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Hammilton

By Hammilton
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Hammilton Member

Hammilton

Posted
Posted

Good evening everyone!

 I’ve been collecting mechanical watches since I was 16, saved up my money from pulling weeds on the cranberry marsh to buy my first watch, a nice Citizen day/date.  I had it for years before I put it in the cup holder at a movie (the band kept clicking on the plastic) and I got up at the end of the movie, walked out, realized i forgot it, walked back in and it had already been nabbed.  After the Passion of the Christ no less lmao!  I then moved onto collecting vintage Soviet watches for a while, but relatively passively.

I’ve started collecting more seriously now, I’ve now got a Vostok time only that doesn’t run anymore, a Rolex with a broken windstem, a nice looking Gruen Precision 510S that will run for a few seconds and then stop (it ran the first few days I had it though), a 60s Princeton chronograph with a Landeron 149 movement, a Citizen Alarm, a Camy time only and a Delmark something or other, the Princeton is my favorite though, despite knowing nothing about the brand, all I know is it was owned by Temlex Trading which maybe just imported watches under random brands?  No idea.  Besides the broken Vostok I don’t think I have any of my old soviet watches anymore, probably lost in a box somewhere around here.  Right now I really wanna add a vintage Omega seamaster and/or a  Girard-Perregaux gyromatic to the collection and l’ll be happy for a whlle.

i bought a few books on watch repair that I’m going through now, but they seem like they were written in the 40s, talking about drying parts after cleaning them by tossing in sawdust (that can’t still be common practice right?), I’d like to be able to a basic service on my watches.  I’ll leave the Rolex alone but the less valuable watches I’d like to be able to strip down, clean and reassemble, maybe make some minor repairs as needed.  To that end I bought a tool kit and oil from amazon, though I’m sure they’re not good tools I was hoping they’d be capable for the occasional work I’d do, and upgrade them as I go.  Hopefully that’s not a terrible idea?  I’d hate to spend big money on top notch tools, spend 3 months working at it and decide that I’m better off just paying the couple hundred bucks for an occasional service.  
 

I plan to start by tearing down my broken Vostok, see if I can fix it in the process and if not, I’ll learn in the process and not be out anything.
 

if anyone can recommend any books, or has any advice, I’m all ears! 

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watchweasol Distinguished Member

watchweasol

Posted
Posted

HI  as mentioned leave the expensive stuff alone and concentrate on gaining  the skills required by as you say tearing down the vostok. There are tech sheets around which will help you. when posting questions always menclose the calibre number and a picture or two of the watch so members can assist you .  Regarding tools starting out with an adequate set then trading up makes sense. welcome to our world, and happy new year.  

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