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Main Spring Replacement, What Do I Need?

No8yogi

By No8yogi
in Watch Repairs Help & Advice

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No8yogi WRT Addict

No8yogi

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Evening All

 

I decided this evening to get cracking on a watch that I got for £2 on ebay, it was advertised as a trench watch but you never can tell, I think it may have been a pendant watch that someone attached lugs to, the enamel face is very detailed and beautiful. I used to write everything down as I dismantled things but found this held me up too much so now I use the trusty Iphone to take pictures to help with the reassembly!

 

Here is the watch with the glass removed

 

13091577343_4f15b9bfa9.jpg
 
Untitled by jorritschrauwers, on Flickr

 

 

It also had a neat way of holding the face in place, a half turn on the below odd shaped screws meant the pins were freed and the face fell away (after removing the nice blue hands obviously) I haven't come across this before and it was interesting to see. There is some cracking of the enamel but with the glass in place you can not see that as it is underneath the surround. 

 

picture of the pins

 

13091437625_ff4b19aff7.jpg
Untitled by jorritschrauwers, on Flickr
 
So I carried on taking her apart and got to the main spring
 

13091762424_9bf6e445e3.jpg
Untitled by jorritschrauwers, on Flickr
 
on opening it up can anyone spot the issue?
 

13091776744_d690eb2daa.jpg
Untitled by jorritschrauwers, on Flickr
 
So whilst I get everything into the ultrasonic cleaner and ponder as to whether to re-plate the case I wonder if anyone can help me source a mainspring? How do you measure out what  you need and how accurate do you have to be? I hope to get this one ticking again as whilst a tad mucky and overoiled the rest of the watch is in pretty good nick considering it it probably over 100years old (happy to be corrected on this if people think otherwise)
 
 

13091614483_8cc62fa7d9.jpg
Untitled by jorritschrauwers, on Flickr
 
Thank you in advance
 
Yogi

 

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No8yogi WRT Addict

No8yogi

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Right vernier callipers ordered! In your video on using a mainspring winder you say it's possible to do this by hand, as I don't have a spare £150 and the wife would notice my new tools! Is there a trick to getting the spring back in?

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frenchie Distinguished Member

frenchie

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I did it (first time ever). Yes I am bragging ! Small victories need to be celebrated !

Go slow, be gentle, make sure it doesn't even look like it will kink. Start with the outside and go slow. My fingers were killing me when I was done.

I used a technique similar to the one in the video for undoing the spring, but backwards. Your thumb holds the spring down, and your free hand gently pushes the spring in the barrel about 1/3 of a turn. Then you slide your "holding" thumb 1/3 of a turn to hold the spring down, and you do the other section.

 

I'm gong to do another one next week... I'm already stressing out about it !!! :)

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Marc Distinguished Member

Marc

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If you are buying and installing a new main spring it should come ready coiled inside a washer to a small enough diameter to fit into the barrel. You just place the spring/washer onto the barrel so that the wall of the barrel is supporting the washer and then carefully and evenly push the spring through the washer and into the barrel. Push the outside coils of the spring not the middle and it should just pop into place.

Make that you place the washer the right way up so that the spring coils up in the right direction (clockwise or anti-clockwise) as you only get one shot at this the easy way.

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No8yogi WRT Addict

No8yogi

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If you are buying and installing a new main spring it should come ready coiled inside a washer to a small enough diameter to fit into the barrel. You just place the spring/washer onto the barrel so that the wall of the barrel is supporting the washer and then carefully and evenly push the spring through the washer and into the barrel. Push the outside coils of the spring not the middle and it should just pop into place.

Make that you place the washer the right way up so that the spring coils up in the right direction (clockwise or anti-clockwise) as you only get one shot at this the easy way.

I will try it this way to start with, though I will imagine I will push too hard it will all unwind and I lose an eye!!

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SeikoWatch Super WRT Addict

SeikoWatch

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lol No8yogi... No Marc is right and if you do like Marc said, you souldn't have problems. Myself I tried this way on a Bulova some months ago and no problem. If you have the right size, same lenght, it'll fit on it perfectly without flying and loose an eye :D

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No8yogi WRT Addict

No8yogi

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Measured and ordered let's see!

What I meant to say was that I went on the website but they want $50 to ship to the uk! To repair a £2 watch that is a tad excessive!!

So next question where in the uk can I get a spring that is:

11.15mm barrel

1.45mm high

0.20mm thick

With a regular hook in the centre

Cheers

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Mark Distinguished Member

Mark

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What I meant to say was that I went on the website but they want $50 to ship to the uk! To repair a £2 watch that is a tad excessive!!

So next question where in the uk can I get a spring that is:

11.15mm barrel

1.45mm high

0.20mm thick

With a regular hook in the centre

Cheers

 

What is the length of the old mainspring (including the broken part)?

 

The nearest I can find is 1.4 height with 0.2 strength but for a larger barrel size than you have specified.

 

A GR3882 is 1.40 x .20 x 380 x 15 Non-Automatic but as you can see the barrel (15) is more than 3mm larger. This could mean that the watch would not go for as long.

 

Do a search for "GR3882" on the CousinsUK website or you can give Gleaves a call. Details here: http://www.watchrepairtalk.com/topic/166-united-kingdom/

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Mark Distinguished Member

Mark

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So that's around 290mm length. I would suggest that the GR3882 will be too long for your barrel.

 

Can you double check the thickness - make sure you zero your vernier first if it is digital. In my GR book all the 1.4 x .20 springs are over 380mm long

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No8yogi WRT Addict

No8yogi

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So that's around 290mm length. I would suggest that the GR3882 will be too long for your barrel.

Can you double check the thickness - make sure you zero your vernier first if it is digital. In my GR book all the 1.4 x .20 springs are over 380mm long

Right reset remeasured and measured at a number of different spots and the mean is .17mm

These are new callipers so getting used to them

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No8yogi WRT Addict

No8yogi

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HELP!!

 

13315441934_febdc1cbdc.jpg
Untitled by jorritschrauwers, on Flickr
 
its in good stuff and fits perfectly
 
now I popped the 'windy bit'  (sure it has a proper name arbor perhaps?)
 
and the hook doesnt engage with the spring can I bend it to make it hook up?
 
13315240213_cf7f4450cd.jpg
Untitled by jorritschrauwers, on Flickr
 
13315463714_ca799036b4.jpg
Untitled by jorritschrauwers, on Flickr
 
any advice before I bugger it up by bending it!!!
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