Dilemma

[Ammar]

Hello everybody,

Last year I posted about a Dogma ladys watch that had a bad balance.

 

I've been trying to find a balance ever since with no success it seemed to me like it's impossible to find a parts movement with a good balance  I literally have like 8 movements laying around with broken balaces.

I finally managed to find a donor movement but I am scared of taking the balance off and oiling the end stones and messing up the balance again, what would you do if you were me?

Also, on the new movement, the main bridge is jeweled at the second wheel hole but in the same time I like the engraving on the original movement, Should I go with the jeweled bridge or keep the one with the "Dogma" stamp but no jewel.

(I know that I can buy parts off ebay but the difference in currency and shipping would cost me more than what I've paid for the 9 movements combined together)

 

file:///C:/Users/Mohammad%20Dalati/Downloads/20201013_105829.thumb.jpg.fed4c6244026bd24c23e8ba750eedd67.jpg

 

[Nucejoe]

Hi Ammar, 

 These two variants differ in that the old one has fixed stud holder and the new one got mobile stud carrier ( beat adjustor). I go with the newer version and replacing the gears bridges should technically make no difference. 

Good luck.

 

[Ammar]

8 minutes ago, Nucejoe said:

Hi Ammar, 

 These two variants differ in that the old one has fixed stud holder and the new one got mobile stud carrier ( beat adjustor). I go with the newer version and replacing the gears bridges should technically make no difference. 

Good luck.

 

Yup, the mobile stud is a plus, I didn't notice it when I bought the watch though, I was so excited to notice tbh, the difference between those two movements is that the old one is FEF 250 with a sub seconds hand an the newer on is FEF 250-1 with no sub seconds hand, and as pointed out by you looks like the stud carrier is another difference between those two. 

Oh and also the capped escape wheel and jeweled second wheel, it's a nice movement overall. 

[Neverenoughwatches]

44 minutes ago, Ammar said:

literally have like 8 movements laying around with broken balaces.

Eyup Ammar when you say broken balances what are we taking about ? 

[Ammar]

1 minute ago, Neverenoughwatches said:

Eyup Ammar when you say broken balances what are we taking about ? 

Broken pivots and mangled hair springs, it's a mess and I;m not the one who caused it I'm just unlucky.

I think you are saying that I should've  put a hair sprig from one movement on a balance wheel from another which I considered but all the balance wheels I have are broken, the mind boggles.

[Nucejoe]

I usually let the condition of dial plate factor in heavily.

Just now, Nucejoe said:

I usually let the condition of dial plate factor in heavily.

Balance completes interchange.

 

[Ammar]

1 hour ago, Nucejoe said:

I usually let the condition of dial plate factor in heavily.

 

I'mnot sure I understand what you want to say.

[Nucejoe]

1 hour ago, Ammar said:

I'mnot sure I understand what you want to say.

Sorry ,   I was talking about which one of the two watches I assemble to a complete watch.  if the subsecond dial looks better I assemble that to a watch, by the same token I go with the center second if its dial looks better. 

 

[Neverenoughwatches]

3 hours ago, Ammar said:

Broken pivots and mangled hair springs, it's a mess and I;m not the one who caused it I'm just unlucky.

I think you are saying that I should've  put a hair sprig from one movement on a balance wheel from another which I considered but all the balance wheels I have are broken, the mind boggles.

All the staff pivots are broken ?

[Klassiker]

Change the staff on one of the balances with a good hairspring. Don't interchange the hairsprings and balances if you can avoid it.

[Neverenoughwatches]

4 hours ago, Ammar said:

I'mnot sure I understand what you want to say.

As Joe and Klassiker have said, the hairspring should really stay with the balance wheel. But then you will have to buy a new staff and fit it. The hairspring is matched to the balance wheel, swapping them around will give you timing issues. But this may still be better for you than changing a staff. 

[Ammar]

14 hours ago, Nucejoe said:

Sorry ,   I was talking about which one of the two watches I assemble to a complete watch.  if the subsecond dial looks better I assemble that to a watch, by the same token I go with the center second if its dial looks better. 

 

Yes The sub second dial is way better and that's what I used actually, I serviced the movement yesterday but the hair spring is bunched to one side even though the coils look absolutely fine when its off, so I'll have to investigate that on Monday.

 

13 hours ago, Klassiker said:

Change the staff on one of the balances with a good hairspring. Don't interchange the hairsprings and balances if you can avoid it.

 

12 hours ago, Neverenoughwatches said:

As Joe and Klassiker have said, the hairspring should really stay with the balance wheel. But then you will have to buy a new staff and fit it. The hairspring is matched to the balance wheel, swapping them around will give you timing issues. But this may still be better for you than changing a staff. 

Yea I know that but I was thinking of it as a last-ditch effort if I don't manage to find a balance complete, I cant fit a staff because I don't have the tools to do it unfortunately.

And yes all the staffs I got are broken it might be a problem with this particular movement I'm not sure and couldn't find anything online about it, it's a nice movement though I enjoyed working on it even though I absolutely hate ladys watches.

 

And by the way, if anybody needs parts for FEF 250 movement apart from the balance just let me know I have loads of them. 

[Neverenoughwatches]

49 minutes ago, Ammar said:

And by the way, if anybody needs parts for FEF 250 movement apart from the balance just let me know I have loads of them. 

Around 8 i guess.  You were determined though i would have stopped at 3  

[Ammar]

Just now, Neverenoughwatches said:

Around 8 i guess.  You were determined though i would have stopped at 3  

Well here's the situation, I'm as stubborn as an old mule so if I put something in my mind it's going to be done somehow. I also was planning to give this watch to my mum but I got her another one so I told my fiance that I have a nice vintage watch for her and you know women she has been nagging me about it for a while so I had no other choice.

[Neverenoughwatches]

12 minutes ago, Ammar said:

Well here's the situation, I'm as stubborn as an old mule so if I put something in my mind it's going to be done somehow. I also was planning to give this watch to my mum but I got her another one so I told my fiance that I have a nice vintage watch for her and you know women she has been nagging me about it for a while so I had no other choice.

Haha bless you Ammar, she will be over the moon with it when its finally finished.  Finally.