What on Earth !? Share your weird "repair" findings ....

[Endeavor]

From time to time, one encounters strange "repairs" or "short-cuts";

Yesterday I opened a show case-back and noticed some white "plastic" in and around the movement

If the O-ring is broken or missing, why not using Teflon-tape ?

[VWatchie]

Perhaps we should interpret it as there are and have been repairmen in the industry who have mostly been there to try to make a living.

[mikepilk]

2 hours ago, Endeavor said:

From time to time, one encounters strange "repairs" or "short-cuts";

Yesterday I opened a show case-back and noticed some white "plastic" in and around the movement

If the O-ring is broken or missing, why not using Teflon-tape ?

 

Great stuff, PTFE tape (Plumbers Tape Fixes Everything) !

[Neverenoughwatches]

3 hours ago, Endeavor said:

From time to time, one encounters strange "repairs" or "short-cuts";

Yesterday I opened a show case-back and noticed some white "plastic" in and around the movement

If the O-ring is broken or missing, why not using Teflon-tape ?

Problem with ptfe, generally in plumbing but it could be with any application of its use i guess, its supposed to seal the threads, which it does when there is no shoulder on a coupling.  But if a rubber ring such as a gasket is used or some kind of brass or fibre washer as with plumbing fittings then the tape can stop the joint pulling up tight. Its often wound on the wrong way and pulls away from the threads upon tightening. Shouldn't be used on the threads of olive compression fittings. Ha plumbing lesson 

[RichardHarris123]

2 minutes ago, Neverenoughwatches said:

Shouldn't be used on the threads of olive compression fittings.

Don't get me started!!!!!

[VWatchie]

59 minutes ago, Neverenoughwatches said:

Ha plumbing lesson

Lost you already after having read three words...

[rossjackson01]

What I can't understand with some of these 'botch merchants'' and I've met a few on my learning curve, is why they don't' use the correct  items. O rings are cheap enough

 

[HectorLooi]

1 hour ago, mikepilk said:

Great stuff, PTFE tape (Plumbers Tape Fixes Everything) !

Along with duct tape and WD40.

[Kalanag]

4 hours ago, Endeavor said:

From time to time, one encounters strange "repairs" or "short-cuts"…

Is this thread meant to be continued by others who found weird repair work?

[Neverenoughwatches]

36 minutes ago, VWatchie said:

Lost you already after having read three words...

Ramblings of a madman watchie, plumbing nothing to do with watches

[Endeavor]

23 minutes ago, Kalanag said:

Is this thread meant to be continued by others who found weird repair work?

Yes, please !

It may learn everybody some more about the "tricks" of the trade

 

Here another one which annoys me since I haven't found an answer on how to fix it

I bought this gold-plated hunter pocket watch with a nice looking movement;

Only to find out, during my service, that the ratchet wheel screw wasn't only of the wrong size, but it had left-handed thread and to make it stick, kitchen aluminum foil was used.

The thread inside the arbor is totally ruined .....

No idea how to avoid this type of "scam".

Edited February 3 by Endeavor

[VWatchie]

47 minutes ago, rossjackson01 said:

What I can't understand with some of these 'botch merchants'' and I've met a few on my learning curve, is why they don't' use the correct  items. O rings are cheap enough

 

The problem is that there are plenty of people who for some reason are into repair without having any intent of doing a good job but instead just make a quick buck. They don't have the patience to measure, place the order, and wait for the delivery.

[Endeavor]

5 minutes ago, VWatchie said:

some reason are into repair without having any intent of doing a good job but instead just make a quick buck.

Could also be your well intentioned neighbor, who in his garden shed has a "go-at-it" and has no clue where to order or what to do

[RichardHarris123]

3 minutes ago, VWatchie said:

The problem is that there are plenty of people who for some reason are into repair without having any intent of doing a good job but instead just make a quick

Plus plenty of people just don't understand the difference between quality work and a bodge job.  It doesn't matter how many good watch repair videos they watch or if someone tried to train them, they just can't see why it matters. 

[rossjackson01]

Just now, RichardHarris123 said:

Plus plenty of people just don't understand the difference between quality work and a bodge job.  It doesn't matter how many good watch repair videos they watch or if someone tried to train them, they just can't see why it matters. 

I made a few mistakes in my beginning. But I would never had offered the damaged watches to anyone. In fact I am now actively beginning the restoration of my own 'botched' work'. I have learned about the pride that servicing and repairing a watch can give.

[Neverenoughwatches]

2 hours ago, RichardHarris123 said:

Don't get me started!!!!!

I could make you really angry and suggest jointing paste on threads

[RichardHarris123]

I was lucky all the people who influenced me in my formative years taught me that there was only one way to do a job.  Correctly. 

[Kalanag]

Recently I serviced a Chronoswiss Kairos with an ETA 2892-2. This watch had a professional service 15 years ago.

During disassembly I noticed that the screws holding the automatic works were loose  

After cleaning and reassembling the movement I found that the automatic works only functioned with loose screws. Searching for the rootcause I found that the „intermediate reduction wheel“ in the automatic works was mounted in a flipped position. Relying on my foto documentation I had mounted it as wrong as it was before.

I successfully flipped the wheel back instead of loosening the screws as my predecessor did 

Edited February 3 by Kalanag

[mikepilk]

Does it show it correctly in the service sheet?

That's why I always take lots of pics. The first time I serviced my Breitling Aerospace I just couldn't get the bridge to sit on the gear train. I was following the service sheet. I double checked the pics to make sure the gears were the right way up - still couldn't fit it. Only when I looked at my disassembly pics did I notice that the service sheet is wrong, wheel 260 is shown the wrong way up.

[Kalanag]

In my case the service sheet was right.