Jump to content

Be careful what you wish for!


Recommended Posts

As the title of this post hints at, I had been wanting to find a watch that was a challenge. I looked around and found something that I honestly thought was in better shape. It's a 1971 Seiko Lord-Matic with a 5206 automatic. It was clearly stated to be a non runner, but that's such a grey area I took it a grain of salt. There was a bit of a stain around the date window, but all in all it looked pretty clean. It arrived yesterday in the largest box I've ever received a watch in, 10 inches square, very impressive packaging skills and thoughtfulness. At first glance it looked pretty good though the bracelet was tiny, as many of the links had been removed.

20200528_075251.thumb.jpg.7a4c830cebbc988ef744440421b77fc6.jpg

20200528_075453.thumb.jpg.0d9349be7019236bea47584eccee5499.jpg20200528_075400.thumb.jpg.389e4f80045ed7425b7b6e924e73d373.jpg

As soon as I got it home I opened the case and instantly regretted my purchase and my desire! I was absolutely aghast with what lay before me!

20200601_175356.thumb.jpg.02468701e717f3f2f812621ef78bf591.jpg

Very clearly there has been a very large case of water intrusion many years ago. This had been festering in here for quite some time. The rotor was stuck solid. Thankful the hub was not and it unscrewed very easily. The bearing of the rotor is perfect and, once cleaned, should operate just fine. Under the rotor was not a pretty sight. If children are near, please, have them look away!

20200602_124432.thumb.jpg.b32cbb62663ba91253a3664a5afe75d0.jpg

20200602_124452.thumb.jpg.cc3d4b52e2f338904b8012e08d68bfde.jpg

Shockingly, as bad as this looks, that is the worst of it. Only 2 things were damaged from sitting in water, the mainspring arbor...

20200601_201513.thumb.jpg.076929b1b8f94de041cbf84534d7e694.jpg

And one gear train bridge screw...

Screenshot_20200602-130828_Gallery.thumb.jpg.9d44ebecc3e1f75a9aac5394cb1481a7.jpg

The entire gear train, the day/date mechanism and the keyless works were pristine. There balance is also fine. So,  hopefully, after sourcing a replacement mainspring barrel assembly and another bridge screw and some overdue attention, I'll have this on my wrist. 

One final note, I learned the hard way after eagerly scrubbing the stain on the dial that the varnish used on the dial is not impervious to rubbing alcohol. Now I have to address that, hopefully it's not ruined by my enthusiasm. Will post updates. And if anyone has a spare mainspring barrel complete and at least one bridge screw for a Seiko 5206 please let me know.

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

It's amazing what can be done with something that appears to be a lost cause.

Surprising how that barrel arbor got so eaten away. I suppose because it was steel and not an alloy or brass

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

20 minutes ago, Jon said:

It's amazing what can be done with something that appears to be a lost cause.

Surprising how that barrel arbor got so eaten away. I suppose because it was steel and not an alloy or brass

Amazing is an understatement. Here is what I got accomplished last night...

20200602_172928.thumb.jpg.097e54b96d70c61f863dc3b46b47abf9.jpg

20200602_172939.thumb.jpg.7934ac3a1ede173136a29f054d9b6a93.jpg

Screenshot_20200603-084756_Gallery.thumb.jpg.d12b2c3cb06ad6799f774d62fb27384d.jpg

I got the entire motion works back together. It actually runs great. The oscillating weight spins nice and free. The mainspring barrel is only supported on one side, but it really doesn't seem to have any adverse side effects. Everything was mostly surface rust. I scrubbed everything with a bit of peg wood and it all came off. Any pitting was very shallow, just barely under the plating. I dug out a screw from an older junk Seiko I had to replace the missing bridge screw. I'll work on the keyless works and the day/date components tonight.

  • Like 5
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Jeez... can't believe that's the same watch! You've done a sterling job on it already. Seiko are pretty indestructible by the looks of this one.

They stopped making these in 1976, so it's got some age to it as well as the water ingress/rust issue. So you still need another barrel arbor, or am I missing something? How would it run without an arbor? Or are you giving it a wiggle to see the balance spin?

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just now, Jon said:

Jeez... can't believe that's the same watch! You've done a sterling job on it already. Seiko are pretty indestructible by the looks of this one.

They stopped making these in 1976, so it's got some age to it as well as the water ingress/rust issue. So you still need another barrel arbor, or am I missing something? How would it run without an arbor? Or are you giving it a wiggle to see the balance spin?

The winding gear is secured into the arbor on the opposite side. This is the mainplate side. So in a sense, it is supported on one side. The winding gear end of the pinion is ok. There was plenty of material left on the body of the arbor to continue performing its function. The corrosion is just on the pivot end that would be supported by the bridge. Being that this is an automatic movement, there isn't a ton of tension on the mainspring, so there isn't a large load on the components.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

8 minutes ago, FLwatchguy73 said:

The winding gear is secured into the arbor on the opposite side. This is the mainplate side. So in a sense, it is supported on one side. The winding gear end of the pinion is ok. There was plenty of material left on the body of the arbor to continue performing its function. The corrosion is just on the pivot end that would be supported by the bridge. Being that this is an automatic movement, there isn't a ton of tension on the mainspring, so there isn't a large load on the components.

Oh right... that makes sense then. At least you've got a good idea it will work when you replace the barrel arbor and the mainspring, if that's what you intend to do. If you're going to keep it, I would definitely change the spring, for a new one with better amplitude, but that's just what I do for the sake of a tenner. It's a great looking watch! I love the classic 70's look to it. 

Edited by Jon
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Jules Borel has a complete mainspring/barrel for under $40, I'm considering it seriously. Unless one cheaper becomes available sooner, lol. I have a new found appreciation for the 70's vibe. Some things were awful (leisure suits and disco) while others were awesome, (CHiP's and this watch):thumbsu: 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

As of yesterday, the watch is completed and running. I had to back track a bit during assembly, as I forgot to install the hacking "finger". Essentially everything had to come back apart as the hacking finger sits under the gear train. Today I was able to pick up a bracelet extender so it would fit without strangling my wrist. The extender is gold tone, but I can clean that off Monday at work. I attempted to "repair" the dial with an acrylic gloss varnish, but it was sadly a dismal failure! I spent 4 hours very delicately picking the failed acrylic of the dial. In the end, it acted like a super cleaner and made it look significantly better. At the right angle you can just see the discoloration around the date window from my initial cleaning attempt. This watch is significantly smaller than any Seiko I own which is a bit disappointing. Overall I'm very happy with the watch and thrilled I was able to bring it back to life. The only other thing I want for this watch is a new crystal if I can't polish out the deep scratches with diamond paste.

20200606_181230.thumb.jpg.e02b74e03fc018eace8c8eeb35cc3ef7.jpg

20200606_181242.thumb.jpg.59e594d3d3ae6751bb3478d5cc22bf10.jpg

Gold tone extender, gets the job done, lol.

20200606_181301.thumb.jpg.957eedb0474f21cafca84d238ebe6389.jpg

For those of you with a sharp eye and a keen memory, what is significant about the serial number? And yes, this is actually the serial number on my watch, lol.

20200606_181323.thumb.jpg.f05255cc91c6954e51c787d882cd3311.jpg

20200606_181245.jpg

20200606_182748.jpg

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Excellent work, really enjoyed that read. I'm actually got a LM sat on my bench that was bought as a spare/repair. I'm not petrified of opening it! Haha

Congratulations tho, unbelievable how robust yet sometimes fragile these watches can be.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

99% sure I saw that on eBay a week or two ago. Not sure if I tossed a 404 at it or not though... Better you than me. If that had shown up on my door step, it'd go straight into a drawer for when I'm better capable of taking on such a hot mess!

Edited by spectre6000
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 4 weeks later...

This is a really inspirational post! Thank you for sharing your photos and progress reports. I'm not yet brave enough to take on a project like this, but it's really cool to see what is possible.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

12 minutes ago, dpn said:

This is a really inspirational post! Thank you for sharing your photos and progress reports. I'm not yet brave enough to take on a project like this, but it's really cool to see what is possible.

Thank you. It was challenging and intimidating at first, but thankfully it all came together.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites



  • Recently Browsing

    • No registered users viewing this page.
  • Topics

  • Posts

    • Post some pictures , some good close ones of the parts you've described. 
    • Ive never used epilame H only information i have read and mentally stored about it mostly from Nicklesilver here and elsewhere ( the fork horns thing ), maybe the residue powder that is removed has some grinding effect ? So probably a good idea to limit its application areas to only the absolute necessary. Yes as far as i know epilame rubs off relatively easy, the technique of running the watch to make a groove through it first in the pallet stones where the lubrication is then placed. This i understand creates the barrier for the lube to sit up to. If i can find a good balance of pros and cons of its use then thats one process i can avoid by using a thixotropic lube on the stones. The epilame i would say allows for a more fluid lubrication to be used that would increase amplitude on low beat movements. The stearic acid powder is extremely cheap, the problem is the fuming process to coat parts, is not selective , the whole part has to treated in this method. If epilame residue can cause wear then thats not good, if I remember the conclusion was not proved entirely just a general assumption between watchmakers. The thread is out there somewhere, the same discussion is also old on a facebook group. Ive never used epilame H only information i have read and mentally stored about it mostly from Nicklesilver here and elsewhere ( the fork horns thing ), maybe the residue powder that is removed has some grinding effect ? So probably a good idea to limit its application areas to only the absolute necessary. Yes as far as i know epilame rubs off relatively easy, the technique of running the watch to make a groove through it first in the pallet stones where the lubrication is then placed. This i understand creates the barrier for the lube to sit up to. If i can find a good balance of pros and cons of its use then thats one process i can avoid by using a thixotropic lube on the stones. The epilame i would say allows for a more fluid lubrication to be used that would increase amplitude on low beat movements. The stearic acid powder is extremely cheap, the problem is the fuming process to coat parts, is not selective , the whole part has to treated in this method. If epilame residue can cause wear then thats not good, if I remember the conclusion was not proved entirely just a general assumption between watchmakers. The thread is out there somewhere, the same discussion is also old on a facebook group. If its a potential problem for amateurs to use then i would prefer not to take the risk .
    • Following on from my question about identifying screws in the AS2063 movement that basically fell out of the case in bits, I’m pleased to report that I’ve got it all back together, and the movement is running pretty well.    But… There’s something wrong with the keyless works and hand setting. It’s fine in winding and quickset date position - these work - but in hand setting position winding the crown turns the whole gear train.  I don’t really understand how it’s meant to work. It doesn’t have a traditional friction fit cannon pinion.  The second wheel is unusual with a pair of smaller pinions on it, which seem to interact with the barrel and the motion works.    Could this be the problem? I must admit I just cleaned it and popped it in place when reassembling the gear train. I’ve lubricated the pivots but didn’t do anything to the extra bits on the second wheel.    Does this make sense and is anyone able to figure out what I’m doing wrong? Thanks in advance, as always.    ETA - the parts list calls it the Great Wheel, not second wheel. 
    • You're thinking metal to jewel in general I guess. Maybe it would be a good idea to peg the pallet staff jewel hole on the main plate after the epilame treatment. I think that could work as it is my impression that the epilame doesn't sit very hard, but I could be wrong about that so feel free to educate me. I didn't remember that 9501 was thixotropic (thanks for the link). That would mean it's even runnier during impact (lower viscosity) so perhaps it's time I get some fresh grease as mine seems a bit too runny. What I have seen is a whitish surface after washing but it goes away if I scrub the surface with a brush in a degreaser (Horosolv). I don't think it embeds itself in the metal but sticks very hard to the metal. I don't worry too much about the cleaning solution. I just want perfectly clean parts and my solution can be replaced for little money (ELMA RED 1:9). Anyway, I quite often need "to strip back and rebuild" and scrubbing parts by hand isn't exactly the most stimulating part of a service. Just got confirmation that Moebius 9501 has a lower viscosity (68 cSt at 20° C) than 9504 (305 cSt at 20°). The viscosity of Molykote DX is 285-315 cSt at -25° to +125° C. I was surprised to see that the viscosity of Moebius 9010 (thin oil!) is higher (150 cSt at 20°) than my 9501 grease!
    • I’ve had a couple movements where it is clear the previous watchmaker was diligent with lubrication but the old epilam had turned to a fine white powder covering the pallet fork and keyless parts, which can’t be good for parts. I’m spare with epi since I don’t know how long it takes to degrade to that state…
×
×
  • Create New...