Jump to content

Hi from the new guy

Gattaca

By Gattaca
in Introduce Yourself Here

 Share

Recommended Posts

Gattaca Member

Gattaca

Posted
Posted

Evening everyone,

Been enjoying reading some of the threads and have finally plucked up the courage to join and post.

After being made redundant from my job some months back I finally took the time (no pun intended) to start the hobby that I’ve always wanted to do - try my hand at watch repair etc.

Over the past months I have been buying some old pocket watches and trying my hand at getting them up and running - to mixed results.

I’ve have also been working on a Waltham A11 (I know I hear you shouting, don’t ruin it!). I’m missing some parts though:

- missing stem fixing screw

- missing 1 screw from the pallet bridge 

- worst of all I’m missing the hairspring 

I know parts for these are like rocking horse poo (v rare) but can anyone point me in the right direction? This little watch deserves to come to life again!

Thanks everyone 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites
grsnovi Distinguished Member

grsnovi

Posted
Posted

Welcome to the forum!

While you probably already know that the best way to solve your missing part problem is with an identical movement that has the parts you need. You may not realize that the hairspring and balance were typically matched at assembly. While I was working on an old Elgin I also found out that I couldn't just swap out a complete balance from one movement to another of the same grade since one had a double roller balance staff and the pallet forks were different. The two grade 313 movements had been manufactured 26 years apart.

The screws ought to be easier to solve than the hairspring.

Good luck!

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites
JohnR725 Distinguished Member

JohnR725

Posted
Posted
2 hours ago, Gattaca said:

worst of all I’m missing the hairspring 

1 hour ago, grsnovi said:

You may not realize that the hairspring and balance were typically matched at assembly.

A typical newbie mistake is to assume that all individual components are individual and can be replaced individually. Typically on modern watches they hairspring is individually vibrated that meets its match to the balance wheel it's on. This means that even a modern watch they do very high tolerances you cannot swap they hairspring you will have timing consequences because the balance wheel and hairspring are not matched together

there are exceptions to that if they hairspring is premade because it has an over coil then they can be replaced but? But this means the balance wheel now has to matched the hairspring at one time there what about an assortment of timing screws to allow you to match the balance wheel to the hairspring. Then there would be some fine tuning of trimming the undersides of the screws usually get everything the match in other words it's a lot of work.

The easiest way to deal with the hairspring for the watch you have is something like this

https://www.ebay.com/itm/115166778552

This is a balance complete this is typically the way if you need a balance wheel you would get a balance complete. Just make sure the balance wheel looks like the one you have there tend to be variations in American manufacturing especially with older watches where things well the book may say they're identical but the book is wrong there were variations.

 

  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites
RichardHarris123 Distinguished Member

RichardHarris123

Posted
Posted

Hello and welcome.  My results have been mixed too but I bet it's not uncommon for us beginners. For example, I struggled to get a balance on the right side of the fork and eventually dropped it on the floor.  Tangled hairspring, got it on the correct side first time after that but obviously wouldn't run. Hehe. 

  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Gattaca Member

Gattaca

Posted
  • Author
Posted

You see, I came to the right place! Thanks for the messages, already a good learning point!

I’ll certainly keep you informed.

any tips for a good Vintage(ish) Seiko to dabble with? One that will be a test but where parts are slightly more easy to come by?

Cheers!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Restore formatting

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
 Share
Go to topic listing


  • Recently Browsing

    • No registered users viewing this page.

  • Topics

  • Posts

    • HectorLooi
      Thyme tea

      By HectorLooi · Posted

      I wish to share my experience with thyme tea with everyone. Six months ago when I had my second bout of Covid, my chest was so congested that breathing deeply hurt. Coughing was pure agony. And with a 40°C fever that comes back every 6 hours when the level of paracetamol in the blood falls, I was willing to try anything.  Then I saw this video on YouTube and I decided to give it try. I drank a cup of the stuff and went back to bed. When I woke up about an hour later, I coughed up a golf ball sized lump of greenish-yellow phlegm. And almost immediately, all symptoms suddenly abated. 24hrs later, I was feeling perfectly fine. I repeated an ART test and it was negative. I started recommending it to some of my friends and many of them found it useful, although some claimed it had no effect. I had another round of Covid last week. I tested positive on Thursday and although the symptoms were very mild, I drank a cup of thyme tea just to play safe. And by Friday evening all symptoms were gone. I repeated an ART test and it was negative. If any of you read this, try it out the next time you get Covid or the flu. Let me know your experience with thyme tea. @watchweasol, you might like to take note of this.
    • nevenbekriev
      First movement = First broken movement

      By nevenbekriev · Posted

      The problem is where the arrow shows.
    • ManSkirtBrew
      Listen to that little voice in your head

      By ManSkirtBrew · Posted

      Why is it when that little voice says, "This is a bad idea," we always want to talk ourselves out of it? I had the low blood sugar jitters earlier, but insisted to myself that I'd be able to oil an especially tiny cap jewel on my friend's Omega 1001. With lots of concentration, I nailed it. But when I put the hole jewel on top, it was too much oil and it squoze out everywhere. It didn't spread on the cap jewel much thanks to the epliame I'd applied, so it was more than it looked like from the top. Back in the cleaner, dried, re-epilamed, dried. Time for a second try, but now I was more shaky even than the first time. "This is a bad idea," my brain told me. "Take a hike, brain," I said as I watched the oiler jiggle into my microscope's frame. And just like that, the jewel was a tiddlywink and flew out of sight in the blink of an eye. With a strong UV flashlight and the waste of a lot of time I did find it on my desk, but that's some stress I didn't need in my day. So friends, listen to your body, and listen to your brain when it tells you now's not the time for precision work.
    • Neverenoughwatches
      First movement = First broken movement

      By Neverenoughwatches · Posted

      I dont think Hector means there is an issue with the hairspring at the collet, only that the collet is not centered over the jewel hole. You can check this by unmounting the hairspring from the balance and recentering the collet with the balance jewel. If the coils remain undisturbed then i believe it unnecessary to dismount the collet and only adjustment at the stud is needed to bring the hairspring to shape. If any of coils have been accidentally bent then reshaping of hairspring separately would be required.
    • Terrinecold
      First movement = First broken movement

      By Terrinecold · Posted

      @HectorLooi Thanks.  I do have a microscope. But no camera to show what I see in it.  You are correct that some coils overlap. In particular the outside one where thr regulator pins go  overlaps the previous one. I will try your suggestion.  I am surprised that there is an issue with the collet as I don’t see how I would have messed that up.  I didn’t think the impulse jewel is damaged as I can check it in the microscope. I meant that when I put the balance I am always wondering if I managed to set it correctly in relation to the fork.  Thank you all. So I think I will take @HectorLooi advice and note that the hairspring needs fixing and go practice with my second ST36. In any case this one also has the setting lever screw broken in the setting lever.  I think I’ll also order a dial, case, hands and strap to make a watch out of that second movement.  I see a bunch of them on AliExpress or eBay.  Anybody has recommendations?  
×
×
  • Create New...