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New to Watchmaking, but have very detail oriented background and want to dive in.

Icecruncher

By Icecruncher
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Icecruncher New Member

Icecruncher

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I have well over 25 years as a locksmith and retired as a CRL and senior locksmith with our company of about 12 locksmiths, due to health issues . I also dabble in building lasers, origami and vintage computers... SO my wife thought this would be a good match for my skill set. We will see, but it does interest me and I love hacking and working on old things.

I opened my first safe about 25 years ago, among other things, it had a Hamilton 992b in it, that the owner gave to me, beautiful watch and I still have it and it has increased my interest in watchmaking since then.

I am currently homebound. I love to learn anything, usually by reading but I also ask lots of questions, which is why I'm here.

 

 

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oldhippy Distinguished Member

oldhippy

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Thank you for your introduction and welcome to this friendly forum.

We all look forward to your contributions and continued involvement. 

I always suggest you start with pocket watches (not the fusee type) the movements are like bog standard watch movements only much bigger you do not need to repair them just get used to using your watchmakers screw drivers, tweezers and eyeglass, practice taking them apart and putting together. 

This will help you to get to know the parts and there names.

1033305402_TZIllustratedGlossary(1).pdf

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watchweasol Distinguished Member

watchweasol

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Hello and welcome to the forum. some years ago I taught my self to pick liocks and made a set of picks, I am still trying to make a powered scrubber though from an old electric tooh brush.

In addition to the document posted By OH I have added a couple more for your liberary.

Witschi Training Course.pdf 1612608791_ToolsfortheHobbyist (2) (1).pdf

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Icecruncher New Member

Icecruncher

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Thanks, everybody.

Locksmithing and watchmaking have lots of crossover. All safes that are on a timed opening use a triple mechanical watch movement. Also part sizes can be similar (down to .030), just not nearly as many parts in most locks. Tolerances can be similar and they both require lots of detail and precision. But the balance/pallet fork scare me 🙂

I bought an old langendorf to practice with. It runs accurately, but not terribly long.

I have a long list of tools I want to purchase. That is one of the things I love about this and locksmithing is the VERY VERY cool precision tools.

IMG_0180.jpeg

s-l1600.jpg

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jdm Distinguished Member

jdm

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1 hour ago, Icecruncher said:

 That is one of the things I love about this and locksmithing is the VERY VERY cool precision tools. 

Unfortunately branded and vintage watchmaking tools are also very expensive. There are various pinned topics in the tools section to cover the most common ones, with a an eye to the actual cost / benefit they bring to an hobbyst beginner.

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Nucejoe Distinguished Member

Nucejoe

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 You say you are new to watch making, I see both pieces you show say adjusted,  one of them in six positions plus temp, this indicates good grade pieces. Adjusting to so many positions is a job, usually entrusted in hands of master watchmakers. 

I suggest you start with two pieces of the same caliber, in fact you have dome excellent if you acquire enough dexterity and knowledge to adjust in two positions in 16 months. 

 

Good luck pal.

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luiazazrambo Super WRT Addict

luiazazrambo

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Blacksmiths -> Locksmiths -> Clockmakers -> Watchmakers 

Watchmakers are the grand daughters and grandsons of Locksmiths. This is how the watches naturally developed from turret clocks.

Welcome, this is the place you belong to. 🙂 I am on a trip but when I get back to home I post the title of two books worth reading about the history of clocks and watches. ( Must be many more out there but I only have these two. )

 

Edited by luiazazrambo
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Nucejoe Distinguished Member

Nucejoe

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10 hours ago, luiazazrambo said:

Blacksmiths -> Locksmiths -> Clockmakers -> Watchmakers 

Watchmakers are the grand daughters and grandsons of Locksmiths. This is how the watches naturally developed from turret clocks.

Welcome, this is the place you belong to. 🙂 I am on a trip but when I get back to home I post the title of two books worth reading about the history of clocks and watches. ( Must be many more out there but I only have these two. )

 

I took a look at the Hamilton, its an overcoil on anulare balance and staff is broke, so it requires staff replacement, which entails bunch of other work like static poise of an anulare balance then perhaps dynamin poise.

Material may need to be removed off the rim.....

I'd be surprised if our newbie friend already masters the neccessary skill to actually build a decent balance complete .

Regards

 

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jdm Distinguished Member

jdm

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15 hours ago, Icecruncher said:

All safes that are on a timed opening use a triple mechanical watch movement.

Just curious, maybe more like alarm clocks than watches?

 

1 hour ago, Nucejoe said:

I took a look at the Hamilton, its an overcoil on anulare balance and staff is broke

Sorry, how do you know that the staff is broken?

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JohnR725 Distinguished Member

JohnR725

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On 12/22/2021 at 1:41 AM, jdm said:

Just curious, maybe more like alarm clocks than watches?

More like pocket watches definitely not alarm clock. Ranging in quality from absolute stunning beauty to very functional but not necessarily pretty. Then later generation which is battery-powered digital display but still has a mechanical mechanism.

For anyone it's curious there's a really nice book at the link below.

https://www.amazon.com/American-Genius-Nineteenth-Century-Locks/dp/1593720165

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Michael1962 Distinguished Member

Michael1962

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On 12/22/2021 at 9:28 PM, Nucejoe said:

Refer to the first image, the jewel in cock setting is not in center of balance rim.  

Regs

I noticed that as well, but only after you mentioned that it did not look right. I thought it looked odd, but I would not suggest that the staff was broken without some other evidence I would think? Glass half full and all that.

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jdm Distinguished Member

jdm

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Below a zoomed picture of the OP's Hamilton 992

Screenshot_20211227-135108_copy_438x544.png.57728fb3e8580af62ac989a4fe4f2d14.png

The balance jewel appears to be perfectly centered, only there is some reflection or what else on the chaton. 

The OP said nothing about it being broken, so we should should assume it's working fine thankfully. 

In any event, the visual tell-tale of a broken balance staff is not about the jewel, but the balance rim leaning on a side.

 

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