About to start disassembly

[Rabtmac]

Just picked up a couple of watches cheap and about to strip and clean 

Can't get the movement out?? Have I missed something?

Does the ring around the movement come out?

And can anyone identify this or age it?

It looks as if someone in the past has tried to "fix it" with a crowbar looking at the hair spring

[Watchtime]

Very nice catch, around 1920's?.... In the 40's Rolex made some watches for Bucherer.

Remove the screws in the red squares, seems to be a frontloader so if it is, you need to remove the crystal and the movement will come out

Edited October 14, 2020 by Watchtime

[Rabtmac]

Thanks for that 

Yes I've taken the 2 screws you show as they look like clamps but still no joy so I'm guessing it's crystal out and movement through the front

Crystal is badly sun damaged anyway so it was coming out anyway

[Marc]

It's likely that the crystal is installed in a removable bezel, in which case you can remove the crystal and bezel as an assembly. A good pic of the edge of the watch should help confirm if this is the case.

[Rabtmac]

Pics of the edge

[Rabtmac]

What would you recommend to open the bezel with if that is the case? 

A soft ball??

[Marc]

24 minutes ago, Rabtmac said:

What would you recommend to open the bezel with if that is the case? 

A soft ball??

Yup, that's a pry off bezel.

At the left hand edge of your first pic it looks like there might be a gap for a case knife. If not then a craft knife blade should open things enough to get a case knife in. Either way it will just prise off with the crystal in situ. The movement should then have sufficient clearance to come out the front.

[Rabtmac]

Quick update 

Yes the crystal was on a bezel and it all popped right out 

Thank you all for the info

I'm just starting out and I'm sure I'll be asking lots more, i hope you don't mind

With that said the crystal I took off is very very brown/orange with sun damage 

It's also obviously acrylic would the original crystal have been acrylic in the '20's or glass?

And the hairspring how would I go about checking to ensure I buy the correct replacement as this one is dead? 

Thanks

[Marc]

It's quite possibly celluloid rather than acrylic. I don't think acrylic was used for watch crystals until the 1930's but celluloid was in use before WW1. Also celluloid has a strong tendency to yellow with age, and also to shrink.

 

[Rabtmac]

Celluloid?? I didn't realise that was used for crystals. But looking at it off the watch it's looking and feeling more like you could be right

Think I'll have to take more photos of this thing at every turn