Jump to content

Non working practice watch from charity shop, Citron movement


Recommended Posts

I got a non running Citron watch from a charity shop for practice as i didn't want to mess anything up that was already working as this is my first attempt on a mechanical movemen. If i can pick your brains to try help me get the keyless works to work properly.

When i got the watch, the hands would not turn as when you pulled the stem out, the winding stem would come straight out of the movement,  it couldn't be wound up either.

once i'd taken the movement out of the case, hands off, the two little screws holding the dial on the side are missing the holes are there but the dial is glued on, dial comes away with a razor blade.

I look the movement over with a loupe the first thing i notice is that the reatining clip holding the bottom balance jewel is broken, i'm thinking this is the original reason the watch stopped working.

I start to strip the keyless works down the cover plate first, to me it looks like somebody as already taken it apart then put it back together after not been able to get it working.

I removed the the clutch lever spring, clutch lever and the setting lever. when i replace the setting lever and apply pressure on top with my tweezers and pull the wind stem out the stem doesn't come alway out from the movment, if i move the clutch on the stem with tweezers it allows me to wind the watch as i can feel tension on the main spring, then with clutch moved the other way i can see the hour wheel move when i wind the stem so they seem to work.

I replace the set lever, clutch lever, clutch lever spring then cover plate, the movement now can be wound but when i pull the winding stem out to move the hands it still pulls straight out of the movement and doesn't move the clutch lever, i've assemble and dis assemble the keyless works 4 times with no luck. when i put the the set lever and clutch lever in and apply pressure with teweezers to the top of the set lever it moves the clutch lever as if it's going to work when assembled but each time it doesn't the winding stem pulls straight out, i've checked the winding stem it looks ok.

Does anyone have an idea whwere i'm going wrong or away to check why the winding stem pull straight out of the movement.

I was tidying away as i was working on the kitchen table, put the movemnt back in the case i noticed the balance was moving, so the small bottom jewel needs a a new retaining clip, i think this was the original reason the watch stopped working and who ever took it apart first naffed up the keyless works.

Any pointers for things i can check with the keyless works, this seems to be the main problem now.

 

Edited by valleyguy
Link to comment
Share on other sites

If it doesn't take a lot to yank the stem out of the movement, it would seem that the detent is not engaging deeply enough into the stem recess. There should be a little protruding pin/nub from the bottom side where it engages with the stem. When you tighten the detent screw that pin gets pushed down into the recess. It should hold through a pretty good tug. Then again, if you lubricate things properly (Which I have known do not do.) you shouldn't have to tug particularly hard do get the hands to set.

If that doesn't take you to the cause then you'll probably have to post some images of the keyless work, with an explanation of what is being looked at. Good luck. Cheers.

BTW, I am taking it for granted that this is a Swiss watch, or at least one the uses the Swiss style of keyless works.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

5 hours ago, valleyguy said:

I got a non running Citron watch from a charity shop for practice as i didn't want to mess anything up that was already working as this is my first attempt on a mechanical movemen. If i can pick your brains to try help me get the keyless works to work properly.

When i got the watch, the hands would not turn as when you pulled the stem out, the winding stem would come straight out of the movement,  it couldn't be wound up either.

once i'd taken the movement out of the case, hands off, the two little screws holding the dial on the side are missing the holes are there but the dial is glued on, dial comes away with a razor blade.

I look the movement over with a loupe the first thing i notice is that the reatining clip holding the bottom balance jewel is broken, i'm thinking this is the original reason the watch stopped working.

I start to strip the keyless works down the cover plate first, to me it looks like somebody as already taken it apart then put it back together after not been able to get it working.

I removed the the clutch lever spring, clutch lever and the setting lever. when i replace the setting lever and apply pressure on top with my tweezers and pull the wind stem out the stem doesn't come alway out from the movment, if i move the clutch on the stem with tweezers it allows me to wind the watch as i can feel tension on the main spring, then with clutch moved the other way i can see the hour wheel move when i wind the stem so they seem to work.

I replace the set lever, clutch lever, clutch lever spring then cover plate, the movement now can be wound but when i pull the winding stem out to move the hands it still pulls straight out of the movement and doesn't move the clutch lever, i've assemble and dis assemble the keyless works 4 times with no luck. when i put the the set lever and clutch lever in and apply pressure with teweezers to the top of the set lever it moves the clutch lever as if it's going to work when assembled but each time it doesn't the winding stem pulls straight out, i've checked the winding stem it looks ok.

Does anyone have an idea whwere i'm going wrong or away to check why the winding stem pull straight out of the movement.

I was tidying away as i was working on the kitchen table, put the movemnt back in the case i noticed the balance was moving, so the small bottom jewel needs a a new retaining clip, i think this was the original reason the watch stopped working and who ever took it apart first naffed up the keyless works.

Any pointers for things i can check with the keyless works, this seems to be the main problem now.

 

Hiya vg. You're certainly having a good crack at fixing it matey. Sounds fairly  simple, I'm only a beginner myself, but put a picky up so others can have a look and give you diagnosis. Almost definitely a watchbreaker has had a play lol. Broken shock  spring, missing dial screws and hashed keyless works.

Edited by Neverenoughwatches
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'll take some pics and post them, i think it will be the little nub either it's bent upwards or become chamfered by someone trying to pull the stem out with brute force without pressing the stem release on the movement, so it no longer engages into the stem properly.

Can you get the little retaing clips that retains the cap jewel, i've looked on ebay and cousins but can't seem to find anyone who sells them, are they a generic item one size fits all, where can a get them from.

Thanks for the info, i'm a newbie to watch repair, i've been watching the videos and reading what i can online, i downloaded and printed out the time zone shcool watch parts glossary as a guide, i'm learning as i go.

http://people.timezone.com/mdisher/WatchSchool/pdfs/TZIllustratedGlossary.pdf

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

14 hours ago, valleyguy said:

Can you get the little retaing clips that retains the cap jewel, i've looked on ebay and cousins but can't seem to find anyone who sells them, are they a generic item one size fits all, where can a get them from.

In order to help find parts we need to know which watch were looking for parts for?

21 hours ago, valleyguy said:

Citron watch

Often times the name on the watch isn't actually who made the watch movement. It be nice to have a picture of your watch so we can see if we can figure out what it is.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

15 hours ago, valleyguy said:

I'll take some pics and post them, i think it will be the little nub either it's bent upwards or become chamfered by someone trying to pull the stem out with brute force without pressing the stem release on the movement, so it no longer engages into the stem properly.

Can you get the little retaing clips that retains the cap jewel, i've looked on ebay and cousins but can't seem to find anyone who sells them, are they a generic item one size fits all, where can a get them from.

Thanks for the info, i'm a newbie to watch repair, i've been watching the videos and reading what i can online, i downloaded and printed out the time zone shcool watch parts glossary as a guide, i'm learning as i go.

http://people.timezone.com/mdisher/WatchSchool/pdfs/TZIllustratedGlossary.pdf

 

Hiya vg . The chamfer is usually  at the back end of the stem, away  from the crown to help it slide back in. If there is damage facing toward the crown then someone has given it some welly to get it out so the setting lever is not holding it in position, or setting lever damage.The shock springs are different sizes and different shapes and designs often lost or broken even by pros occasionally. Like John said a picture is needed to ID the movement and then go from there. I think you've just been unlucky and it's had watchbreaker intervention before you acquired it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites



  • Recently Browsing

    • No registered users viewing this page.
  • Topics

  • Posts

    • Yes, barrel size.  A 11mm spring will push out into a 11mm barrel, no need to go 0.5mm smaller. 
    • Hello All, I’m looking for advice about how to interpret the mainspring specs described in the GR documents and in the catalogues of online sellers such as cousins.  My problem relates to interpreting the value describing barrel size - I’m unsure what the last number REALLY refers to.   For example: 1.10x.0105x360x11  (This refers to GR2628-X) Does the “ 11 “ here refer to the barrel inside diameter of the calibre OR to the diameter of the wound mainspring before insertion? For example if my measured barrel inside diameter to 11mm, I would normally select a wound spring size a little smaller, say 10.5, wouldn’t I?  Or, does the barrel diameter described in the catalogue specifications take that into account and I would therefore order a catalogue size 11 for an 11mm barrel ID? Hope this makes sense. I can’t find clarification of this anywhere. Many thanks for any enlightenment. Cheers, John
    • Let's say, like in a watch, you have  a 70 tooth 4th wheel, which needs to make a turn in one minute, with an 18,000 beat escapement. 15 tooth escape wheel as usual, and a 7 tooth pinion on it.   70 x 15 x 2 /  = 300  That's 300 beats, and there are 5 beats per second, so divide and you get 60s, one minute- all is well. If we do 70 x 15 x 2 / 8 that equals 262.5. With an 18K balance, which will let the escape wheel move one turn in 6 seconds, the 4th wheel will have made like 1.14 turns. So the time display is running fast. But this comes to like 7.5 seconds over per minute, which is about double your gain (maybe I'm wrong- I'm mathing on my phone while writing on my phone 😄) but pretty sure the gain is more than you are observing.   A possible culprit is that crown/4th wheel isn't running true, and a tooth is slipping past a pinion leaf once per revolution. I've seen this. If the platform is original and it's a nice piece they are often pinned, so the depthing isn't an issue. If the platform isn't pinned, check the depthing. And at any rate check the crown wheel between centeres and make sure the teeth are running true.
    • Fast responses - thank you. Yes, I mentioned the 18000bph to illustrate that it's not a matter of touching coils, over banking, shortened hairspring etc. I even took off the platform and temporarily fitted a another NOS one also with 8 leaves and beating 18000 but the colossal gain is the same. I'm resigned to buying and fitting a new Gorge platform plus a 7 leaf pinion escape wheel but only if I think it will work; otherwise it's a waste of £200 and a couple of hours work. Hence the underlying question is: all other things being equal, what would the timekeeping effect be? Is it a simple 7/8ths as fast? Logic tells me it is but can it be that linear?
    • Sorry to jump in here guys, but I've read through this whole thread and it seems there are a lot of people who think joining Facebook means everyone will have access to their lives. You could make a Facebook account with a fake name. You could even use your real name if you wanted to and set it to completely private so people can't even find you in a search and you don't have to add anyone as a 'friend', so you won't see anyone's posts. Literally use it to join a group full of members of this site. Admins could even set the group to private and require a password of some sort to gain acceptance into the group, so you can be sure that it's only members of this site that get in. @tomh207 is right, the form with email addresses and names is a bad idea. That will be abused by scrapers. Facebook is only as personal as you let it be. You can be completely anonymous on there if you wish. Don't think of it as Facebook. Just think of it as a watch repair group as that's all you'd use the account for. It doesn't even have to be set up with your current email address. Make a random one on Gmail or any other free provider just for the Facebook account. Tagged you by accident and now it won't let me remove it 😂 @Neverenoughwatches
×
×
  • Create New...