Standard of today's watch repair 😲

[Neverenoughwatches]

Eyup peeps, hope yous all well. My missus just asked to change the battery in her Michael Kors watch ( yeah i know fashion watch but shes had it a while and it wasn't from me ). This is it's 2nd battery replacement,  the guy that changed it last time I'm thinking decided to try out his new pair of German army trench boots on the movement's surface

[RichardHarris123]

China, finger prints? 

[Neverenoughwatches]

15 minutes ago, RichardHarris123 said:

China, finger prints? 

Haha no not from china, a local watch repairer in town .

7 minutes ago, Neverenoughwatches said:

Haha no not from china, a local watch repairer in town .

He's just pushed the battery in with his fingers. Terrible, what effort is involved with popping on a pair of disposable nitrile gloves. It wouldn't come off, etched onto the surface, bloody dickhead.

Edited December 5, 2023 by Neverenoughwatches

[JohnR725]

5 hours ago, Neverenoughwatches said:

He's just pushed the battery in with his fingers. Terrible

the problem with a lot of the watch battery places are a perception of easy money and no skills required. Plus definitely no real knowledge of watch repair required. Not only do you get a nice fingerprint but whatever else was on his fingers is possibly floating around inside the movement. Quartz watches really don't like bonus material floating around inside.

 

[JackH]

I guess you can't scratch the coil if you use your thumb.

[Waggy]

At least you know who did the work, a fingerprint is better than a signature and will hold up in court, ha ha.

[Neverenoughwatches]

4 hours ago, JohnR725 said:

the problem with a lot of the watch battery places are a perception of easy money and no skills required. Plus definitely no real knowledge of watch repair required. Not only do you get a nice fingerprint but whatever else was on his fingers is possibly floating around inside the movement. Quartz watches really don't like bonus material floating around inside.

 

Much more sensitive to debris, i know . I dabbed away at it with some fresh rodico but it didn't want to come off, i was reluctant to try anything stronger. It might have to become an experiment over the coming years to see what effect salts from fingerprints have. There's always a positive side

4 hours ago, Waggy said:

At least you know who did the work, a fingerprint is better than a signature and will hold up in court, ha ha.

Good point , the missus works for the police so she knows a few socos that could take swabs

4 hours ago, JackH said:

I guess you can't scratch the coil if you use your thumb.

I would preferred a gloved thumb

[oldhippy]

Its about time some one told the idiot you do not handle batteries with your fingers. Wear finger cots or use plastic tweezers. 

Have you tried extracting D N A to see if its human origin.  

[JohnR725]

24 minutes ago, Neverenoughwatches said:

Good point , the missus works for the police so she knows a few socos that could take swabs

actually what would be much nicer to do with the fingerprint is figure out how to transfer it and put it someplace else like at the scene of a crime perhaps. Although the watch does qualify as a crime scene now.

 

 

[Neverenoughwatches]

17 minutes ago, JohnR725 said:

actually what would be much nicer to do with the fingerprint is figure out how to transfer it and put it someplace else like at the scene of a crime perhaps. Although the watch does qualify as a crime scene now.

 

 

I like the way you are thinking John

[Kalanag]

I think all of us can tell stories about some previous butchering done by „unexperienced“ watchmakers 

So it‘s not a matter of today‘s watch repair alone.

Edited December 6, 2023 by Kalanag

[Michael1962]

Certainly not just today. I know when my Seiko from my parents was sent away to a repairer. Would have been over 35 years ago. Yeah, I know. It should have been less than that.

Anyway, the repairers in Sydney, who did a wonderful job, sent me before photos.

1) small 'C' clip missing that should have been there and was not floating around inside the watch.

2) 2 small missing screws. Again, not trying to be flotsam.

3) issues with the lume which were never addressed when the watch was opened up. I'd have gladly paid to get the lume repaired.

4) A very poorly machined pusher tube. The pusher was with the watch when it went away. When it came back, two pieces were one so one would assume all is good in watchtown. Oh no. Machine a new pusher tube for some reason and it looked like it was glued into the case. Until it fell out again, only then was the evil game afoot.

5) Some other things, but they could have been quite easily down to the abuse of a teenager.

Anyway, the next time it gets opened up, it will be by me.

[oldhippy]

I expect its been about since the beginning of watchmaking.  

[Neverenoughwatches]

8 minutes ago, oldhippy said:

I expect its been about since the beginning of watchmaking.  

There's always been a difference between pretend tradesmen and real tradesmen. Most often you only find out which one you've had after the work's been done. 

[ColinC]

"The gasket had just been thrown loose inside the back of the case"...

I bought my wife a quartz Tag Heuer watch as an eternity gift over 18 years ago.  She wore it all the time (in the shower, swimming etc) so I have always left the battery change to the dealer who gives us a pressure test certificate after each battery change. Over the years they have charged us a few times for gasket changes and even a replacement crown and stem (I have the old one!) but always done the work in shop and not gouged us for the service....

This year they said it failed the pressure test and would need to be sent off for a new gasket (at a cost of $150+). We declined and she stopped wearing the watch daily (knowing she would forget to take it off).  Instead she has been wearing a Citizen Automatic Mickey Mouse watch which is a restoration project I did on a watch she chose!

I ordered a pressure tester from Ali express and decided to have a look at her watch. When I opened the case I found the gasket had just been thrown loose inside the back of the case!
I inspected it and could see a it had little damage to it so I replaced it. I put it in the tester and it comfortably passed with no leaking bubbles at 3 BAR.

She is now under instructions not to take Tag watch on beach holidays and go from the hot sun into the cold water, but outside that I am confident it will continue to survive her normal abuse and I now own more kit!

Edited December 6, 2023 by ColinC

[JohnR725]

5 hours ago, ColinC said:

This year they said it failed the pressure test and would need to be sent off for a new gasket (at a cost of $150+).

interesting that the watch would have to be sent a way for a gasket doesn't that seem a bit strange?  just one gasket for 150 I think maybe I should go into the gasket changing business looks like some good money there

5 hours ago, ColinC said:

I ordered a pressure tester from Ali express

can we have a picture I'm curious what your pressure tester looks like.

 

 

[RichardHarris123]

10 minutes ago, JohnR725 said:

just one gasket for 150 I think maybe I should go into the gasket changing business looks like some good money there

I'm willing to do it for £80.

[ColinC]

Has paid itself off already! - You need to work out how to use it (see YouTube videos....)
But once you understand it, it is quite safe for watches that are not up to scratch. 

You pressurise the chamber with the watch above the waterline, then wait a few mins for things to equalise (they will if the watch is not properly sealed)
Then you dunk the watch and slowly release the pressure.  I have had a few watches that start to show small bubbles forming around the case back or around the glass after I have released a bar or 2 of pressure - in those cases I abort the test by lifting it back up above the water line and releasing the rest of the pressure,  I then wipe it dry. No water actually enters the watch.

Edited December 6, 2023 by ColinC