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1930ties Landeron Hahn 2 monopusher as a project?


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Sourced this watch, want to know your thoughts about it. Like the looks of early Landeron Hahn 15 1/2  dials. Looks like this is Landeron Hahn 2 (judging by 45 minutes register)?

I am new to watches, so any insight/thoughts/help are welcome.

Here are some questions I already have:

1) What do you think about restoring this one?
2) How hard would be to source the bezel for it? Where to look for it? Looks like case is quite large - 40mm in diameter. I assume sourcing mineral crystal later shouldn't be a problem?
3) How to fix that broken fixed lug? Or it's better to transform to non-fixed lugs?
4) Movement looks complete to me, seller says balance swings nicely (i hope so), hopefully just needs cleaning/oiling. Or you can already spot something off?
5) Missing seconds hand shouldn't be an issue? Probably regular Landeron should fit with 0,25 or 0,27 hole size?
6) What to do with hands (assuming seconds hand will be new, unless I will source by some miracle something with matching condition).

Looks like someone restored similar watch: https://www.watchpatrol.net/listing/611413/

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The problem with these very early chronographs is getting the parts, which is not easy for a movement that had a short production run and is 80+ years old, the bezel you would probably have to make on a lathe as I doubt you will find one, the strap bars could be drilled out and replaced or soldered, when restoring a watch it is always where practical to keep it as manufactured , you also have a broken minute register jumper spring.

Quite often when you acquire watches like this you have to have the patience of a saint and put them on the back burner, whilst you search for parts, it is worth restoring but be prepared for a long haul project.

 

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I think that minute register jumper spring is not broken, maybe just not the best angle of that pic. If all parts will be ok, there is a chance it will not be very long project maybe...

So basically my steps might be:

  1. Get the movement going (checking all parts)
  2. Clean and oil the movement.
  3. Source and install seconds hand
  4. Maybe re-blue hands (or replace with new if available?)
  5. Get new bezel done, glass pressed (this is above my skills/toolset, will need to order)
  6. Solder strap bar (to keep original condition)
  7. Rechrome the case?

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Received the watch. Good news - watch is ticking, all parts (except bezel with glass, seconds hand and crown) are here. Dial actually looks metallic (very close in colour to case, not white as in photos).

Bad things noticed - can't set the time (can't get winding stem in adjustment position), watch is very dirty, hours hand is bent to one side and looks a bit rusted, and chrono minutes register hand is not moving very well, it looks that it's jewel has crack (will post a photo later).

Don't have the skills and knowledge to replace the jewel - is it easy to find a replacement?

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  • 2 weeks later...
On 7/18/2019 at 6:38 AM, deni2s said:

Received the watch. Good news - watch is ticking, all parts (except bezel with glass, seconds hand and crown) are here. Dial actually looks metallic (very close in colour to case, not white as in photos).

Bad things noticed - can't set the time (can't get winding stem in adjustment position), watch is very dirty, hours hand is bent to one side and looks a bit rusted, and chrono minutes register hand is not moving very well, it looks that it's jewel has crack (will post a photo later).

Don't have the skills and knowledge to replace the jewel - is it easy to find a replacement?

I usually dig around in my parts bin to find a jewel that is correct pivot size and then press and fit that.
I found a perfect jewel for an Omega 1040 pivot from a Soviet Slava movement (my point is you can use any movement as long as it same size and spec).

It sounds like you should find someone to take on the casework (I use replateit.com to do mine - they did a fab job on a similar zinc or similar material case for me recently and they even cut the wire lugs off and drilled holes for a strap well).

Realistically, you've probably picked a tricky watch to do as a junior watchmaker.

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Some update... 

I left the case with movement at watchmaker for welding the lug, making bezel, putting the crystal, polishing and replating the case. Asked to keep the caseback as it is.

Minutes hand broke off when I tried to straighten it, and watchmaker said that looks like hours hand was modified to fit. Sourced some sets of hands on ebay, I hope they will fit. Still looking for sweeping chrono seconds hand. If standard Landeron 0,27mm or 0,25mm hand fit, then it's easy, but I left the movement at watchmaker, so can't really measure at the moment. If anyone knows the hand measurements for early Landeron Hahn, please, let me know.

According to watchmaker that one jewel is fine, it wasn't a crack on it, but some dust. Maybe there is another issue, but I decided to start with case, and check the movement later, as it's ticking, so hopefully there will be not much issues. Meanwhile I can practice on simpler movements.

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  • 2 weeks later...

welcome to the forum. my favorate suggeston is "when you take the stem out of the case, put it back in as soon as posable".  as there is a winding gear in there thay may capsize.  then you willhave to take the dial off to relocate the crown gear.   welcome and good luck.  vin

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3 minutes ago, vinn3 said:

welcome to the forum. my favorate suggeston is "when you take the stem out of the case, put it back in as soon as posable".  as there is a winding gear in there thay may capsize.  then you willhave to take the dial off to relocate the crown gear.   welcome and good luck.  vin

Looks like there is already some issue, as set is not being engaged. Hopefully something minor. But I haven't yet done anything with movement (it's currently at watchmakers who makes the bezel and restores the case).

 

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On 8/14/2019 at 5:25 PM, vinn3 said:

good show;  best let him restore it.   work on the next one.  cheers  vin

Probably that's what I will do. Already working on couple other projects - Venus 170 movement and divers watch with AS 1686 movement.

Was checking online resources and according to this page http://vintagewatch.heimat.eu/TomsWatchpage/Chrono_Movements/Chrono_Movements_2/chrono_movements_2.html it's not Landeron 2, but Landeron 3 15 1/2 movement.

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3 hours ago, Watchtime said:

hat off for your courage ,...these are more complicated watches to work on...

Thanks! AS 1686 was beaten watch, so I wasn't  afraid to ruin much (actually I stripped crown wheel screw, as I thought the counterclockwise screw is on ratchet wheel due to lack of experience. But already ordered the screw to replace.) And for venus 170 I bought several non-working movements on ebay, and one of them has nice Côtes de Genève, which I think is not very common for venus 170, so I plan to make it complete and working using other spare movements. And in process I see what I need to improve in my skills and which tools do I need to upgrade. (Like lighting, better tweezers, some containers for small parts, better watch movement holder, better magnifying glass, etc...) And I just bought another Landeron 3 watch on ebay with broken stem, so that might be another interesting challenge, to make it work again.

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  • 4 years later...
On 8/14/2019 at 10:49 AM, deni2s said:

Received the hands, looks good and I think they will match. I got a feeling I got lucky finding these hands on ebay.
 

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In case you want to give away one set of hands for the landeron 3 I would be more than happy.

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