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New hobbyist with a question about Agassiz movement

intruder58

By intruder58
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intruder58 New Member

intruder58

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Hi all.  I'm a newbie to watch repair but really enjoy this forum.  After retiring 3 times, i decided to take up watch repair.  I'm in the process of making all the mistakes I'm sure everyone else has made, but I enjoy the challenge.  I recently acquired an AGASSIZ movement SER 122815.  Engraved with Tiffany & company on the movement and a very handsome dial with Tiffany & Co. on the face.  I'm trying to figure out how to service the main spring barrel, but have never seen one like this.  Any thoughts on how to proceed?  And OBTW, I need a winding stem as well.   Any thoughts would her appreciated

 

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watchweasol Distinguished Member

watchweasol

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Hi  And welcome to the forum,  It is a handsome watch  indeed.  The barrel has attached a "stackfred" in the old parlance, what this does is limits the wind to the center part of the spring therfore maintaining the same tension on the train. There is no full pressure on a full wind and conversley as the normal spring winds down the pressure diminmishes. . so by that the use of the "Maltese cross work" ( another name for it) the watch uses the even pressure from the center of the spring.  From memory I believe it takes six winds of the Key/crown

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oldhippy Distinguished Member

oldhippy

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2 hours ago, watchweasol said:

Hi  And welcome to the forum,  It is a handsome watch  indeed.  The barrel has attached a "stackfred" in the old parlance, what this does is limits the wind to the center part of the spring therfore maintaining the same tension on the train. There is no full pressure on a full wind and conversley as the normal spring winds down the pressure diminmishes. . so by that the use of the "Maltese cross work" ( another name for it) the watch uses the even pressure from the center of the spring.  From memory I believe it takes six winds of the Key/crown

It also prevents the arbor from slipping off the mainspring. 

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nickelsilver Distinguished Member

nickelsilver

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This is a rather high grade movement, I wouldn't recommend it for learning on. Parts will be unavailable, I would imagine the stem would need to be made.

 

But if you want to proceed, the ratchet wheel should pull off the barrel arbor, it's held by the square, and kept from coming off by the barrel bridge. it could be a bit of a fight getting it off though, as it's been in place probably for decades. You would then grip the square in a small watchmaker's vice, and turn the barrel so that there is no pressure on the stop finger, remove the finger, then let the barrel unwind, noting how much pre-tension was applied. Most mainsprings will develop 6 turns of wind, and this stopwork allows 4 turns, so it would be typical to have one turn of pre-wind and then the stopwork will stop before the last turn, leaving one turn that doesn't get used.

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    • Neverenoughwatches
      Stem removal after fitting hands

      By Neverenoughwatches · Posted

      That's the right technique Mal 👍 If you are ok with a loupe ( which I'm not ) then pick up the dial in your left hand and make a tripod holder out of 3 fingers and then exactly how Mal and me described with your right hand, press and flick out the stem at the same time. You need three fingers to do this, i use my ring ring finger , sounds like mal uses his little finger, just whatever you feel comfortable with. The key point and dangerous side to this is the tweezers or driver slipping off the release screw. Stablise your left arm by resting your elbow on your bench, so that you can hold the movement horizontally flat, use a x5 loupe to view  and good light so you can see well and have a good tight fitting screwdriver to push the release down. Or as suggested a pusher mounted solid upside-down somewhere then all you need to do is push your movement up to it. I'll rig something up in a bit to show you what i mean.
    • Neverenoughwatches
      Leaving the forum for a while.

      By Neverenoughwatches · Posted

      Thanks Michael, shes a real soldier, it would take a tank to knock her off her feet.  Shes surprised even me and i knew she was a tough cookie.  Good for you Michael, you keep at it. I've been reading your posts re. your watchroom they're inspiring and it doesn't matter how long it takes you to get there its about the journey. Rome wasn't built in a day, our watchcaves are our solitudes, our own little empires where we can shut ourselves away from the crap that goes on around us in the world. I look forward to seeing you progress, I have my own ideas how i like to do things. But in answer to your questions on that thread, just let your workspace evolve around you and how you work. You wont figure it out straight away but you will know when to change it and when to leave it alone. But most of all just enjoy it.
    • Malocchio
      Stem removal after fitting hands

      By Malocchio · Posted

      That can be tricky. Sometimes I hold the movement from the edges in left hand and with right hand I push the release with tweezers and simultaneously pull the stem out with right hand pinky or something. 
    • PeterS
      Stem removal after fitting hands

      By PeterS · Posted

      I see what you mean. I must admit I’m not entirely comfortable with that but I can’t see a better method than what you suggest. I’d like to see something like this mirror with a short spike: https://www.cousinsuk.com/product/mirror-for-observing-movements Place it on, push the spike on the post with one hand and release the stem with the other hand. Minor problem, it doesn’t exist.
    • Michael1962
      Leaving the forum for a while.

      By Michael1962 · Posted

      Hope you mum keeps on mending. I was adamant that I was going to get myself going after my stroke. I was only 52. I still have a lot of life left to live. Some people give up. Some people don't let it beat them. Your mum sounds like one of the winners. 👍
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