Starter movements and models

[Klassiker]

38 minutes ago, LuigiMeister2800 said:

Would this be a good start:

Exactly what I had in mind.

[RichardHarris123]

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/176170783993?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=QTMw8FgmQ8S&sssrc=4429486&ssuid=ygnih7yitds&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY

[tomh207]

@RichardHarris123

damn you Richard! Are you trying to bankrupt me?

 

Tom

[LuigiMeister2800]

28 minutes ago, tomh207 said:

Yup had another look and it indeed looks like a FHF 96 from the engraving under the balance. I like the look of it so if you decide not to go for it let me know

Tom

 

1 minute ago, Klassiker said:

Exactly what I had in mind.

I bought it!!!

Phew, what a journey this has been and I've not even started yet

Thanks everyone for your help and opinions, what a great forum, so nice to see such an active community, happy to have stumbled upon this.

@tomh207 I'll try not to destroy this beauty, it would have 100% been better off in your hands  

[tomh207]

1 minute ago, LuigiMeister2800 said:

 

I bought it!!!

Phew, what a journey this has been and I've not even started yet

Thanks everyone for your help and opinions, what a great forum, so nice to see such an active community, happy to have stumbled upon this.

@tomh207 I'll try not to destroy this beauty, it would have 100% been better off in your hands  

Don’t bet on it, I’m one of the folks who needs the knowledge before I jump in to get the experience, then I am in my happy place. I have done some minor repairs and such but not a full service or revision yet. It will come and for me and the way I learn and approach things it usually works out.

 

Tom

[JohnR725]

5 hours ago, tomh207 said:

FHF 96

https://17jewels.info/movements/f/fhf/fhf-96-st/

 

 

[spectre6000]

23 hours ago, LuigiMeister2800 said:

Also an interesting take on the subject, but I guess for me it would be like finding a needle in a haystack when not really knowing what to look for. I did a quick search on ebay and a LOT came up. From Disney Frozen stuff to RARE vintage Russian watches  

My analysis paralysis seems to be growing by the minute.

I know the ship sailed, but for the future when you or anyone else is looking for the same thing, you just gotta know what to look for a little. My preferences are:

- European (usually Swiss, occasionally French, German, English, etc.) movement, fully jeweled. That means it's decent enough quality that it'll be serviceable. I'm sure a lot of Japanese watches would qualify as well, but I'm not as familiar with them. There certainly are a lot that come up though, and mostly with all stainless cases (see third point).

- Look closely at photos of hair spring and/or make sure the second hand moves around between photos (sometimes there are no movement photos). Pay attention to details like screws/lack of screws. Lots of borked up screws means someone was in there that shouldn't have been. Empty screw holes, ditto.

- I like to try to find watches with fully stainless cases. That weeds out a lot of junk right there, and when you're done you stand a chance of it looking presentable.

You end up sifting through a lot of junk to find the gems. That's part of the fun of it. Grab a beer, put on a good record/tv show/whatever, and go for a nice evening scroll.

Edited January 12 by spectre6000

[Neverenoughwatches]

34 minutes ago, spectre6000 said:

I know the ship sailed, but for the future when you or anyone else is looking for the same thing, you just gotta know what to look for a little. My preferences are:

- European (usually Swiss, occasionally French, German, English, etc.) movement, fully jeweled. That means it's decent enough quality that it'll be serviceable. I'm sure a lot of Japanese watches would qualify as well, but I'm not as familiar with them. There certainly are a lot that come up though, and mostly with all stainless cases (see third point).

- Look closely at photos of hair spring and/or make sure the second hand moves around between photos (sometimes there are no movement photos). Pay attention to details like screws/lack of screws. Lots of borked up screws means someone was in there that shouldn't have been. Empty screw holes, ditto.

- I like to try to find watches with fully stainless cases. That weeds out a lot of junk right there, and when you're done you stand a chance of it looking presentable.

You end up sifting through a lot of junk to find the gems. That's part of the fun of it. Grab a beer, put on a good record/tv show/whatever, and go for a nice evening scroll.

We think alike, although i do like the challenge of pin pallets, can be veery frustrating but rewarding if they eventually run ok. Initially i would ignore anything that didn't have a crown and stem, had a broken crystal , had worn plating to case and back, a dial that was askewed ( yorkshire skew wiff ) , a dial that had obvious scratches, missing markers, missing printing, missing hands, the hairspring looked rough, missing screws, missing jewels, missing shock springs,seller stated that the balance is broken, anything in pieces all this apart from if it was just to practice on and not a restoration to wear. But now after a few years of learning collecting tools and basic stock almost anything goes.

[Neverenoughwatches]

This Sekonda is the first watch i ever took the back off to look inside and see what was there, coincidentally that moment was 50 years before i actually repaired it 30 months ago.At that young age of 5 or 6 i remember looking at the jewels and wondering why they were inside and not outside where they could be seen. It was also the first watch i  repaired and made tick after 50 years of not running, inside parts of it now look like it was attacked by a mad axeman. Not far off the mark as i used a dremmel to cut out the rusted solid stem. It was also the first watch i almost ruined by cleaning in soapy water as suggested by a youtuber and using poor quality oils, six weeks later it stopped working. After 2 more repairs ,a few replacement parts it has now been working consistently for 2 years with good accuracy and a full power reserve of 48 hours. This was my grandfather's watch. So all this was the complete opposite of what is usually suggested to start with.  I don't disagree with starting to learn on a new fully working unsentimental watch, it just might not be for everyone, maybe only 99% of people .  Should i have started with a new working watch to avoid or limit  those first mistakes , would i have learnt as much to date by doing that and sticking to more recent less battered and abused watches ? Definitely not, i believe the watches i chose to try fixing has forced me to learn how to. Maybe thats just how i figure stuff out, around 50 watches repaired and half a dozen casulties later i feel i did ok with my method.

[LittleWatchShop]

On 1/11/2024 at 8:15 AM, oldhippy said:

Any thing like this as you can see it has a bridge plate movement, its a Waltham and there are plenty of spare parts, the photo is a high end grade but you can get them with hardly any jewels I think as little as two. 

While I agree with recommending pocket watches, I would not recommend this one.  It has a two-piece barrel arbor that 'can be' a real pain.  And, they are typically expensive...north of $100

I would recommend something like this.

 

[RichardHarris123]

How different we all are.  I've never skied, doesn't interest me,  but if I did, this is how it would go.  Two runs, one the beginner slopes, then **BLEEP** to this? I'm  hitting the  black slopes.  Hehe, that's me. 

[JohnR725]

8 hours ago, LittleWatchShop said:

I would not recommend this one.  It has a two-piece barrel arbor that 'can be' a real pain.  And, they are typically expensive...north of $100

Most of the Waltham's of this time have mainspring barrels that are a pain. This one being a 21 jewel would be worse. Something of this style but preferably not a Waltham would be A better choice.

[oldhippy]

I see where you are coming from I made a bad mistake. But a bridge movement is a good suggestion. I will now go and hide in the corner. 

[JohnR725]

2 hours ago, oldhippy said:

I see where you are coming from I made a bad mistake. But a bridge movement is a good suggestion. I will now go and hide in the corner.

I believe were in the safe zone that means you don't have to hide in the corner. This is the friendly where everything is acceptable. If that watch was cheap enough it would be fine it would have some minor challenges though but anything of vintage is going to have challenges. the particular bridge style I would prefer something in the 16 size range would be fine. I'm just not a fan of Waltham watches for the most part definitely not a fan of their mainspring barrels. So as you're in the safe zone you can't go hide in the corner well you can but not in the safe zone all answers are welcome here. Okay to be technically correct all polite answers are welcome here which is what your answer is so you're fine.

[Neverenoughwatches]

2 hours ago, oldhippy said:

I see where you are coming from I made a bad mistake. But a bridge movement is a good suggestion. I will now go and hide in the corner. 

Lol, ok you've had time to reflect in the naughty corner, its time to come out now. Besides it will be my turn soon and there is not enough room for both of us

7 minutes ago, JohnR725 said:

I believe were in the safe zone that means you don't have to hide in the corner. This is the friendly where everything is acceptable. If that watch was cheap enough it would be fine it would have some minor challenges though but anything of vintage is going to have challenges. the particular bridge style I would prefer something in the 16 size range would be fine. I'm just not a fan of Waltham watches for the most part definitely not a fan of their mainspring barrels. So as you're in the safe zone you can't go hide in the corner well you can but not in the safe zone all answers are welcome here. Okay to be technically correct all polite answers are welcome here which is what your answer is so you're fine.

best answer so far John, kind and diplomatic .

[B52]

Well, according my experience lets start with big ones and then continue to smaller. So lets start with an alarm clocks.