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Vacheron Constantin 1003 movement problem

cduke

By cduke
in Watch Repairs Help & Advice

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avue New Member

avue

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Hello all.

Apologies if I'm hijacking this thread but I wanted to get your collective thoughts on something. I too had a similar situation with my vintage Vacheron with the 1003/3 movement, everything was working fine until one day the crown spun freely and I could neither wind nor change the time. I was surprised as I heard the 1003 was quite a robust movement. Anyway I am way too much of a novice to try to tackle it myself, but also way too broke to bring to to Vacheron for an official servicing, so I brought it to a reputable independent watch repair service.

It took them much, much longer than the original 4 weeks they said it would take, due to difficulty in finding the parts. When they finally called to say it was finished, what I got back was a loose and wiggly crown even when pushed in, and extremely fast and slippery time changing when I turn the crown. These I can probably live with, but what's most concerning I've attached in pictures below: it seems the crown and winding stem have been set too far away from the case, which to me seems like a recipe for accumulating lint and snagging onto sweater cuffs. Bear in mind this is post-repair with the crown fully pressed in, ready to wind.

I've returned it to the watchmaker with these concerns, only to be met with assurance that this is the actual correct position of the crown, and how it was previously was too pushed in, possibly due to a knock to the crown. I have a hard time believing this as a) I don't think Vacheron would have design something so sloppy, and b) all examples of similar models online have the crown fully flushed to the case. I do know that this was a very challenging repair to this watchmaker, so I think he may just be trying to save face.

So my question is this: where to go from here? My watchmaker is convinced there is nothing more he can do and may be out of his depth. Should I try to seek out another to see if they can do something about the wiggle and put the crown where it should be? Should I just try to live with it as is and just be very, very careful and only wear the watch on special occasions (this idea makes me sad). Or should I bite the very expensive bullet and bring it directly to Vacheron for servicing, and brace myself for the $2000+ bill.

I would love to hear your thoughts.

 

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rodabod Distinguished Member

rodabod

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The crown does look a little far out, but it doesn't look terrible. Do you happen to know if the crown is original and if it is either a dust-proof type or a water-proof type? The former type has a sprung washer which is designed to press out from inside the crown against the case.

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avue New Member

avue

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21 minutes ago, rodabod said:

The crown does look a little far out, but it doesn't look terrible. Do you happen to know if the crown is original and if it is either a dust-proof type or a water-proof type? The former type has a sprung washer which is designed to press out from inside the crown against the case.

As far as I know it's the original unsigned crown, which was typical for this model (1970's tank style). And yes the crown is the sprung washer type, which you can just make out in the pictures, the smooth bit that sticks out from under the fluted crown. That's what makes it worrisome for me, because of the spacing the sprung washer isn't even able to do it's job protecting the movement from dust and lint. Or am I being too paranoid about all this?

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rodabod Distinguished Member

rodabod

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Ah, that's a dust-proof crown if it has the sprung inner section. It should bear against the case. Surely your watchmaker can appreciate that? The only reason I can think for why it wouldn't fit flush is if it was an incorrect replacement which was unable to be moved any closer. It's not a difficult job to shorten a stem usually.

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avue New Member

avue

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Posted (edited)
27 minutes ago, rodabod said:

Ah, that's a dust-proof crown if it has the sprung inner section. It should bear against the case. Surely your watchmaker can appreciate that? The only reason I can think for why it wouldn't fit flush is if it was an incorrect replacement which was unable to be moved any closer. It's not a difficult job to shorten a stem usually.

That's what I thought as well and when I returned to his shop I was expecting him to make the adjustment, but I think he just had so much difficulty in getting it back to working condition that he's just scared to take it apart again and not getting it to work. 

18 minutes ago, Tudor said:

Shortening the stem is a rudimentary adjustment. I’m no pro, but I think you need a new watchmaker. 

So that's one vote to bring it to another watchmaker. Then again we're just assuming that shortening the stem is an easy task, but we all know the 1003 calibre is anything but rudimentary so maybe it's harder than we think? Can anyone with experience attest that it is in fact a simple enough job?

Edited by avue
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Tudor Distinguished Member

Tudor

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The stem gets threaded into a die plate and filed a bit off the end. Back it out, Reassemble and check the fit. Repeat until perfect. 
 

It’s not a five minute job but it’s not a movement overhaul either.  
 

And the watchmaker should have some pride working on a VC movement. I know I would want to do it justice, doing my best possible work. 

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avue New Member

avue

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10 hours ago, Tudor said:

The stem gets threaded into a die plate and filed a bit off the end. Back it out, Reassemble and check the fit. Repeat until perfect. 
 

It’s not a five minute job but it’s not a movement overhaul either.  
 

And the watchmaker should have some pride working on a VC movement. I know I would want to do it justice, doing my best possible work. 

 

10 hours ago, rodabod said:

The keyless works look conventional and possibly a modified JLC design. I can't see why it would be such a difficult job unless there are existing issues with the keyless works.

Thank you for the advice mates, so the consensus then is it shouldn't be a difficult proposition to shorten the winding stem, considering there isn't a need for a total overhaul or replacing any parts. 

I don't know how fruitful it would be to argue this with my current watchmaker as he seemed convinced that it's how it should be, so I will be looking for another reputable one, hopefully one with experience on the 1003. Though I'm considering if I should wait until the 1 year warranty from the watchmaker runs out before I find another one.

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