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Hi all,

 

I've recently got into watch repair, and have been following Mark's excellent YouTube videos. I had to make a repair to an ETA 2836 in my Mondaine Auto and lost the day wheel spring clip during reassembly. I hunted high and low, but to no avail. I found and bought a replacement online, but it was quite expensive.

 

I tried ETAs site directly, but it appears that you have to be an authorised repairer to be allowed into certain parts of the site.

 

Where do you recommend going for spare ETA parts, or other very popular movement parts?

 

Thanks

Rob 

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  • 4 weeks later...

Yes. In this case it isn't. That's what I'm trying to find out. How are these movements classified? Is there some system whereby, if I measure this, that and the other, I will be able to go to a catalogue somewhere and order a replacement of the same dimensions?

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  • 4 weeks later...

AAA,

 

I started working on rebuilding a watch last month and it would of saved me hours of Googling had I  found WillFly's chart. :)

 

A few tips I can pass on which might help you.

Some of the American suppliers send movements with batteries. (If you do order from the sates watch out for Royal Mail handling charges on items sent from Canada). If you order from Cousins UK they don't include a battery, you will have to buy it separately from them or someone like www.smallbatterycompany.org.uk (I found them via this site too).

It sounds like you are replacing a movement so will have the original hands, if not read up the spec when you find the movement you want, it's a bit of a dark art for newcomers to watch repair like me.

When removing or fitting hands it's worth making a dial cover as it VERY easy to spoil a nice face. (I know!).

It might also seem obvious but the hands bend very easily. I use a bit of blue tack on the face/dial to hold them in place when gently pushing them back onto their pinions/shafts. 

 

My apologies if this is stuff you already know,

Bern

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  • 4 months later...

I am just starting out and I would like to know which watches to accept for repair depending on parts availability? The only distributer I know of is Caskers, I am sure there are many more.

 

With all the problems I've been hearing about manufacturers shutting down parts availability to non-CW21 I would like to know which brands should I focus on that are still friendly to the independent watchmaker?

 

Is there such a list?

How do you guys deal with this problem?

 

Since I am going to commit much time and money I would like to see a profitable light at the end of the tunnel.

 

Al Takatsch

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Hi Al,

 

We have a section where you can find supliers we have used/discovered at some time.

 

As far as brands/movements to service, I would say it depends, some people just want their watch fixed and would pay accordingly and no, I haven't seen a list for what you are asking. My suggestion is, until you get the hang of it, according to your market/location demand, (it is then when you will find where the real profit is) just check out suppliers and what they stock (I went with a service chart and entered most interesting numbers (search feature) into cousinsUK.com just to see availability). Also, ofrei.com will probably get almost anything for a price (they don't list much).

 

Also, what you can't get locally can probably be sourced abroad, in which case there is a waiting period your customer might or might not want to do.

 

Just some of my thoughts on this, which you might already have considered.

Edited by bobm12
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Hello Altaka welcome to the forum! I get parts from Ofrei, Borel and Cousins. I am not a professional watchmaker at all, in fact I study molecular medicine and focus on pain management and addiction science, but yes I do have an account with all three of these material houses. J Borel ships very quickly to NYC, but you've got to have the parts number. If you want harder to get Omega parts, I have ordered parts from CousinsUK that no one supplier here in the U.S has been able to get. Before I got into watch repair I sent my Omega chronometer caliber 504 for repair and the guy ( I won't say the guys name but he specializes in Rolex and he is on the web) told me there weren't any more parts for this caliber and that he didn't have anyone he knew of to ask... I needed an hour wheel. Well I told him I'd figure it out and sure enough I got the part for him and had it shipped to him from Cousins UK within a week. My watch got the hout wheel and he got info on a material house that he didn't know of. Now I do my own overhauls. I'm quckly building up my portoflio--Are you looking for an apprentice? 

 

JC

Edited by noirrac1j
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Thanks Bob and JC, I'll keep your information handy and learn this parts situation. This is new for me, any parts for clocks I would repair or make myself. Watches are completely different and I look forward to learning this trade with its similarities and differences.

 

JC,

I returned to NY a year ago hoping to restart my clock business I ran in Maryland. But due to my disability and needing a powered chair I cannot find parking for my van at my home or at the customer location to service Grandfather clocks, which is the mainstay of my business. Taking a cab everywhere is not going to cut it.

To keep myself busy  I've been a part time clock instructor as well as giving demo workshops at NAWCC meetings in Long Island promoting my repair video's on 20 different clock movements.

 

Al

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Thanks Bob and JC, I'll keep your information handy and learn this parts situation. This is new for me, any parts for clocks I would repair or make myself. Watches are completely different and I look forward to learning this trade with its similarities and differences.

 

JC,

I returned to NY a year ago hoping to restart my clock business I ran in Maryland. But due to my disability and needing a powered chair I cannot find parking for my van at my home or at the customer location to service Grandfather clocks, which is the mainstay of my business. Taking a cab everywhere is not going to cut it.

To keep myself busy  I've been a part time clock instructor as well as giving demo workshops at NAWCC meetings in Long Island promoting my repair video's on 20 different clock movements.

 

Al

Hello and sorry for the delay in returning your message. Well that is fantastic that you're a clock instructor. I've been a watch hobbyist for some time. I have a watch collection containing some 20 examples of vintage timepieces--mostly Omega, but It is only recently that I've started working  the movements and such. I have been making great strides in my practical knowledge. just last night I finally reassembled a Waltham automatic with day and date function after having to order a new mainspring for it. This is the first time i've worked on an automatic with these complications and I was able to reassemble it with only a few little glitches which I was able to trouble shoot and solve, and it is running strong/keeping time as well! I've been putting my projects on the Watch repair site, but since I do pretty much a watch every couple of days, I've decided to lay low unless I have something special or some challenge to share. I live in Brooklyn but I travel daily to Manhasset to North Shore University Hospital, which is where I do my research. I am a student at Hofstra University School of Medicine working on my PhD in molecular medicine with pain management as my focus. I also completed three years at Brookhaven National Laboratory as part of my training. I'd really like to go to one of your demo workshops. Are you in Nassau county or Suffolk?

 

JC 

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Hello Altaka,

Welcome to the forum from me. I am a hobbyist and unfortunately the cash flow for me seems to be directional ie away from me. But it is a good hobby. I am sure that you will gain advice from one of our more established members. I started by trying to keep to Bulova Accutrons (hummers) and Tissot but eventually succumbed to the lure of others. Good luck in your quest.

Vich

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Hi Vich,

I agree with money outflow, its tough not to spend too much.

I have many tools from my current business which will work fine in the Lilliputian world of watches.

Lubricants, tweezers, screwdrivers, higher magnification, parts catalogs, practice movements, non ammonia cleaners are big on my list to attain first

It'll be quite a Ride!!

 

Al Takatsch

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Hi Vich, unidirectional cash is part of the hobby, mate! How is the timer project going! Any watches on your list at the moment?

 

@Al: Al you might want to visit the thread about lubricants, I believe there are some you might already have that can be used in watches if you do the right substitutions. Also there are cheaper alternatives. Regretfully, oils are expensive but, looking at the bright side, they last a long time so it is almost a one shot deal. Did you decide on the magnification issue?

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Hi Bob,

For lubes I settled on Mobius 8200 and 9010 which should handle most of my needs

On magnification, I'll be adding a flip down 2.5 power to my Optivisor 3 power

I'm also getting a 4 an 7 power eyeglass loupe, that should give me a start.

I like the idea of a stereo dissecting micro scope but its a bit rich for my blood right now.

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Al how are you? Yes the lubes you chose will get you through for now. I would suggest you get a minimum of 10x for a loop--Bausch&Lomb makes a nice one for about $20.00. I sometimes stick it on a pair of 1.5x reading glasses with Rodico to get a free hand when placing pallets and balances.

 

Joe

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  • 1 year later...

What is wrong with it? If scratched these can be easily polished, if missing measure case size and look for a replacement on e.g. Cousins uk. There are still few shops that cut crystals to measure.

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the crystal is missing.  I wanted a genuine Concord replacement not a fabricated crystal.

There are shops on Sansom Street in Phila [Jewelers Row] that make custom crystals....I was looking for source for genuine replacement.

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21 minutes ago, PWR said:

the crystal is missing.  I wanted a genuine Concord replacement not a fabricated crystal.

There are shops on Sansom Street in Phila [Jewelers Row] that make custom crystals....I was looking for source for genuine replacement.

Getting a crystal that fits and makes the watch wearable and vendible does not exclude still searching for an original... good luck with that!

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