Hello from somewhere in the Cotswolds, UK...

[DigitalM]

Hi everyone

I started watching lots of youtube watchmaking vids during covid lockdown to get away from the horror and unbearable news that was unfolding. I'm in my 50's and had a fairly scary early encounter with covid, coming down with it a few months into lockdown as my daughter, who still lives at home and works in the care sector with elderly people, was exposed to it due to all the hospitals discharging patients back into care without thorough checks first. People like 'nekkid watchmaker' and 'wristwatch revival' really helped me to get through, with their love of the craft, natural enthusiasm and gentle humour, in a subject that was a million miles away from the 24/7 covid news misery.

I took one of Mark's courses which was excellent and very easy to follow. I grabbed an ETA 6498 (seagull variant) and tried to disassemble along with the guide. I had such problems with one of the shock springs, eventually losing it, along with the jewel, "somewhere", that it quite disheartened me. Things then got really busy with work for quite a while, and while I carried on watching and enjoying my youtube subs, I left the ambition of watch tinkering to one side.

I think I'm ready to have another go as a while back I bought another whole seagull movement because I couldn't figure out how to buy the new bits – I would have asked for help here but couldn't join this forum for some bizarre email related reason, but thankfully that's been resolved and here I am, saying hi!

I'm frankly scared half to death that I'll just ping another part into oblivion. I'm sure some people won't understand faltering over such a thing, I'm probably just not blessed with confidence on this sort of micro-scale operation, maybe it's because my vision isn't what it once was. I don't seem to have this sort of a nervous issue with almost anything else!

Reading all that back it all sounds a bit of a downer. It wasn't meant to be. Quite the opposite. I can't tell you how much I'm fascinated with the mechanisms and procedures, and I'm very grateful to those who put such great content up - it does way more good in the world than just teaching people about watch repair and servicing. 

Anyway, hello! And thanks for letting me get that off my chest 

Edited April 13, 2022 by DigitalM
grammar!

[Nucejoe]

Welcome to WRT forum.

[grsnovi]

2 hours ago, DigitalM said:

People like 'nekkid watchmaker' and 'wristwatch revival' really helped me...

Welcome to WRT @DigitalM ! 

Those two guys probably are responsible for me being here.

I'm stalled partially through my first watch movement restore due to waiting on oils and tools (all of which should be on their way). Hopefully you'll decide to find a real watch that you'll take on as your first restoration. I decided to skip Mark's walk through and dive in. I have a 2nd grade 313 Elgin in the wings in case things go horrible with my first and I have a Buren 10.5 Grand Prix on the way.

I keep hoping that I'll find something amazing on eBay for cheap that will allow me to wear something that I brought back from the dead that I can be proud of.

[oldhippy]

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

We all look forward to your contributions and continued involvement. 

[Michael1962]

Welcome to the forum @DigitalM

Don't worry about your post and how you think it reads. I have done it as well and I was only looking at doing clocks. Not the microscopic world of watches yet.

It is very easy to forget that you are watching a watch be repaired and it is filling a 14" laptop screen when in reality that enormous picture is actually only about 32mm across.