Jump to content

Hello from California!


Recommended Posts

Hello all!

I've been a interested in high end mechanical watches for 10 years or so, wound up with a homage, and when one stopped working I started looking into learning how to swap movements.  One thing led to another, and I subscribed to the Watch Repair course, and here I am!  I figured I would take the class and see if I wanted to go further into the subject.  I'd love to be a watchmaker as a second career, but do I have the ability?  I don't know.   I have confidence working on automobiles, but using those tweezers to manipulate tiny screws and springs has been a humbling experience 🤣 

I've been enjoying reading the forums.  Lots of great information and helpful people.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

5 hours ago, bingbong said:

Hello all!

I've been a interested in high end mechanical watches for 10 years or so, wound up with a homage, and when one stopped working I started looking into learning how to swap movements.  One thing led to another, and I subscribed to the Watch Repair course, and here I am!  I figured I would take the class and see if I wanted to go further into the subject.  I'd love to be a watchmaker as a second career, but do I have the ability?  I don't know.   I have confidence working on automobiles, but using those tweezers to manipulate tiny screws and springs has been a humbling experience 🤣 

I've been enjoying reading the forums.  Lots of great information and helpful people.  

Welcome bingbong. If you already have a mechanical mind then you are on the way. And having confidence in your abilities i find very important, nerves creeping in can potentially lead to silly mistakes. The rest will fall into place as you learn and practise your manipulation techniques with tools. As long as you have the patience to stick with it and stay positive that you will improve. There are so many knowledgeable folk here to help and encourage you when you get stuck.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, RichardHarris123 said:

Hello and welcome.  I've have lost countless screws but with practice and good tweezers I rarely drop them any more.  

Ohoh. I think you've just jinxed yourself.

There is an unwritten rule in watchmaking which is never to congratulate yourself for not dropping things.

  • Haha 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 minutes ago, HectorLooi said:

Ohoh. I think you've just jinxed yourself.

There is an unwritten rule in watchmaking which is never to congratulate yourself for not dropping things.

No rich will be fine, he was touching some wood when he wrote that. (No comment please Richard it is supposedly a day of worship ) no double entendre intended.  

Just now, Neverenoughwatches said:

No rich will be fine, he was touching some wood when he wrote that. (No comment please Richard it is supposedly a day of worship ) no double entendre intended.  

Well ok it kind of panned out like one and i left it alone.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 5/26/2022 at 9:18 PM, Neverenoughwatches said:

I think i may have got just a little carried away. I did actually have about 25 of those already. Ive just had a good look through, there are about 10 that i havent  heard of.

 

17 hours ago, grsnovi said:

Well, one thing I can say is that while you may have been buying watches to deplete your bank account, the tools will also set you back.

Enjoy the constant drain...   🙂

...and welcome!

 

4 minutes ago, Neverenoughwatches said:

No rich will be fine, he was touching some wood when he wrote that. (No comment please Richard it is supposedly a day of worship ) no double entendre intended.  

Wood I. I mean would I.  Hehe. 

  • Haha 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

17 hours ago, bingbong said:

I'd love to be a watchmaker... but do I have the ability?

Hi @bingbong

Starting by watching YT videos, then progressing to taking Mark's online courses should give you an idea. Kinda how I started several months ago. One thing to consider is that the videos posted will usually always solve a problem with beautiful results in less than an hour. We are usually encouraged to pick up movements cheap on eBay which in many cases leaves us with having to do a lot of diagnostic problem solving rather than a simple: 1-2-3 Clean, lube, reassemble BINGO it's done and working fine, no beat error, +/- 1 sec/day.

So far I have enjoyed my interaction with watch movements and have learned from Mark's courses but I'm not certain what the longer term objective is or will be. Am I to constantly be on the lookout for amazing eBay deals in the hope of scoring an Omega Speedmaster for $20 that just needed a cleaning? Or do I want to progress past the three hand movements to day/date complications on up to repairing one of George Daniels tourbillons?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

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.



  • Recently Browsing

    • No registered users viewing this page.
  • Topics

  • Posts

    • Moved in. Now working out the best place to have things so moving around the room makes sense. The wooden movement testing rig may end up being suspended from the roof with some pulleys and ropes that I salvaged from some alfresco blinds that we replaced. I always seem to salvage things from things we scrap thinking, "I have an idea what I can use these for." I hope I'm not the only one that does that. My wife hates me for it. "What are you going to do with all this crap?" Anyway, here you go. If anyone has suggestions for workflow around a room, speak up. All Ideas are appreciated. The bench on wheels will carry either a laptop or my Samsung table for using with the little camera that is on the tripod for photos while dismantling etc. The small bar fridge in the corners going to have water etc in it and I might move the coffee maker from the kitchen out there as I am the only one that uses it. I want to get an ultrasonic cleaner so I may set up some sort of cleaning rig in front of the glass of the sliding door. Where the grandmother clock is currently standing. I'm hoping that I will be able to transition my working area, which is the table that the stool is sitting in front of, fairly easily between clocks and watches. I'll be doing my best to make sure that tools for each are separatedwhen stored. Logistics. I'll have a bit of wall space for being able to hang clocks if I find some that I wish to keep or hopefully at some time to be able to hang customer clocks for monitoring after servicing/repairs. The clock on the left in the blue pillow slip and the grandmother clock are earmarked for  Jarryd and his wife, Sara. He helped me move the benches in today. And then went on to tell me that ticking clocks drive him nuts. Who doesn't like the rhythmic ticking of a clock? I have a green pad for adding to the bench for a working surface. It is not a cutting mat or one of the Bergeon mats. It is actually a green desk writing mat. Was really cheap and will do exactly what I want, I think. I also have to get the sparkies back that put our new stove in to put some power points on the walls behind the benches. Hopefully this is all going to go well. I'm excited about it. It'll beat having to live out in the garage doing it. The other thing I have to do is cut a circle or square of plastic to go over the bouncing watch or clock part black hole in the middle of the floor. I would pretty much guarantee that anything that sproings off the bench would end up going straight down that drain. 😄     
    • So leave off the seconds. Stand the movement on its edge, its the dial edge that rests on the pad ( either rubber or cork , something that wont slip ). Use a finger of your left hand to hold the movement upright,  right hand presses the release and flicks out the stem. I do it this way so i can see what I'm under a microscope. But you could hold the movement between two fingers of your left hand, its the right that has to manipulate the stem out by pushing the release and flicking out the stem with  right ring finger nail. Sounds more complicated than it actually is. I guess you could fix a push pin to something solid, then all you need to do is push the release against the pin, leaving your right hand completely free to pull the stem out.
    • Try putting everything back together and closing the back cover. I think one of the two springs has to contact the metal casing to ground the casing. So when you press the button, it will touch the contact on circuit board and close the circuit.
    • Yes, the seconds hand is the longest and goes almost to the edge of the dial. I can’t quite picture it how you do it on the rubber pad
    • A don't think so it leaked or damaged it because the watch itself works it just the buttons ain't working not connecting with the circuit board have taken more pictures of where the buttons makes contact with the circuit board.
×
×
  • Create New...