Mix parts

[Murks]

Have a question if someone can help let's say a have bunch a mix parts my wife had drop some of my watch part by mistake  can't remember what movement each part fits some i have a idea some i dont and i cant find any data sheets for few of them how will a manage to find wish part fit what movement. does every watch part have a data sheet  ?

[tomh207]

46 minutes ago, Murks said:

Have a question if someone can help let's say a have bunch a mix parts my wife had drop some of my watch part by mistake  can't remember what movement each part fits some i have a idea some i dont and i cant find any data sheets for few of them how will a manage to find wish part fit what movement. does every watch part have a data sheet  ?

A huge amount depends on what you’re working on. Many, especially vintage or antique movements will have no technical information whatsoever. I’m afraid at best it’ll be a guess/suck it and see situation.

 

Tom

[Neverenoughwatches]

14 minutes ago, tomh207 said:

A huge amount depends on what you’re working on. Many, especially vintage or antique movements will have no technical information whatsoever. I’m afraid at best it’ll be a guess/suck it and see situation.

 

Tom

I grinned at the way the story started " lets say.............  Some how the missus got involved and disaster strikes, sounds not in the least suspicious.  

[Neverenoughwatches]

4 hours ago, Murks said:

Have a question if someone can help let's say a have bunch a mix parts my wife had drop some of my watch part by mistake  can't remember what movement each part fits some i have a idea some i dont and i cant find any data sheets for few of them how will a manage to find wish part fit what movement. does every watch part have a data sheet  ?

No not all calibres have a sheet to work from, age and release are a factor. Its seems you have a complicated mechanical puzzle to solve. Start with aquiring any information you can on the calibres involved. I think i would attempt to assemble all the calibres at once, starting as normal with the barrels of each one. A lot of it will be trial and error, i certainly dont envy your task ahead murks, wish you all the luck in the world. Think of it this way, i bet not many of us have done multiple assemblies at the same time.

[JohnR725]

The unfortunate reality as others have pointed out is that tech sheets did not exist for every single watch ever made. Then even if there might have been a technical sheet typically most of the vintage stuff that's been scanned was scanned for the purposes of parts identification. Often times in low resolution which is not necessarily helpful.

Maybe it would help us who gave us a picture of miscellaneous parts? Then how many separate watches are we talking about here?

 

[Murks]

Not many like a said have manage to sort a few out just parts like the hour wheels and few escape wheels all that staff and to be honest some of them are broken anyway need replacing but if that's the case I'll add some pictures in here maybe you could guess for me a word have though it be complicated without it original movement inside it a though that's what the other choap had said 

Anyway this are some of the parts had got  mixed together a be surprise if anyone can guess what movement does each part belong too just buy pictures but have adapted them to see if anyone have idea a guess 

A have more to add once this have been find in case it to much to take in 

[JohnR725]

I was thinking a picture of the entire everything there must be a watch plates etc. the go with the use. But I give you one this is part of a looks like Rusty Waltham mainspring barrel

Then the escape wheel lets just above that looks cheap if that helps anything at all.

[Murks]

OK thanks I'll send the pictures of the watch movements that I have later maybe you could give me a idea what watch some of this part belong to I'm just working at the moment.

[RichardHarris123]

How many different caliber's?

[Murks]

Have got so many of them you be quite surprised but I'll send you pictures now one second and this happened long ago so I can't actually remember but instead of me blaming my wife it could have been me who had dropped the parts a don't like lies a think it was me when a was doing my house apology to my wife

[RichardHarris123]

I think we all had a sneaky suspicion that it wasn't the wife.  Hehe. 

[Neverenoughwatches]

13 minutes ago, RichardHarris123 said:

I think we all had a sneaky suspicion that it wasn't the wife.  Hehe. 

She ain't here so for embarrassment's  sake lets just say it was

[Murks]

Please don't be annoyed with me a did this when a first started watch repairer had to start somewhere this are all the movements that have lost parts from some of them do have there original parts it just a guessing game a guess

Some the movements have lost them through process of time some parts may not have the original movements because then I was just learning the trade so don't be mad at me you asked me to add pictures the movements that's what have done some movements have already there original so the won't need parts a guess it just a want to find out where some of the misleading parts that are mixed belong to I'll be surprised if you can guess them if you do you lot most me really cleaver people. 

[Neverenoughwatches]

43 minutes ago, Murks said:

Please don't be annoyed with me a did this when a first started watch repairer had to start somewhere this are all the movements that have lost parts from some of them do have there original parts it just a guessing game a guess

Some the movements have lost them through process of time some parts may not have the original movements because then I was just learning the trade so don't be mad at me you asked me to add pictures the movements that's what have done some movements have already there original so the won't need parts a guess it just a want to find out where some of the misleading parts that are mixed belong to I'll be surprised if you can guess them if you do you lot most me really cleaver people. 

Oh wow . If everyone chips in with identifying a part it should all be finished by xmas next year. I will kick it off with this piece, i know it well , its the train bridge from an AS 984.  Admittedly i chose an easy one

Edited February 7 by Neverenoughwatches

[Murks]

Thanks we got somewhere for one  

[watchweasol]

Hang in there Murks, if all the members can identify  1 piece each ?  How long have we got.  We all have a box or two like that. What do is keep them all boxed an lab led if you can and use as a source of spares, in some cases the mix will be unidentifiable by maker/model but if categorised in to pocket / English lever and wristwatch it narrows down the searching for bits. Those I scrapped off I keep whole.

[Endeavor]

Hello Murks;

If I were you, I would start to sort and take out all the screws. I would buy some compartmentalized boxes and put all the pocket-watch screws (3rd compartment from the bottom left) in one compartment and the smaller watch screws (3rd top compartment from the left) in another. Later, a box full of screws may come in very handy.

From the balances which have broken pivots, I would take out the balance timing screw (top right) and cut off the hair-spring studs c/w fixing pins. These timing screw and fixing pins may come in handy.

From all the train-wheels and balances, I would select the ones which are good and would keep those. These come in handy when to learn polishing pivots on the Jacot tool.

I would keep the pocket-watch hands, to learn how to blue watch-hands and they may come handy as a replacement.

Instead of trying to put things back together, I would scavenge the parts which may be of use later, the rest goes in the bin and I would start all over again.

I would see this as a beginner mistake and swallow my losses; "learning money".

I would start with a clean slate.

From now on, I would buy only movements which are complete and in good shape. I would forget about all these "tinkered to death", "incomplete" & "rusted junk" movements. Waste of time and money.

I would keep each movement that I strip in special watch-trays, like these;

I would strip only one or two moments at the time and concentrate on these only, until I'm done with them. Too many projects at one time becomes overwhelming and I would lose track of which is what, what was the problem and which movement needs what?

I would learn all the parts, their names, how to work systematically and precise.

But that is if I were you .......

Perhaps other members do have different suggestions ......

Suc6 in this beautiful hobby

 

Edited February 7 by Endeavor

[Neverenoughwatches]

Just now, Endeavor said:

compartmentalized

Oh yes that word,it just floats my boat, it just rolls off the tongue. I could say it over and over and over

Just now, Neverenoughwatches said:

Oh yes that word,it just floats my boat, it just rolls off the tongue. I could say it over and over and over

and over.

6 minutes ago, Endeavor said:

Hello Murks;

If I were you, I would start to sort and take out all the screws. I would buy some compartmentalized boxes and put all the pocket-watch screws (3rd compartment from the bottom left) in one compartment and the smaller watch screws (3rd top compartment from the left) in another. Later, a box full of screws may come in very handy.

From the balances which have broken pivots, I would take out the balance timing screw (top right) and cut off the hair-spring studs c/w fixing pins. These timing screw and fixing pins may come in handy.

From all the train-wheel and balances, I would select the ones which are good and would keep those. These come in handy when to learn polishing pivots on the Jacot tool.

I would keep the pocket-watch hands, to learn how to blue watch-hands and they may come handy as a replacement.

Instead of trying to put things back together, I would scavenge what may be of use later, the rest goes in the bin and I would start all over again.

I would see this as a beginner mistake and swallow my losses; "learning money".

I would start with a clean slate.

From now on, I would buy only movements which are complete and in good shape. I would forget about all these "tinkered to death" & rusted junk movements.

I would keep each movement that I strip in special watch-trays, like these;

I would strip only one or two moments at the time and concentrate on these only, until I'm done with them. Too many projects at one time becomes overwhelming and I would lose track of which is what, what was the problem and which movement needs what?

I would learn all the parts, their names, how to work systematically and precise.

But that is if I were you .......

Perhaps other members do have different suggestions ......

Suc6 in this beautiful hobby

 

I on the other hand ...... completely agree, this lot is never going to run unless you put in an insane amount of effort and probably money. Seriously more time could be devoted to more viable projects. There is a good amount of generic spare parts there and loads of lessons that can be learnt from the parts that are not identifiable. Swallow your pride, i did when i effed up and move on to better things.

[Murks]

Thanks lads that's what I'll do 

[JohnR725]

9 hours ago, Murks said:

Please don't be annoyed with me a did this when a first started watch repairer had to start somewhere this are all the movements that have lost parts from some of them do have there original parts it just a guessing game a guess

I was kinda hoping for a different picture. I once had one of my watchmaker friends have an issue with three separate watches that were entirely mixed up he couldn't do it I couldn't it wasn't that hard. But you don't have the you have?

As you do not appear to have running watches you basically the best I think you hope for is categories because you have more than one watch in each category. So all he could do is to separate out all the parts of look the same and whether or not you can ever get any of these watches to run maybe the ones that wristwatches it look like they're more or less complete you might build get them but basically really categorize these and put them in boxes labeled parts watches as that's basically what you have here.

Then why should we be annoyed with you?

The future important lesson to learn is probably don't work on so many watches all at the same time. Keep them in separate containers instruct the wife not to play with them unless you'd like to come and help you. Sometimes other people have a much better ROI for finding parts the store manager is the best at finding parts even though she claims her eyesight sucks she's extremely good at finding things. Then you're going to get either a dog or cat cats are really good at playing with watch parts then you can blame the cat for all future things like this.

 

 

[Murks]

A just sorted the pictures a bit better may be now you can see them now clear 

[JohnR725]

On 2/7/2024 at 3:31 AM, Murks said:

Please don't be annoyed with me a did this when a first started watch repairer had to start somewhere this are all the movements that have lost parts from some of them do have there original parts it just a guessing game a guess

Notice I quoted something again you had to start somewhere that's acceptable. You didn't start with great grandfather's priceless vintage something so that's not buried in the picture. Instead you started with a whole bunch of miscellaneous watches and I see a lot a balance wheels without their hair Springs. So basically what we have here is the pictures of the watches you started with that you're now going to sweep off your bench and find some new watches to work on as you learned hopefully something from playing with all these parts but?

When I first started watch repair the instructor George Lewis had all sorts of interesting sayings or comments about things. So he would comment that students would see the glass half full in reference to well in your case the glass is half-full look at all these parts I can build these watches again. Where he would look at this as the glass is half empty and all those parts could be used in other watches.

This is where you have to look at is it worth your time and effort to straighten out your assortment of parts? Or would your time be better spent on finding other watches to work on? I was really hoping he only had one or two watches but you have quite a few which makes it well if you have lots of time I suppose you could try every single part and figure out how to put these all back together again but I don't think some of them would ever run and is it really worth the effort? So not annoyed you started off you learned how to take watches apart some of them you learned how to put back together and now it's time to move on to some new more spectacular and better things preferably learning how to keep the parts separate and secure from external influences of other people cats dogs whatever.