Early Durowe 7423 broken click spring - hacky temporary fix

[TimpanogosSlim]

Sometimes the "well there's your problem" issue is immediately apparent. 

Going through watches accumulated years ago, opened up a Buren manual wind watch containing a Durowe / INT 7423. Click doesn't click. 

Dr. Ranftt's database indicates that later versions had integrated click and spring, and i can see why. 

If I were a liar, i could claim that probably a previous investigator installed the click wrong and flattened the spring. But no, it's clearly broken. 

And filthy! lots of liquid oil all over the barrel bridge. 

My initial thought was that maybe the wire crescent style click spring could be retrofitted and that maybe i have a spare from a parts movement, but i don't. 

Yes i know i should just replace it. I have already found a couple sources. I'm on it. 

But a guy's gotta try, particularly when considering that it might be weeks before a replacement spring gets here, but i want my gratification to be instant!

So i bent it. It works. Not sure i should be proud of that. 

Timegrapher said it was running 300+ seconds a day fast. There is a lot of random crud in the barrel along with the drenching of oil - maybe remnants of an old grease?

There are at least 4 service marks on the inside of the case back, so someone cared for this early 70's piece for at least a while.

[TimpanogosSlim]

Took less than 3 weeks for the replacement to get here from Garofalo in Italy. 

They sent me 10 of them taped to a bit of soft tissue in an envelope. 

I can see why these are the "early" version, why they are out of stock in the states, and why they sent me 10 of them. They are such bullshit. The first one i installed broke straight away. 

So if anyone needs one, I can send them two in a crush-proof container of some kind. 

The Borel database indicates that they fit several Durowe / International movements starting with 74 and 75, several Standard Time movements, and a few wittnauer and universal movements: 

http://cgi.julesborel.com/cgi-bin/matcgi2?ref=X_ZDXDSI

Edited January 22, 2022 by TimpanogosSlim

[dross2]

I have an old Vantage watch with the Durowe int 7520 movement.

I tried your trick of bending the end but the spring crumbled into many pieces.

I have been searching to Purchase this spring but all I can find in diagrams is a different shaped spring. I would be happy to purchase several from you if they are still available.

Also do you know the part number. I am a novice at repairs and still exploring the internet for watch part sources.

Thanks.

Chip Rosselli