By the time I'm done building this watch with its cheap Chinese movement, after buying & re-buying parts, and buying tools, oh God the money I've spent on tools, and am still spending, and all the time I've spent, I could have bought a Grand Seiko.

[Klassiker]

Stick with it! You are not alone.

[AndyHull]

If you know anyone with a 3D printer, you can get them to print you a custom movement holder or dial ring, or even a crystal spacer.

You *might* also get away with re-purposing a movement holder from a quartz watch.

A couple of the "Indian Special" that I picked up recently used cut down quartz movement rings.

Not a particularly elegant solution perhaps, but maybe it would do a turn till you get something a little more suitable. 

Edited March 31, 2019 by AndyHull

[phydaux]

Speaking of watches and 3D printers...

 

I know a company in Boston, only a few miles down the road from me, that buys old American pocket watch movements. 

There were several major companies in the States around 1900 that were cranking out pocket watches in numbers like a million a month.  One of these, Waltham, was about halfway between me and Boston, but there was also Hamilton, Eglin, and Illinois Watch Company.  Some of the Rail Road Grade movements were the equivalent of COSC certified chronometers.  During the Great Depression of the 1930s most of these that had silver or gold cases had the cases sold for scrap.  The naked movements were left in sock drawers across the country for decades.  

Now antique stores all across America all have dozens of vintage pocket watches in them, along with a few dozen naked vintage movements, and some of these at one time Rail Road grade, plus BUCKETS of random vintage pocket watch parts.

This Boston company is buying up these vintage movements and refurbishing them.  They are bring the Rail Road grade movements back to near COSC chronometer timekeeping.  And because it's a pocket watch movement they have ~60 hours of reserve from a full wind.

Then they have banks of 3D printers that can "print" in metal.  They print wristwatch cases out of brass, bronze, tin, aluminum, and steel.  Some of them are really beautiful.

And they sell these refurbished wrist pocket watches for modern Swiss watch prices.

[AndyHull]

Interesting, what is the name of the company?

 

[phydaux]

Vortic

 

vorticwatches.com

[AndyHull]

The 3D printed cases are a smart idea, I wonder how they actually produce them. They look like they might be 3d printed in PLA, then cast from those prints.

 

[phydaux]

3d printed using titanium dust and set with a laser.

[phydaux]

I got the replacement dial I ordered.  I trimmed the correct dial feet this time, applied the dial to the movement and then the hands.

I wound the movement and I'm going to let it run for 24 hours to make sure the hands don't jam.  If it's running smoothly tomorrow night then I will case it up.

Wish me luck.

[SteveT]

Can I jump in on this thread with a related question? in addition to aliEpx sellers selling dials that fix eta and miyota there are also cases listed as fitting ETA2824 and Miyota 82 series but those movements have different stem heights (1.8MM v 2.5mm).

How does that work ?