404 Club

[AndyHull]

The Sekonda pocket watch arrived and got some attention.

It needs a crystal, but I may give the existing one a quick polish. 

When it arrived I though it looked a little odd, someone had painted it with "gold" metallic paint, so I had to remove that.

[AndyHull]

I'm sure this shock spring is not to meant look like that.

Fortunately I had a scrap Raketa 2609.HA balance with a good spring.

Repaired, cleaned and oiled, another USSR vintage Sekonda watch joins the club.

Edited September 6, 2021 by AndyHull

[LittleWatchShop]

I recently bought six Timex Expeditions for a total (including tax and shipping) of $11.

Today, I cleaned up one of them.  One of the others is waiting for a new sapphire crystal.

I like these because they are clean, analog, have indiglo, and work.  A work watch...while I am on my tractor.

Takes a lick'n and keeps on tick'n

Edited September 6, 2021 by LittleWatchShop

[luiazazrambo]

15 hours ago, LittleWatchShop said:

I recently bought six Timex Expeditions for a total (including tax and shipping) of $11.

Today, I cleaned up one of them.  One of the others is waiting for a new sapphire crystal.

I like these because they are clean, analog, have indiglo, and work.  A work watch...while I am on my tractor.

Takes a lick'n and keeps on tick'n

You have a tractor??? Hedonist! 

[LittleWatchShop]

10 minutes ago, luiazazrambo said:

You have a tractor??? Hedonist! 

[dadistic]

Quite the chompers on the front of that thing. 

[Nomad1001]

Armani Exchange cost £0.99 plus £3.85 delivery needed good clean and new seals on stem as old seals rotted and case back seal new battery and all put back together definitely a 404 club worthy watch   And yes that’s how dirt it was 

Edited October 2, 2021 by Nomad1001
Updated text

[spectre6000]

I have a mason jar I use only for cleaning cases and bands. Roughly 1:1 water/ammonia with a few squirts of dish soap. One run through the ultrasonic coinciding with the first movement wash cycle, and a second if needed with the second wash and first first rinse cycle. Cheap solution, and not environmentally problematic if it needs to be tossed after just one watch.

[Nomad1001]

On 10/2/2021 at 10:01 PM, spectre6000 said:

I have a mason jar I use only for cleaning cases and bands. Roughly 1:1 water/ammonia with a few squirts of dish soap. One run through the ultrasonic coinciding with the first movement wash cycle, and a second if needed with the second wash and first first rinse cycle. Cheap solution, and not environmentally problematic if it needs to be tossed after just one watch.

Normally use water and vinager and some dish soap as you said more environmentally friendly

[spectre6000]

Well... That took forever... I have very very bad internet (<.5 mbps on a good day and very unstable to boot), so I don't like to upload photos very often. We're having some work done on the house in preparation for winter, and my wife took the baby away to not be around potentially infectious strangers, so I have the whole half meg to myself! 

Over the last few months, I've managed to score enough 404 wins that I haven't been able to find a gap when there wasn't something en route since the last photo I posted! I obviously have a type: All stainless, fully jeweled, European movements. I've taken a stab here at a Russian and Indian movement, and will probably try to find a Chinese one just to round it out (I've got Japanese covered already). Being a little picky keeps me from drowning in the things, and hopefully gives me a shot at making a few bucks on these when and if I ever get around to putting some finished ones up for sale!

Here's the whole lot since that red jump hour a month or two ago. Ignore the Slava. I thought it was 404, but I stretched for it, and the photo is already uploaded.

Everything is flipped, and otherwise in the same orientation.

 

Ditto, now open.

HMT. A little corrosion on the ratchet wheel, but otherwise this is the cleanest watch I've come across superficially. Technically, I cheated a little, and won the auction at $9.50, but that included free shipping, so I'm counting it anyway. If this one regulates out OK, I may not mess with it much.

If this Clinton cleans up OK, this might be a handsome enough watch to hold onto, at least for a while. I'm a sucker for cushiony cases, and I need something a bit dressier than my daily driver for those occasions.

This is an interesting one... "Garuda" is the name on the dial, but it has the Seiko "5" logo. Came out of China, which may explain the pretty obvious trademark infringement. From what I was able to find while no one was outbidding me, the brand used everything from jewelless pin levers up to mid-level Swiss movements. I took a gamble on it as there were no movement photos in the listing, but 21 jewels and an all stainless case seemed promising. That said, the movement is supposed to be 21 Jewels, but it looks like the cap jewel plate is missing so I may have been ripped off for some jewels. It's possible I have another watch somewhere with the same movement that I can salvage from if need be. Also, I can't see the escape wheel, but the balance is real chintzy looking, and it might be a pin lever escapement. The crystal has some interesting faceting as well, but I'm just going to replace it and not really spend any time trying to polish it up or find a matching one. Interesting watch. I think it's the only one of the whole lot that doesn't run at least briefly.

Full disclosure, this one is not technically a 404, but the photos are uploaded... I've wanted to fiddle with one of these double mainspring high jewel Russian movements for a while, but I can't stand plated brass cases that every. Russian. Watch. Ever. is cased in. This is an export model, and is either in really good shape, or all stainless. Big modern size too.

This one is a Frankenwatch... The case back says it's all stainless, but upon receipt I discovered that the case is actually plated brass. Formerly plated in a number of places as well. Lame... No bid deal though, because 404 and....

This guy has a pretty rough looking movement, but is actually stainless! I might just swap the Canoe movement and dial over, and have a decent enough watch in the end after all. And, because it's 404, no sweat!

Last and probably least is this guy. All stainless and fully jeweled, so it's got that going for it. Handsome enough as well. I don't think it runs for more than a few seconds, and I'm not sure what's going on with the movement/dial. The dial is loose and turned a few degrees. It was straight in the listing, but arrived askew. At least it's not glued in place or something. Also, I think the movement is also loose in the case despite the spacer. Probably another frankenwatch, but won't know until I get into it. If the dial feet are broken off, there's not much I'll be able to do immediately. I might have a movement spacer, but it might go into the parts tray.

So that's what I've been up to lately. I often only have an hour or two in the evening to screw around, and trolling eBay every few days for 404 fodder is a great way to while away an evening. Almost as great as reviving them! 

[AndyHull]

Three more members of the club today.

A "Danny Workboot", a genuine Disney(tm) Mickey Mouse, with possibly the worst nickel plating job I have ever seen, and the bizarre 24hr Esprit, which is far and away the highest quality of the three.

All three scrubbed up nicely and are now sporting NOS Italian Morellato straps that are probably worth more, each than I paid for all three of the watches combined.

The DW is, I believe their "St. Mawes" model and retails for a whopping £149. I paid £2.50 and still think I may have over paid slightly.

On the plus side, I did imagine the DW to be much larger than it actually is.

It is fairly attractive in its way, but the quality just isn't there to justify the retail price in my opinion. There is much better value on your average high street for that money.

Edited October 9, 2021 by AndyHull

[spectre6000]

https://wornandwound.com/louis-erard-collaborates-with-seconde-seconde-on-a-new-error-filled-regulator/

Not quite in the spirit of the game...

[AndyHull]

A 17 jewel "Vintage Sekonda Military Sprite  Mechanical Watch" with missing crown is on its way.

Not sure why "Sprite", but I suspect it is probably USSR made, probably stainless case and  possibly a Poljot 2209, but time will tell.

Edited November 17, 2021 by AndyHull

[jdm]

9 hours ago, AndyHull said:

Not sure why "Sprite"

I got curious and searched, military Timex watches are called Sprite.

[spectre6000]

Hey, JDM! Welcome to the basement! Snacks are over by the water cooler. If you kill the coffee pot, you fill it. 

That looks like a good one. My eBay honed gut tells me that's a plated brass case by the ring worn around the spring bar hole, combined with the utilitarian-ness of it but that could be muck. The English dial points back the other way. I've been burned by a few too many Russian watches thinking they're SS when they're brass to where I assume they're all brass without overwhelming evidence to the contrary. Either way, I'm often wrong. Handsome watch! Share the details when you get them. 

[LittleWatchShop]

3 hours ago, spectre6000 said:

Snacks are over by the water cooler

What? No Lone Star?

[AndyHull]

I picked up this little Chinese Standard movement pocket watch for a penny under four quid, as a non runner to use as spares.

Sure enough, it wasn't running when it arrived, but once stripped and cleaned it goes just fine.

I also assumed that the sub-dials were fake.

It turns out that all of the sub-dials work. Sub seconds, 24hr hand and a day night moon/sun complication. Well arguably that is really just a sub second and two ways of displaying the same complication, but for less than four quid I 'aint complaining.

It wasn't running when it arrived, but once stripped, cleaned, and lubricated with a slightly higher quality oil than it originally sported,  it goes just fine.

The exhibition half hunter case still had the plastic protectors attached to both of the crystals, so there isn't a single scratch on them. 

Its not particularly high quality as you can imagine, but none the less, a quite attractive  little novelty item for the collection.

Edited November 19, 2021 by AndyHull

[spectre6000]

20 hours ago, LittleWatchShop said:

What? No Lone Star?

I grew up in Texas. I'm familiar with Lone Star beer (Lonestarbeer, one word, slightly different pronunciation depending on region). There's a reason there's no Lonestarbeer.  If you'd like some Avery, Left Hand, Oskar Blues, or any of the other myriad quality beers from my neck of the woods, first round's on me.

[Darthkram]

Picked these up from Facebook marketplace in a lot advertised as "costume jewelry". Thought I spotted a familiar logo so took a chance and paid $31 NZD for the lot or £4 each. Also got a bunch of costume jewelry that's not pictured.

I think I've used my buying luck for a while, all are working, all clean inside, just some cosmetic things to tidy up (hopefully nothing will show during servicing).

Omega and Elgin will be flipped after they've been cleaned. Hafis will be kept as I collect them and Seiko will be kept till I get to the level of servicing chronographs.

 

[spectre6000]

Wow! A ladies' Omega (looks like the cleanest of the bunch) and an automatic chronograph... Seiko no less. This pandemic needs to end (for real, not just make believe, or for political imaginings) so garage sales and the like are doable.

[AndyHull]

A slightly scruffy looking "Orion" with no mention of jewels. At a guess, possibly an EB8805  or similar pin lever.

Another 0.99p non runner.

Edited December 11, 2021 by AndyHull

[LittleWatchShop]

I picked a box of watches...maybe 30 total (have not counted) at a resale shop for $20.  So that is less than a buck a piece.  The majority are quartz and some interesting ones at that.  The ones I tested so far are working.  But the big find was the fake Rolex.  I opened it up and it has an ETA 2834 movement and it is running!!  Also picked a Caravelle with a Bulova 11DP movement.  There was a 14k rose gold plate bulova lady's watch lurking at the bottom of the box.  There was this funky mirror-faced LED watch.  LOL

The 2834 (-x) seems to be a popular movement so I may be able to get another dial and case for it.  Researching.

[spectre6000]

That's a nice movement for a fake Rolex... Old enough that movements like that were still cheap and plentiful? Is that a thing?

[LittleWatchShop]

On 12/12/2021 at 7:10 PM, spectre6000 said:

That's a nice movement for a fake Rolex... Old enough that movements like that were still cheap and plentiful? Is that a thing?

Serviced it today.  There were a couple of challenges, but it is back together with a good read on the time grapher in four positions.  There was an issue with the case that I had to address.  Pretty happy with the result.

[luiazazrambo]

20 hours ago, LittleWatchShop said:

Serviced it today.  There were a couple of challenges, but it is back together with a good read on the time grapher in four positions.  There was an issue with the case that I had to address.  Pretty happy with the result.

May I ask how did you open the case back? I sold two of these as scrap metal as I could not open them and I was not so interested however someone asked me now to work on one of these now.