balance jewel

[jdm]

25 minutes ago, arron said:

is there a different make/model vintage watch that is better suited to a novice?

 Check pinned topic 

Quote

JDM, pray tell, what is the "canonical "watch doesn't run" tests".

Going by exclusion from barrel to balance, simple tests for each section. Have been repeated many times, worth to make a new pinned topic. 

[JohnR725]

41 minutes ago, arron said:

is there a different make/model vintage watch that is better suited to a novice?

best way to start off learning is with a brand-new Chinese clone of a 6497. The clones available on eBay are less than $50 each. You also want to buy a timing machine less than $200. Timing machines are used for more than timing the used for diagnostics. You start with a new running watch you can look at it you can see how it runs. You can put on the timing machine see how it works. Then you disassemble it and reassemble it and put it back on the machine is it still doing the same thing? it also gives the opportunity to try out lubrication methods like that nifty grease that you did. Does it improve the performance of the watch was in a bad thing. There is a minor problem with testing lubrication on the watch in that your grease is going produce instantaneous results but some bad lubrication methods or bad lubricants you won't see the effect of how bad they are for years. In other words if they don't reduce their friction of parts the parts wear out and disintegrates. Very common with automatic watches  were often times people run them way past when the even decent lubricants work and wonder why the watch  has totally disintegrated.

avoid any watch that actually needs repair. You can't repair things if you don't understand how the watch works. Vintage watches like American pocket watches have had hundred years of people working on them.. Likely nonrunning watches are not non-running because of the lubrication issue.

 

 

 

[arron]

I'm a bit reluctant to share this, because it will probably jinx me again, but i cleaned off that grease i applied to the fork and escape wheel and by golly, it's running again.  so it seems like it was operator error   Thanks for everyone's input on this.  Boy, when it works it's fun, but when it doesn't ....

I just need to find a bow and clean up the case/crystal and bit.  I hope everyone has a great weekend.