Seiko 6309A Pallete Fork

[vext01]

Hi everyone,

I've been stripping/cleaning/reassembling a Seiko 6309A movement.

I'm new to this, so mistakes were made. During reassembly one of the stones on the pallet fork has detached.

This leaves me in an awkward position, as I doubt I have the skill to re-attach it and according to cousins, this fork is obsolete.

I've seen replacement forks from abroad on eBay, but they are expensive. Does anyone know where I could get one in the UK?

Thanks!

 

[aac58]

You have 6309 pallets starting at 6€ (plus 3€ shipping) from Speedtimerkollektion, including the cock and escape wheel.

https://speedtimerkollektion.com/shop/advanced_search_result.php?keywords=6309 pallet&search_in_description=1&page=1&sort=3a

[vext01]

Thanks. Looks like this site has the part, but do I see it right that it's  €11,95 postage to the UK?

[aac58]

3 minutes ago, vext01 said:

Thanks. Looks like this site has the part, but do I see it right that it's  €11,95 postage to the UK?

Read below: "Small orders below 25 euro can be send by regular mail (€ 2,95). It takes longer!"

[Pip]

I can vouch for speedtimerkollection, used him many times and no hassle. For clarity I’m not involved in any way, just a happy customer.

Ps: you could always learn to fix it yourself?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

[vext01]

> Ps: you could always learn to fix it yourself?

Yeah, I could, but I think re-setting the pallet stones might be a bit advanced for me at this point in time.

[Nucejoe]

I get new unused complete fork, new pallets breath life to the escape mech.

 

 

 

 

[jdm]

7 minutes ago, Nucejoe said:

I get new unused complete fork, new pallets breath life to the escape mech.

Very hard to get new parts for a 50 yrs old mov't like this.

[vext01]

2 minutes ago, jdm said:

50 yrs old mov't like this.

Holy moly! I didn't realise it was that old!

[rogart63]

2 minutes ago, jdm said:

Very hard to get new parts for a 50 yrs old mov't like this.

Schillachi61  has new forks. But cost 9.99 . He is in UK so  won''t be that much shipping . I  have his email adress if you like.  Maybe  a couple of quids cheaper? Send me a PM 

 

[vext01]

Quote

Schillachi61  has new forks.

 

Yeah, I saw his listing:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Seiko-6309-6306-6319-Pallet-Fork-Genuine-Seiko-Nos/401768340080?hash=item5d8b425a70:g:eVYAAOSwMNxXYRU4

I was hoping to find a cheap one as the movement cost about the same

[rogart63]

1 hour ago, vext01 said:

 

Yeah, I saw his listing:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Seiko-6309-6306-6319-Pallet-Fork-Genuine-Seiko-Nos/401768340080?hash=item5d8b425a70:g:eVYAAOSwMNxXYRU4

I was hoping to find a cheap one as the movement cost about the same

Then your best bet is speedtimerkollektion  i guess. 

[Pip]

Or keep scouring the bay and you may find a movement you can cannibalise. But that movement may have unseen issues meaning you’d be back to looking. Or if you’re like me it’d just mean you have two movements you want to fix instead of one! [emoji23]

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

 

[saswatch88]

11 hours ago, vext01 said:

Hi everyone,

I've been stripping/cleaning/reassembling a Seiko 6309A movement.

I'm new to this, so mistakes were made. During reassembly one of the stones on the pallet fork has detached.

This leaves me in an awkward position, as I doubt I have the skill to re-attach it and according to cousins, this fork is obsolete.

I've seen replacement forks from abroad on eBay, but they are expensive. Does anyone know where I could get one in the UK?

Thanks!

 

First and foremost lets figure out why did the stone come loose, how did you clean the movement and what solutions did you use?

gunna be almost impossible to find a NOS one if one is found it will cost about as much as a complete movement or even a complete watch will cost. So you have to make a choice on which route you wanna go. 

Keep in mind Seiko pallet forks are mostly interchangeable. off the top of my head a pallet fork from a 6106, 6119, 7002, 7009, will work as well and there are others.

[vext01]

18 hours ago, saswatch88 said:

First and foremost lets figure out why did the stone come loose, how did you clean the movement and what solutions did you use?

 

Luckily someone on Facebook has offered to send me a spare! I can't believe my luck.

As for cleaning.... Bear in mind that I'm very new to this and I'm operating on the cheap until I know this is a hobby I want to pursue...

For most of the movement I used first a weak solution of dish detergent, then a wash in IPA alcohol, before a dip in a final uncontaminated pot of IPA. However, I did not clean the palette fork at all, because I read in a book that the adhesive used on the fork breaks down in solvents. (I also didn't clean the balance for fear of breaking it).

I know that ideally you'd use professional solutions and machines.

The stone actually came loose as I was re-fitting the bridge. The watch suddenly let all of it's power out in a great "whiiiiz". Perhaps I shouldn't have had power in the spring whilst fitting the escape bits?

18 hours ago, saswatch88 said:

Keep in mind Seiko pallet forks are mostly interchangeable. off the top of my head a pallet fork from a 6106, 6119, 7002, 7009, will work as well and there are others.

 

Ah! That's good to know. I did look at a spare fork I have from a fake 7S26, but it was visibly smaller.

[saswatch88]

3 hours ago, vext01 said:

 

Luckily someone on Facebook has offered to send me a spare! I can't believe my luck.

As for cleaning.... Bear in mind that I'm very new to this and I'm operating on the cheap until I know this is a hobby I want to pursue...

For most of the movement I used first a weak solution of dish detergent, then a wash in IPA alcohol, before a dip in a final uncontaminated pot of IPA. However, I did not clean the palette fork at all, because I read in a book that the adhesive used on the fork breaks down in solvents. (I also didn't clean the balance for fear of breaking it).

I know that ideally you'd use professional solutions and machines.

The stone actually came loose as I was re-fitting the bridge. The watch suddenly let all of it's power out in a great "whiiiiz". Perhaps I shouldn't have had power in the spring whilst fitting the escape bits?

 

Ah! That's good to know. I did look at a spare fork I have from a fake 7S26, but it was visibly smaller.

never had A pallet stone come loose in that manner. Could have had a bad cleaning previously. You def. cleaned it correctly by not using the IPA on the pallet and the balance. 

You should not have power in the spring until you have everything installed up to the pallet fork, in my case i dont wind it until the balance is installed. But either way none of this would have caused stone to come loose, so its anyone’s guess why it did. And Yes The 7s26 pallet is different.

[jdm]

8 hours ago, vext01 said:

Thes stone actually came loose as I was re-fitting the bridge. The watch suddenly let all of it's power out in a great "whiiiiz". Perhaps I shouldn't have had power in the spring whilst fitting the escape bits?

I think what happened is that you fitted the pallet fork with a stone over a tooth, maybe even positioned its bridge, then wound the barrel, somehow the pallet was able to hold power for a while before the stone was dislodged while tighteining or being hit by the spinng escape wheel.

Personally I find fitting the fork pallet a very delicate task and have had some breakage while doing it, we aren't all born master watchmakers! One must be 100% sure that both pivots are in place before tightening the bridge, for that observe the stones correctly engaging teeth, and the bridge being level. Only then wind the barrel to try the fork flipping when slightly touched, which is a correct procedure. 

Regarding your cleaning procedure it is not necessary to use expensive solutions and machines (even if you can read some insisting advise to the contrary), but use of dishwasher soap for the movement is kind of unheard, better would be petreoum ether to dissolve old oils, followed by demineralized water, and then IPA. 

[vext01]

Yes, seems plausible. We live and learn!

Thanks again!

[watchweasol]

Hi as you are deep in the bowel of a seiko 6309 this might be interesting

276_Seiko6309A.pdf