Guess What’s Inside

[RemovedUser10118]

Any guesses (“men’s” size 36mm)? 
It’s a front loaded rear loader, so I’ll probably have to cut or carefully drill through the rear to get the stem and movement out.

I’m going to say eb 866.

 

 

Edited August 13, 2021 by PinLeverPete

[watchweasol]

You are probably right on that guess.  A standard hardy old pin lever usually got a hard life.

[RemovedUser10118]

I’m revising my guess to eb 8800.

Being a front loaded rear loader, they wouldn’t have been able to get the stem in on the 866. 
 

It is running and keeping time, by the way. My plan is to re-case it into something a little more respectable. That may not be possible, though, due to the unique crystal design.

Edited August 13, 2021 by PinLeverPete

[oldhippy]

A piece of crap. 

[RemovedUser10118]

28 minutes ago, oldhippy said:

A piece of crap. 

A piece of crap that still runs after 50 years with no service, right? 
For a hippie, that sounds very stuck-up!
 

Thanks for playing.

Edited August 13, 2021 by PinLeverPete

[oldhippy]

49 minutes ago, PinLeverPete said:

A piece of crap that still runs after 50 years with no service, right? 
For a hippie, that sounds very stuck-up!
 

Thanks for playing.

How do you know that?

[oldhippy]

Just now, oldhippy said:

How do you know that? Not a hippie. I have a different spelling. 

 

[RemovedUser10118]

On 8/13/2021 at 4:39 PM, oldhippy said:

How do you know that?

Obvious.

As I said in my first post, it’s a front loaded rear loader. The only way to get it out for service is to drill a hole through the rear case to access the stem screw, which I did.

I’m the first person to see the inside of this watch in almost 50 years. It’s beautiful and runs perfect. It will get a service and hopefully and decent case soon, even though it’s a piece of crap.

BTW, it is an EB 8800. 

Edited August 20, 2021 by PinLeverPete

[Plato]

On 8/20/2021 at 11:45 AM, PinLeverPete said:

Obvious.

As I said in my first post, it’s a front loaded rear loader. The only way to get it out for service is to drill a hole through the rear case to access the stem screw, which I did.

I’m the first person to see the inside of this watch in almost 50 years. It’s beautiful and runs perfect. It will get a service and hopefully and decent case soon, even though it’s a piece of crap.

BTW, it is an EB 8800. 

It was totally sealed in? No way of removing the crystal? It seems ahead of its time, a manufacturer not wanting anyone to be able to repair it in the future, just buy another.

It's not the best looking watch but very interesting. 

[oldhippy]

On 8/13/2021 at 9:22 PM, oldhippy said:

A piece of crap. 

I was right. 

[RemovedUser10118]

5 hours ago, Plato said:

It was totally sealed in? No way of removing the crystal? It seems ahead of its time, a manufacturer not wanting anyone to be able to repair it in the future, just buy another.

It's not the best looking watch but very interesting. 

The crystal can be removed.

[RemovedUser10118]

5 hours ago, oldhippy said:

I was right. 

What you are is a relic of a time when watchmakers were super pissed about pin levers ruining their trade.

Sorry about that  

 

 

Edited August 22, 2021 by PinLeverPete

[oldhippy]

45 minutes ago, PinLeverPete said:

What you are is a relic of a time when watchmakers were super pissed about pin levers ruining their trade.

Sorry about that  

 

 

That's alright. You have your little moment. 

[RemovedUser10118]

FWIW, this is a project I’m doing for my wife. She loves the mesmerizing kaleidoscope effect (the crystal is also a lens).

Since you’re the boss, where’s the line? Are my 1 jewel Timex Electronics crap? What about the 6 jewel West Germany models? No (0) jewel quartz? Plastic welded or metal bridge? Where’s the line, pal? Are my Seiko 17 jewel watches crap? What about the 23 Lord Matic? Maybe my Hermo with AS 1913 25 jewel is crap, too?

Please don’t post on my threads with the sole purpose of insulting my projects. That’s low class and I’d expect more of someone tasked with the duties of “moderator”.

[Plato]

On 8/20/2021 at 11:45 AM, PinLeverPete said:

The only way to get it out for service is to drill a hole through the rear case to access the stem screw, which I did.

Are you going to seal it back up or fashion an entry hole for future servicing? What material is the case and how good a timekeeper was is after 50 years? It looks pretty robust. 

[oldhippy]

1 hour ago, PinLeverPete said:

 

Please don’t post on my threads with the sole purpose of insulting my projects. That’s low class and I’d expect more of someone tasked with the duties of “moderator”.

It wasn't meant as an insult. I have nearly 30 years experience in Horology as a watchmaker as a clockmaker also as a buying adviser for a top antique shop. I also used to value clocks for insurance. I had a pretty good idea on the sort of movement that would be in that case. I'm sorry if you felt that way. No hard feelings intended.    

[VWatchie]

On 8/20/2021 at 12:45 PM, PinLeverPete said:

The only way to get it out for service is to drill a hole through the rear case to access the stem screw, which I did.

Probably a stupid question, but how on earth could you tell where to drill the hole?

Can't remember exactly in what context, but I distinctly remember having problems getting a movement out of a case as there was now way I could get the stem out first. So, in desperation I unscrewed the crown (with a lot of force) and manged to coax the movement with the stem still attached to it out of the case. I was thinking it could have been a strategy in your case as well, no?

As for what is "crap" or not, have a look at my signature. I don't mean to say Poljot is a crappy watch, but for those wearing and/or working on Patek watches it probably is. As the saying goes; "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder".

I can 100 % vouch for oldhippy when he says "No hard feelings intended". Through the years I've come to know him as a kind-hearted, very helpful, experienced, very knowledgeable, and friendly character.

Edited August 22, 2021 by VWatchie
addition

[RemovedUser10118]

On 8/22/2021 at 3:20 PM, oldhippy said:

It wasn't meant as an insult. I have nearly 30 years experience in Horology as a watchmaker as a clockmaker also as a buying adviser for a top antique shop. I also used to value clocks for insurance. I had a pretty good idea on the sort of movement that would be in that case. I'm sorry if you felt that way. No hard feelings intended.    

I went right off my rocker there, didn’t I?Apologies. 
 

What I should have said is that with my background, I have respect for all these little machines. Even the crappy ones.

[RemovedUser10118]

On 8/22/2021 at 4:53 PM, VWatchie said:

Probably a stupid question, but how on earth could you tell where to drill the hole?

I was betting that my guess was correct regarding which movement was in it. That being the case, I drilled a 1 mm hole where I knew the stem screw would be, then checked under the scope. I was a bit off, so just made the hole slightly bigger (I purposely started small so that I could peek in and adjust position).

[RemovedUser10118]

On 8/22/2021 at 2:14 PM, Plato said:

Are you going to seal it back up or fashion an entry hole for future servicing? What material is the case and how good a timekeeper was is after 50 years? It looks pretty robust. 

The case is some type of plastic, but I’m not going to use it.

I found a nice silver metal case for it and will finish it soon. Too many pots on the fire.

It has lost an average of about 10 seconds per day every time I’ve wound and checked it. It is currently on the bench in a movement holder and sealed in a container. Very soon I will rebuild it and fit it into it’s new case.