(Semi) Professional Watch Screwdrivers Recommendations and experiences needed!

[berlintime]

Hi everyone!

Since im starting my apprenticeship in a few weeks I wanted to get myself a good set of screwdrivers for my workbench at home! For the last two years I have been woking on my projects and watches with only four sizes of the ergonomic Bergeon 6899 line! While I did enjoy the lighweight and rubber feature of these screwdrivers, I have heard that the elastomer grip comes loose over the years and I must say that I miss the weight of the tool in my hand! That is why I am looking for a set of full metal screwdrivers which will hopefully.. last me many many years!

Now these are the Brand and Models that interest me the most:

Horotec : Now in terms of Horotec I am really only interested in one set, which is the horotec msa01.218E. This is a 12 size set with 21 replacement blades on a rotating stand. Price wise it is also the maximum which I would want to spend! I really like the knurling however I am not sure about the size of the bearing loaded screwhead, it seems to be a bit smaller/slimmer that what I am used to untill now! Plus points however for the addition of a cheap driver drum for extra handling!

Bergeon: Now I was surprised to find how cheap some bergeon sets can be, but to be honest, im also inclined to buy something else, just because of the hype of the brand and because I would just want to try out a new screwdriver producer! Here I was eyeing at entry set of the 30081 or the higher end sets of the newer 7965 , which replicate Horotecs knurling. 

VOH: There was very little review of feedback about this brand online and I only by chance stumbled upon them. Apperently they are the best of the best? I would love to hear any experiences or opinions on the brand and the quality/durability of their screwdrivers! However I must say the image of this underdog brand does appeal to me!

I would also be interested in the sets that you use professionally, at home or whatever! Please share your opinions or recomendations about any information which you find relevant! And if someone maybe has a spare set lying around which they are willing to sell, I would also be happy about a PM!

Thanks alot!

 

 

[nickelsilver]

I started out before school with some generic "French" screwdrivers, little rotating base with spares in it. In school, we got essentially the same ones but marked Bergeon, little rotating base, spares in it. They seemed a little better quality (the handles), but worked the same. Later, in Swiss school (long time ago, like '99) I plunked down on some Horotecs, the MSA01.201 line, and they were so cool because they had ball bearings in the head. Came in a hinged wooden box, with a tube of spares in it. I thought that was peak tech in screwdriver advancement. They had a little better feel than my old ones, and, they were cool- nobody I knew back in the states had such high tech screwdrivers.

 

Then I moved to Switzerland a few years later, and started seeing what looked like Horotec copies in flea markets, but they were marked "Bob", nice ball bearing heads, pretty much identical. Figured out that Bob had been around a long time (you can tell by the wear on the heads), long before Horotec I suspect. So I got a bunch of those, just to have spares and different ones ground for different things. Some years back, small company I share space with finally bought a set for their lone employee, who is one of the best watchmakers I've met. He was using a set of my old spares up to then. He just kind of stuck a finger on a set in the Bergeon catalog, and they got those. Aluminum handle, plastic head. He was happy as a clam.

 

I think I still have almost all the spare blades that came with my Horotec set, bought some of the smallest ones a couple of times. End of the day, if they are decent, you will be able to work just fine with them. If you are picky, then you will really have to try all the different sets. I bought about 500 bucks of stuff from Slick a year or so ago, and they stuck in a couple of their drivers with alu handles and plastic heads as SWAG, I love them! But not more than my Horotecs, or Bobs, or even my old Bergeons. Whichever one is at hand is A-OK. But they all are in good shape, all the time.

 

You will find that tweezers are the real deal feel issue. For hairspring work, old school carbon steel Dumont or Fontax* are about impossible to beat. For every day work, go for Dumont Dumostar- absolutely worth the jump in price. If you like brass/nickel tweezers for general work (recommended), Dumont 11 or 12 nickel are great. Brass, just about whatever is good. Either way, you will learn quickly how to dress them with a file, they wear quickly. I have Dumont #12s that have lost a good 10-15mm off their length over the years. As they get blunter, they get used for heavier work, and replaced with finer ones for finer work. Same with the fine steel tweezers; one of my favorites are Dumont Dumostar #5 but ground back over time till the tips are like 0.7mm in cross section.

 

*Fontax stopped producing, but they are still active selling off remaining stock. Their Taxal alloy is excellent, about on par with Dumostar, and worth getting if you find some.

 

Also- most folks aren't going to know various makers' part numbers, would be good to include links to the actual drivers/sets you are looking at.

Edited July 22, 2023 by nickelsilver

[oldhippy]

This is what I had and I still have them after about 30 years usage. This is the most popular sizes you will need, you can always add to your set. Mine did come in a wooden box with spare blades, but times have changed.

[berlintime]

1 hour ago, nickelsilver said:

I started out before school with some generic "French" screwdrivers, little rotating base with spares in it. In school, we got essentially the same ones but marked Bergeon, little rotating base, spares in it. They seemed a little better quality (the handles), but worked the same. Later, in Swiss school (long time ago, like '99) I plunked down on some Horotecs, the MSA01.201 line, and they were so cool because they had ball bearings in the head. Came in a hinged wooden box, with a tube of spares in it. I thought that was peak tech in screwdriver advancement. They had a little better feel than my old ones, and, they were cool- nobody I knew back in the states had such high tech screwdrivers.

 

Then I moved to Switzerland a few years later, and started seeing what looked like Horotec copies in flea markets, but they were marked "Bob", nice ball bearing heads, pretty much identical. Figured out that Bob had been around a long time (you can tell by the wear on the heads), long before Horotec I suspect. So I got a bunch of those, just to have spares and different ones ground for different things. Some years back, small company I share space with finally bought a set for their lone employee, who is one of the best watchmakers I've met. He was using a set of my old spares up to then. He just kind of stuck a finger on a set in the Bergeon catalog, and they got those. Aluminum handle, plastic head. He was happy as a clam.

 

I think I still have almost all the spare blades that came with my Horotec set, bought some of the smallest ones a couple of times. End of the day, if they are decent, you will be able to work just fine with them. If you are picky, then you will really have to try all the different sets. I bought about 500 bucks of stuff from Slick a year or so ago, and they stuck in a couple of their drivers with alu handles and plastic heads as SWAG, I love them! But not more than my Horotecs, or Bobs, or even my old Bergeons. Whichever one is at hand is A-OK. But they all are in good shape, all the time.

 

You will find that tweezers are the real deal feel issue. For hairspring work, old school carbon steel Dumont or Fontax* are about impossible to beat. For every day work, go for Dumont Dumostar- absolutely worth the jump in price. If you like brass/nickel tweezers for general work (recommended), Dumont 11 or 12 nickel are great. Brass, just about whatever is good. Either way, you will learn quickly how to dress them with a file, they wear quickly. I have Dumont #12s that have lost a good 10-15mm off their length over the years. As they get blunter, they get used for heavier work, and replaced with finer ones for finer work. Same with the fine steel tweezers; one of my favorites are Dumont Dumostar #5 but ground back over time till the tips are like 0.7mm in cross section.

 

*Fontax stopped producing, but they are still active selling off remaining stock. Their Taxal alloy is excellent, about on par with Dumostar, and worth getting if you find some.

 

Also- most folks aren't going to know various makers' part numbers, would be good to include links to the actual drivers/sets you are looking at.

Hi thanks for your interesting history with tools!

Regarding the screwdrivers I guess the moral of your story is that alot of them are fine as long as you are happy with them! Just as you found joy in your different models, the poor chap who was given the Bergeon ones was happy with those! I guess I will just have to find my own path to "screwdriver" happyness! And coincidentally, I bought a lot of old watchmakers tweezers of Ricardo out of Switzerland last year for my tool collection! Its really cool hearing about the different companys and their quality, especially since I have a Fontax 3 sitting on my table next to me!

Thanks again for you contribution!

1 hour ago, oldhippy said:

This is what I had and I still have them after about 30 years usage. This is the most popular sizes you will need, you can always add to your set. Mine did come in a wooden box with spare blades, but times have changed.

Ah Bergon cool! Thanks for the pic too!

[JohnR725]

1 hour ago, nickelsilver said:

Fontax stopped producing, but they are still active selling off remaining stock. Their Taxal alloy is excellent, about on par with Dumostar, and worth getting if you find some.

I feel sad about this because they're my favorite tweezers. For the most part I found there were basically indestructible although I did break the tip off one prying something in inappropriate fashion. I also like the fact that their nonmagnetic which helps when you're occasionally working on a quartz watch.

screwdrivers is such a interesting subject with people becoming very obsessed with things. Like an obsession with how they should be sharpened for instance. Then several years ago the British horological Institute did a review is screwdrivers I'm attaching a PDF.

in Seattle when I started school we were supposed to purchase tools from the local material houses. For which one of the houses was part of a chain across the US the restroom local. But at the start of each school year they would run out of tools if you weren't careful so I ended up with a bergeon set in a wooden box which I like as typically I just take the screwdrivers out pile them on the bench and use them only going back in the box wine through. A material house as part of a national chain is interesting because they used to have specials years later the set the same set of screwdrivers in the plastic base was $20. So I acquired several more sets of screwdrivers.

https://www.bergeon.swiss/catalogsearch/result/?q=screwdrivers

BHI September 2008 Screwdrivers.PDF