404 Club

[AndyHull]

 

A "Superior Quality" nickel cased pocket watch is on its way. It is obviously filthy, and its ailments are probably many and various, but at 0.99p plus shipping I think it was worth the risk.

 

[Waggy]

Looks like you have your work cut out for you, but it looks like it has 'good bones' so should come up nice. It's hard to tell, but it looks like the balance hairspring may need some work as it looks to be bulging to one side, but this may be an optical illusion? Also, I'm curious what you intend to do about the chunk missing in the porcelain dial at 9 o'clock. I have some white putty epoxy stuff that I have been wanting to try on such a repair, just wondering if you have different and/or better plan in mind?

[AndyHull]

1 hour ago, Waggy said:

I'm curious what you intend to do about the chunk missing in the porcelain dial at 9 o'clock.

I'm not sure about what I'm going to do with that. Colour matching is the main problem. I may leave as is, and simply touch up the back of the injury with a tiny amount of white acrylic paint to help lower its impact. If anybody has a reliable invisible repair technique for this I'm all ears.

[watchweasol]

Hi there is a putty like waggy said   I have some. Got from the hobby shop,  Iam sure that Kirsten on repair shop used some for a dial repair for Steve Fletcher and another women did the numbering very goo at it .. Google. Enamel watch dial repair putty should find it 

The stuff is millionth availablein various colours. 

Dis regard the predictive rubbish …. Product is Milliput available in several colurs.      Try again.  

[Neverenoughwatches]

Hey 404 peeps. I have here 4 candidates for the club and 1 just over.  Local carboot, my regular Thursday haunt has yielded more goodies. Revealed before my eyes from a Tesco's carrier bag, a dozen or so junk watches but amongst them 3 beauts at a pound a go. A Smiths Empire, a Chalet and a gold plated something trench style watch, yes 1 whole pound each and believe it or not all runners. No idea what the Chalet or trench watch is yet, no markings inside, but both look like half decent movements, so more to be discovered. If the TG is to be believed then the amplitude of the trench watch is 300 and it does look like the balance is motoring and this is the one that is drawing my curiosity the most as its really nice inside . No. 4 is a diddy Art Deco french alarm clock at 3 pound and finally pulling in at a fiver a jeweller's vice with a patent date and year of 1901. 

[spectre6000]

What's the movement in that first one? It looks an awful lot like my WWII Cyma.

[Neverenoughwatches]

9 minutes ago, spectre6000 said:

What's the movement in that first one? It looks an awful lot like my WWII Cyma.

Its not marked inside Spectre, but lets have a look you might recognise from the train it and save me some digging.

13 minutes ago, spectre6000 said:

What's the movement in that first one? It looks an awful lot like my WWII Cyma.

The case and back is really solid and thick and has a locating pin between them.

[spectre6000]

Similarities end with the case and dial it seems.

[Neverenoughwatches]

32 minutes ago, spectre6000 said:

Similarities end with the case and dial it seems.

Thanks spectre, i had a good look through loads of Cyma calibres of that era and couldn't find anything similar. It will have to wait till I'm ready to disassemble this one before more investigation takes place. I appreciate you taking a look though.

[rehajm]

On 6/15/2023 at 9:44 AM, Neverenoughwatches said:

Its not marked inside Spectre, but lets have a look you might recognise from the train it and save me some digging.

The case and back is really solid and thick and has a locating pin between them.

It looks Wittnauer-ey…

[Neverenoughwatches]

6 hours ago, rehajm said:

It looks Wittnauer-ey…

i also do think it is Longines esque

[Razz]

I picked this one up at a roadside swap meet. You gents over the pond call it a boot or something like that? Anyways $1 plus about £2.40 for a crystal I already had but wasn't using. Unknown maker as the dial was made into a line from a book/Broadway play from 1995. Makes me wonder if this was made for sale during its run, made for the cast or production crew...Give us more to see...Sondheim.

Zim 2602 I beleive.

With that here is some more to see!

Edited June 24, 2023 by Razz
Fixed quote

[Waggy]

Good day, finally finished this LAMAR which was part of a lot of 16, so worked out at £2.32 and well under the 404 bar. The refurbishment went well once I cleaned away all that rust (probably why it was a non-runner) and I was lucky that the dial was in such good shape, here are the before and after shots:

And here is the finished item, I was going to re-plate as the case was pretty beaten up, but the nickle under the original plate came up well so decided to keep it that way as I actually preferred it as silver rather than gold:

My only complaint is that it has a very loud tick  even for a pin pallet.

Edited July 19, 2023 by Waggy

[Razz]

I picked this Timex up on Friday for $5US which at today's exchange rate is £3.85. Was absolutely filthy and not running. Don't have any before pictures, but spent a pleasant Saturday evening cleaning and getting running. Actually not a full disassembly. Took three seperate 15 minute baths in dawn dishwashing soap and an ultrasonic machine to get the gunk out of the bracelet and the case. I like these flex mesh adjustable bracelets. Used a little poly watch on the crystal and the dial is pretty clean. 106 from 1979.

[Waggy]

New 404 watch I finished over the weekend, was a non-runner but keeping great time now. Got this VOLVO as part of a job lot so works out to cost £3.26. All parts are original, including the crystal, just added a new strap. Here are the before and after pictures:

And the finished watch:

[spectre6000]

Any association with the car company? Retirement gift or something?

[Waggy]

3 hours ago, spectre6000 said:

Any association with the car company? Retirement gift or something?

Its a possibility, perhaps merchandise?

[Neverenoughwatches]

13 hours ago, Waggy said:

New 404 watch I finished over the weekend, was a non-runner but keeping great time now. Got this VOLVO as part of a job lot so works out to cost £3.26. All parts are original, including the crystal, just added a new strap. Here are the before and after pictures:

And the finished watch:

An old classic 96, are the headlights permanently on

[Waggy]

2 hours ago, Neverenoughwatches said:

An old classic 96, are the headlights permanently on

Yup, and I get the urge to suddenly pull out on motorcyclists

[RichardHarris123]

7 minutes ago, Waggy said:

Yup, and I get the urge to suddenly pull out on motorcyclists

That's been passed on to BMW drivers.  

[spectre6000]

The BMW drivers passed that on to the Audi drivers around here.

[KarlvonKoln]

Where I live, we motorcyclists need to worry about the pick-up trucks also.  There are so many of those.  We're invisible to almost every other motorist except the police.  If I wear a watch when I ride, it is usually my old Seiko Kinetic.  The case and bracelet are heavily-built, and the bezel surrounding the crystal sticks up far enough that, if I do get knocked off the bike, the crystal is much less likely to get scratched.  I could write a book about the stuff I see motorists do when I'm on that motorbike.

[Waggy]

Here is my weekend 404, part of a job lot, so works out at £3.50. Gold plate was coming off the case, so only a light clean with Flitz, and left the watch with an aged two tone effect, bought into the rustic look and used a distressed style strap. Before and after shots:

Before:

Here is the before movement:

And the finished watch:

 

 

 

Edited July 31, 2023 by Waggy

[steve1811uk]

7 hours ago, Waggy said:

Here is my weekend 404, part of a job lot, so works out at £3.50. Gold plate was coming off the case, so only a light clean with Flitz, and left the watch with an aged two tone effect, bought into the rustic look and used a distressed style strap. Before and after shots:

Before:

Here is the before movement:

And the finished watch:

 

 

 

Nice strap, goes well

 

[spectre6000]

Well done!