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Another Watch By Me! I Hope You Like It!


DJW

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I finished painting the dial quite some time ago, but was searching for the right combination of components to put it all together!

 

I hope you guys like it, if not, at least, find it interesting!

 

Yes, another Hamilton pocket watch movement converted into a wristwatch. Also, These cases are quite nice and are very well made. The strap is a dark blue crocodile grain leather.

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Thats a really nice watch and the painting is brilliant, the display back is also very nice. Tomorrow's heirloom?

 

Thank you! If I don't start getting some of these sold, I'll be up to my eyeballs in heirlooms! :D

 

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I'm not sure who you bought the case from to be honest. And, there are about 3-4 different cases that all appear to be the same but with subtle differences. I buy the dials from a number of people. And yes, sometimes I buy from the same sellers of the cases. It just depends on what look I'm going for and if that particular seller has something comparable in stock.

As for the dials that I paint, I use the stock Hamilton dials Which, BTW, are usually sterling silver and not brass. And most have solid 18k indices. I keep those too!

 

Are you planning on using a ETA design movement or something like the Hamilton 10s movement?

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It's coming from china and states that it fits Unitas 6497-6498 movements. I will have to do some research on the size of those and compare to what I can find in the ETA line. I am interested in the Hamiltons as I find them absolutely beautiful but I am worried that I would be to rough on the movement having no shock absorbers. I guess I will determine the dail after deciding on a movement and what sub dials it may need. Where do you get your Hamiltons?

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I'm trying to quote your text but something won't let me...Probably Internet Explorer 11!

 

Anyway, other than subtle differences in the inner workings of the Asian ETA's, the Swiss ETA's and the Unitas movements...I believe they are all the same overall dimensions and should interchange perfectly in any of these cases. I will say that I've been extremely impressed with the Asian ETA 6497/6498 (SeaGull ST36) compared to the Swiss versions. I especially like the ones advertised as "Swan Neck regulator" as they are beautiful movements and very reliable! If you were even able to buy the Swiss ETA 6497-2 (high beat Bridge model) used in such watches as Panerai, it would be 10X what the Asian version goes for, roughly $40 a piece.

 

There are a few dials on ebay for the Hamilton conversions. I tend to buy the nice guilloche dial with the roman numerals as it a very classy looking dial for these conversions.

 

 One thing to know is the sub second location for the ETA movements (all these styles, Asian and Swiss) are in the exact same location as the Hamilton sub second dial. The difference is the location of the dial feet. You can use and 6497 dial on a Hamilton 10s movement (917, 921, 945, 923) just the dial feet are in a different location. Some of the people who sells these conversions take some serious shortcuts and use "Dial Dots" to attach the 6497 dials to the Hamilton's. They beak of the dial feet and then basically tape the dial to the movement. I hate this application! I re-solder new dial feet to the dial for use in the Hammy's. If you do it quickly, there is little chance of damaging the finish on the dial with most dials...But not all dials, I know! 

 

I use to buy, and probably will again, on eBay. I just got lucky and have been doing some pocket watch repairs for a gentleman in Tennessee and have been taking these as trade for work. I probably have had 15 or 16 of them in the last 2 months. Of course none were running when I got them! I think I have only one left that I have not gotten running yet, only because I need a few hard to find parts.

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About shock protection....

I agree that it would be nice to have, but if you are careful, it should not be a problem! remember that there were millions of wristwatches made before mass produced shock resistant systems were introduced.

There are a number of people out there who just go 'Ballistic" when someone converts one of the pocket watch movements to a wristwatch. I'm all about keeping purity in these timepieces, but with the price of gold today there are 1000's of these movements around that will never get used for any other reason. Even rolled Gold cases are selling at ridiculous scrap prices!

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another one...I posted a picture of the dial before but finished it Yesterday.

 

The 44mm case and buckle are PVD coated. I also installed a sapphire crystal on the front. I Had to order the buckle to match the case finish, but didn't think about how much larger the tang is compared to holes in the strap I installed. So there's another tool I need! A hole punch for straps...

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Impressive work! Might the hands be clearer if they were red or white? That would be my only change stunning watch

I've tried both colors and it just doesn't look right with these panted dials. These hands are actually pretty easy to see. Their shape and rhodium plating reflects light very brightly. And, if the angle is not right to catch enough light, just a slight movement of the wrist is all you need to reflect the light.

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  • 2 weeks later...

I'll just keep posting my interesting watches in this thread if you guys don't mind!

 

Here is one that I just finished today! As soon as I finished it, I said, "I'm Keeping This One!". My wife said, "You can't make any profit in your little business if you keep all the watches that you like!" She's right of course, but I Really, Really like this one! And, I'll probably keep it anyway!

 

The Howard Keystone movement dates to around 1914 and really is in marvelous condition! I had the original Howard dial refinished to the new wristwatch orientation. The case is 46mm, but really doesn't play that large because of the very thin bezel. I would love to do more of these!

 

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That is a classic and people will still want it in 100 years time,  brilliant.

I agree! If properly serviced, It will be running in another 100 years! More than I can say for that "Smart Watch" I posted about a few days ago! (that will be out of date by next year and no one will even want to wear it!)

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  • 2 years later...
On 3/22/2014 at 1:11 PM, DJW said:

I'll just keep posting my interesting watches in this thread if you guys don't mind!

 

Here is one that I just finished today! As soon as I finished it, I said, "I'm Keeping This One!". My wife said, "You can't make any profit in your little business if you keep all the watches that you like!" She's right of course, but I Really, Really like this one! And, I'll probably keep it anyway!

 

The Howard Keystone movement dates to around 1914 and really is in marvelous condition! I had the original Howard dial refinished to the new wristwatch orientation. The case is 46mm, but really doesn't play that large because of the very thin bezel. I would love to do more of these!

 

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That is one beautiful watch!...Good work DJW.

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  • 5 months later...

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    • Thanks, This watch was in a box of old scrape units that a friend gave me. They used to be his late father's who was a watchmaker before the war and then continued later in life. I picked this one out as it looked like it had potential, and I liked the dial, it's been a bit of a learning curve for a beginner but I was determined to get it going. Now I'm on the final lap it feels good. I'm just wondering whether to invest in a decent set of hand placement tools or stick with the cheap Chinese red thing I have, decisions decision 😆
    • An update, for everyone who contributed advice, and for those who come after with a similar problem. Based on the answers received, I decided to work on the face of the hammer first. I used a square degussit stone to guarantee a vertical surface to work against, and ground the face back until it was square across 90% of the depth. I was conscious of the risk of removing too much material.* After I'd got the shape how I wanted it, I polished the surface with lapping film. To cut a long story short, it did the trick and the hammer hasn't slipped off the cam since. Of course, that wasn't the end of my problems. Have a look at this video and tell me what you think is wrong. https://youtu.be/sgAUMIPaw98 The first four attempts show (0 to 34 sec.) the chrono seconds hand jumping forwards, the next two attempts (35 to 47 sec.) seem "normal", then on the seventh attempt (48 to 54 sec.) the seconds hand jumps to 5 sec. and the minute counter jumps to 1. The rest of the video just shows repeats of these three variants. I solved it by rotating the minute counter finger on the chronograph (seconds) runner relative to the cam.  I'd be interested to hear your opinions on that. It seemed to be the right thing to do, but maybe I've introduced another problem I'm not aware of. * What is the correct relationship between the two hammers and cams, by the way? Should both hammers strike the cams exactly at the same time, or is it correct for the minute counter hammer to be a bit behind the seconds hammer? In this picture, I removed the adjusting screw at 1, and the hammers are contacting the cams simultaneously at 3 and 4. I had to turn the screw down tight to achieve this condition after stoning the seconds hammer and replacing the bridge.
    • It was easy enough to pop off. Once I had the cannon pinion hanging on the blades of the stump, I got my #2 tweezers on the gear attached to the staff and levered it down. That way none of the force was on the brass wheel itself.   I reinstalled it and the bridge, and it looks like a small but reasonable amount of end shake. It also spins easily with a blower. It stops quickly, but I think that's due to the large shoulder and about what I'd expect from this wheel.  
    • Oh, right. For some reason I was picturing a monocoque case in my head. Good looking watch!
    • Well said Ross. My reason for the thread, i like many of us dont want to lose the forum, such a well knitted group of individuals i feel. But things can happen out of anyone's control. Would be nice to have something in place just in case, if anyone has any ideas please speak up. 
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