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Favre-Leuba Sea Chief

icius

By icius
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icius Watch Enthusiast

icius

Posted
Posted

Hey all,  got another new addition today.  

 

post-752-0-19870600-1426557426_thumb.jpg post-752-0-30002800-1426557431_thumb.jpg

 

I am well pleased with how it looks and it is currently ticking away.  I know 99% of these vintage watches from India are refinish/redial, but I am still quite pleased with it.

 

HOWEVER...

 

post-752-0-62719800-1426556351_thumb.jpg

 

This simply will not do.  Those circles spots are honest to goodness rust.   I knew the condition of the inside and case back when I bought it so it isn't a surprise.  I figured it would be a good opportunity to see what I can do to fully service it and clean it up.

 

I will let everyone know how it goes. 

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anilv Distinguished Member

anilv

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Hi Icius...

 

Nice watch.. I'm especially partial to these twin-power watches as they wind ever-so-smoothly!

 

What is your concern with the rust? If you want to stop it spreading then you can sand/scrape it off and use some proprietary rust-killers, use some silicon grease on the o-ring and use it.

 

If your concern is 'water-proof'ness then you're in for a lot of work...

 

-the crown/crown tube needs to be in good shape.

-the crystal needs to be really tight and the metal where the crystal seats needs to be really pristine.

-case back seal needs to be perfect.. this means the seal and the seal seats on the case and caseback..

 

hope this helps.

Anil

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WillFly Distinguished Member

WillFly

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Nice watch. It's a good idea to take the rust seriously. As you rightly say, a lot of FL watches come back to us from India, where the humidity can cause serious rusting problems throughout the watch - not always obvious at first glance. Good luck.

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icius Watch Enthusiast

icius

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Hi Icius...

 

Nice watch.. I'm especially partial to these twin-power watches as they wind ever-so-smoothly!

 

What is your concern with the rust? If you want to stop it spreading then you can sand/scrape it off and use some proprietary rust-killers, use some silicon grease on the o-ring and use it.

 

If your concern is 'water-proof'ness then you're in for a lot of work...

 

-the crown/crown tube needs to be in good shape.

-the crystal needs to be really tight and the metal where the crystal seats needs to be really pristine.

-case back seal needs to be perfect.. this means the seal and the seal seats on the case and caseback..

 

hope this helps.

Anil

 

Anil,

 

Thanks I'm looking forward to working on the twin-power setup.  Regarding the rust, It's mainly a cosmetic thing and to see what I can do about it.  Given the state of the corrosion around the seal, I'm not hopeful that this will ever be water resistant.  I'm not even sure how one would restore this area short of machining it down past the corrosion and using an extra thick gasket.  So it's mainly just the comfort of knowing there is no rust in my watch :)

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anilv Distinguished Member

anilv

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Ahhh..as long as its damage control then just get rid of the visible rust.

I've heard some people fill the divots with jb weld (2 part metal epoxy) and machine the surface down. Do you have access to a lathe?I've never tried it but the idea seems sound. May even be feasible with out a lathe.. Just level it off with a blade.

Anil

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icius Watch Enthusiast

icius

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Ahhh..as long as its damage control then just get rid of the visible rust.

I've heard some people fill the divots with jb weld (2 part metal epoxy) and machine the surface down. Do you have access to a lathe?I've never tried it but the idea seems sound. May even be feasible with out a lathe.. Just level it off with a blade.

Anil

You know, JB Weld has been running through my head since I took the back off of this.  I do have a lathe as a matter of fact.  Perhaps some tests are in order :)

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clockboy Distinguished Member

clockboy

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Posted (edited)

JB weld dries black and is a devil to shift if you get an overspill. It is an extremely an strong glue & will adhere to almost anything if left for 24hrs. If you are worried about the seal with the movement removed I suggest filling with some soft solder in the holes as it will rub down nice & flat. In my opinion the lathe idea is not good one as it could cause other issues i.e. if you remove any of the existing rim. 

PS If you fit a new seal & add silicone grease it should make a good water resistant seal but not for diving depths.

Edited by clockboy
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bobm12 Distinguished Member

bobm12

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I'm not familiar with JB weld, but I do the same CB suggest and although not for diving, it hold pretty well as a water resistant solution (I haven't had any problems ever and have done it for quite a long time). It may take some periodic inspection but...that's what this hobby is all about: tinkering with the toys! :)

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icius Watch Enthusiast

icius

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Hi Icius, how's the condition of the inside of the case back? It looks pretty darn new from the outside!

Anil

It is quite sparkly on the outside.  The inside condition is fair.  It is not in as bad a shape as the case itself, but there are some corresponding corrosion spots that match up with the worst of the corrosion spots on the case.  

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icius Watch Enthusiast

icius

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JB weld dries black and is a devil to shift if you get an overspill. It is an extremely an strong glue & will adhere to almost anything if left for 24hrs. If you are worried about the seal with the movement removed I suggest filling with some soft solder in the holes as it will rub down nice & flat. In my opinion the lathe idea is not good one as it could cause other issues i.e. if you remove any of the existing rim. 

PS If you fit a new seal & add silicone grease it should make a good water resistant seal but not for diving depths.

 

Thanks for the suggestion on that.  I know JB Weld dries pretty much as strong as...well..a weld.  Do you  mean just regular old solder like for circuit boards?  What would you use to rub it down/flatten it out once applied?  

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clockboy Distinguished Member

clockboy

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Posted (edited)

In my option unless it is going to leak I would leave well alone & just add a smear of grease. I think the lathe idea is fraught with danger with possible mishaps. Getting the watch case attached to the lathe & centred will also be a challenge.

My soft solder idea should work providing it attaches & fills the divots correctly then it should rub down easily & you should get a nice flat finish. The only issue is the soft solder is soft so snapping the back on might be an issue.

Edited by clockboy
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clockwatcher WRT Addict

clockwatcher

Posted
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Hi Icius!

As you can see, if you look to the left, my avatar is an almost identical Sea Chief. With the all-lume numerals it's a nice looking watch and I wouldn't be surprised if yours and mine came from the same seller.

 

I'm definitely a fan of Favre-Leubas and am forming quite a collection of them. As Anilv says, they wind beautifully and the gold tone of the movements is very attractive. They are definitely very cheap to buy for what is a quality watch but the cases are often in poor condition.

 

Good luck with any repairs.

John

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icius Watch Enthusiast

icius

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John, I am really liking it as well. It's just simple and elegant and so comfortable on the wrist. I have it torn apart at the moment. I haven't found anything broken, but boy what a sticky dirty mess inside. Stay tuned for a full service walkthrough.

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