Where Have Your "lost" Parts Turned Up?

[Geo]

Welcome to the forum Steve, there are lots of folk here ready and willing to give advice when required. It would be good to know what your specific horological interests are.

[SeveP64]

Cheers Geo. I'm not sure if this is the best thread to introduce myself, but I'm an ex telecommunications tech, with a degree in zoology, who drives buses for a living :) Yes, I've had a varied life. Oh, and my username was a typo :)

 

My main interest at the moment is Russian watches, Vostoks, Pobedas, etc, but I'm getting a kick out of identifying fake Rolexes on that auction website too.

 

Just to keep this post on topic, someone mentioned finding a part in their underwear. My wife's uncle lost his car keys a few months ago. Guess where he found them.

I kid you not.

[oldhippy]

In the past I've found the missing part knowing full well I'd already looked in that particular spot. Looking in the bristles of the brush that you've just used to sweep the floor is recommended I've found other missing parts in there.

[GeorgeClarkson]

Last Friday I was servicing a Landeron 248 movement. All was going well, until I decided to pick up the screw for the flyback lever with the tweezers... I just heard it zipping away and falling on the floor with its characteristic tinning sound, never to be seen again... Since it was late, I went home, to return today with the intention to sweep the floor with an earth magnet. 2 hours later and having swept the whole office floor, I had still found nothing, so I declared the screw "missing in action".... Unfortunately it was a left hand screw, so I cannot simply replace it... I do not have any :(

Edited September 21, 2015 by GeorgeClarkson

[jnash]

I am sure some parts are possessed & have a life of their own.

 

especially when magnetised!

[canthus]

Interesting take on losing parts.  Just been messing about with an old PUW auto/date movement and had assembled up to fitting the date parts, when one of the screws slipped into a hollow post.  Easy just tip it out - no!

The screw had gone in head first and was a very snug fit in the tube.

Tried harder taps, tweezers, pins, rodico, duck tape but nothing would bring it out.

The other end of the tube was covered by the train plate, so I had to virtually fully dismantle again to poke it out.  Got it out but next time a small bit of rodico went temporarily in the hole in case lightening strikes twice!!!!

[fjseal]

At least two months ago I lost an Incabloc spring, and after looking for a while wrote it off as lost.  I have hoovered the area since and assumed the part was gone forever.

Yesterday, on opening my laptop I could not believe that there it was sitting next to the power button!

A complete mystery as to where it has been all that time.

 

[bobm12]

The trick is to work out an exchange deal with the Queen of the Flying Watch Parts! I did and now every time I lose a part, the previous lost one re- appears!  :)

[Paul78]

i spent ages not long ago searching for a movement clamp, to eventually find it laying on the egde of skirting board at the other end of the room, but my best one is i once spent hours on my hands and knees searching for a sub dial hand from a rare model of diesel quartz watch that shot out of the tweezers, i eventually gave up to search ebay, then found it as i was looking down into the toilet while relieving myself to see it stuck to my top between the buttons on my collar!

[steven]

The trick is to work out an exchange deal with the Queen of the Flying Watch Parts! I did and now every time I lose a part, the previous lost one re- appears! :)

This happened to me all the time. I lost a c-clip two weeks ago. Couple of days ago while looking for a lost click spring, I found the c-clip instead. I always imagine I have make a deal with The Borrowers since 1997.

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[jdm]

I had lost a barrel harbor with the barrel screw attached, pushed away by the full force of the main spring. Searched extensively but it didn't turn up, quite surprising as it is a relatively big part.

After a couple days it appeared by the door. It must have been under the edge of it.

 

C-clips, and diashock springs don't even count. These only exist in their replacement boxes 10 at time.

[ramrod]

well. here's one i will NEVER find. i lost a click ball to my seiko diver. i was holding it in my tweezers and POOF! it disappeared.i actually felt it hit my leg as i had short pants on at the time. i didn't even bother to look for it. it's a good thing they sell them in packs of five and ten!

i found out how to retain the balls and spring. since i sew leather, i have some beeswax. i put a tiny amount in the hole and drop the spring in. the wax will retain it. then i put another speck on the spring and mount the ball. at least if the spring is touched, it would catapult the ball. now i have to find out a way to hold it in place while i swage the hole. i'm thinking tape.

[perpetual92]

A KIF spring clinging with happiness on the side of my coffee mug.

[bobm12]

A Klingon KIF! Gosh, they are everywhere! :)