Jump to content

Blacksmith, with a love for watches.


Echotaforge

Recommended Posts

Hi, I am a new member. My name is James, but I go by Jimmy. I am a blacksmith, with a love of pocket watches, particularly key winds. I do a little tinkering on watches in my collection from time to time. A good friend, and new member, Sterling, knowing of my interest in watches, sent me this link.

The Blacksmith Shop.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thank you, all for the friendly welcome. To answer the questions brought up; no, I am not a farrier, I interpret the blacksmith trade at the High Point Museum Historical Park, in High Point, North Carolina, USA.

My smithing skills don't help much with tinkering with my watches, rather the other way around. Watchmaking has helped teach me patience.

Oldhippy, I am fascinated by the history of the blacksmith/clock maker, and their involvement in early tower clock building and repair.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

10 hours ago, Echotaforge said:

Hi, I am a new member. My name is James, but I go by Jimmy. I am a blacksmith, with a love of pocket watches, particularly key winds. I do a little tinkering on watches in my collection from time to time. A good friend, and new member, Sterling, knowing of my interest in watches, sent me this link.

The Blacksmith Shop.jpg

    welcome James;  i like that image with the anvil,   repairing a Timex ?      vin

  • Haha 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi, I am a new member. My name is James, but I go by Jimmy. I am a blacksmith, with a love of pocket watches, particularly key winds. I do a little tinkering on watches in my collection from time to time. A good friend, and new member, Sterling, knowing of my interest in watches, sent me this link.
1856653620_TheBlacksmithShop.jpg.5a0022a776dce59efcdf32e22b3e7fbb.jpg

Welcome, Jimmy. I think you will like this group. I started on pocket watches about 10 years ago. Now, it’s a full blown addiction/hobby! If you have any questions or wisdom to offer, please do. Be sure to post pictures of your project watches.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hello James my name is Graziano and I am new too, I play around with wrist watches mechanical of course. Gee not many blacksmiths around these days. Good luck champ

Hello Griziano, welcome. It’s a good group. I think you will like us, if you like working on, breaking or restoring watches!! [emoji846]


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Welcome Jimmy. Does this mean that you apply your blacksmith experience/equipment on repairing/restoring pocket watches ? Would be interesting to see some of your projects.

That would be interesting to see!! Stick that Patel in the fire for a few minutes and see how it holds up....


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
  • Sad 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thank you, all for the friendly welcome. To answer the questions brought up; no, I am not a farrier, I interpret the blacksmith trade at the High Point Museum Historical Park, in High Point, North Carolina, USA.
My smithing skills don't help much with tinkering with my watches, rather the other way around. Watchmaking has helped teach me patience.
Oldhippy, I am fascinated by the history of the blacksmith/clock maker, and their involvement in early tower clock building and repair.

OH knows everything!


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Here in the UK the Longcase clock or as many people like to call them Grandfather clocks,  with the very old ones you come across the repairs from a blacksmith, Sorry to say they were very crude in closing worn holes due to wear, they would use a punch around the hole to try and take up the wear. That is the most common find. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Restore formatting

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.



  • Recently Browsing

    • No registered users viewing this page.
  • Topics

  • Posts

    • although not in this case.  It was the Lugano Convention and its deficiencies that allowed a Swiss court decision in the first place.
    • Hi guys I think that old hippy is correct, it opens the gates for china to manufacture aftermarket spare parts. considering that they already do work on behalf of the Swiss I guess this decision gives the a little more legitimacy to tool up and I am sure they will take advantage of the situation either with or without the blessing of the Swiss watch industry  Having read about the protectionist machinations of the Swiss in the history of Europe they were the only ones to get fat at everybody else’s expense. I think the outcome could have been guessed at but ,  fair play to Cousins UK for standing up to them.  Now the question,  will everybody boycott Swiss watches and Swatch, no way they will still fill their coffers.  Me I stick with the Japanese once renowned for cheap shitty watches who came good through industrial effort and don’t for get the Russians that most dismiss as low grade crap. Wouldn’t buy a swatch product ever how about you all.? a
    • Hold the crown when in winding position, move the click away from the crown wheel, and then while holding the crown let it slowly unwind. I recollect that you must remove the automatic device bridge first, but maybe I'm wrong. You can first try without removing the automatic device bridge.
    • nevenbekriev- You nailed it with your description of me and my reaction when the clock started ticking again. I am a newbie.  I love the sound and idea of mechanical clocks but the idea of owning one and trying to keep them running has never appealed to me. My wife bought this one and an antique German wall clock.  When I looked into having someone repair them for me, the universal response was "it's really expensive to work on them, you should just replace the movement". So, I had nothing to lose, I started researching them and opened them up. The wife is happy because she hears the sound of the clocks again. But I have gone down the "accuracy" rabbit hole. In the vertical position, the balance wheel was not floating. It was sitting on the bottom of the frame. I adjusted the lower spring collet and got it floating. It easily passed the 270 degree 3 to 5 minute oscillation test. It took 8 minutes for the wheel to completely stop moving.  I put it the unit back in the movement and checked the safety pin. It does not touch the safety roller anywhere in +/-270 degrees rotation from neutral position. But the amplitude of the rotation with the spring fully wound is weak based on what you are saying. It rotates +/-90 degrees from the neutral position.  No, I did not take the movement completely apart.  That seemed way outside my skill set at the time. There is a reason I became an electrical engineer and not a mechanical engineer. I am much more comfortable with moving electrons than tiny moving metal parts. Will I do it in the long run? Anything can happen. I don't seem to be able to let it go.
×
×
  • Create New...