Another newbie

[KenD]

Hi, all. Thought it was time I take a moment to introduce myself.  Been collecting watches for years but recent retirement (unless the rat-race catches up with me!) gives me time to delve inside which I have wanted to do for a long time.

Work to date has been:

Light restore on a pocket watch, 1903 from the hallmark.  It wasn't running and was brown instead of silver when I started. Now running sweetly and keeping decent time.  Still need to do something about polishing the crystal though. Will Polywatch do it on a mineral crystal?

Bought a £14 Chinese automatic movement on Ebay to practice and learn. After cleaning, re-building and lubricating also running very well, well enough to now be in a watch my niece brought me back from Singapore.

Serviced the automatic works on a Tag Heuer Calibre 5 (Sellita SW240 movement).  It wouldn't hand wind without spinning the rotor dangerously.  Now winding happily without replacing the reversing wheels, although I have new ones to go in if needed.

All that was to prepare me for the first important one.  1956 Longines with a 12.68Z movement.  My father's watch which he wore all through my childhood up to the late 80's.  I always liked the crackle effect on the dial, that's not patina, that's just the dial. Only service seems to have been in 1971 from the marks inside the case back.  Whoever did that service bodged it a bit. One of the screws in the pallet bridge is broken off level with the mainplate.  I need to get the remains of the screw out and get a replacement screw at some point but it's been like for 50+ years to date and it's only worn once or twice a year now.  Other than that it has some wear on the barrel hole in the barrel bridge, which I understand is common on these movements. Really happy with the time keeping although I'd hoped for a higher amplitude and I'd like to do something about the 1.2ms beat error, but as it means manipulating the collet, that's a bit beyond me for now.

When the Longines is cased-up, next on the list is a gold Helvetia with an 800C movement, which I think is 1940's. Also my father's (he had good taste) and also not serviced since 1971.  There's an 800C Helvetia on Ebay I'd like to pick up just in case this one also holds a surprise when stripped.

Anyway, hi to all.

Ken

[RichardHarris123]

Hello and welcome from Leeds, England.  Nice collection.  Look up watch screw extractor.  For the mineral glass crystal, you need wet and dry or different grades, plenty of videos on how to do it. 

[watchweasol]

Hi welcome to the forum, nice collection look forward to your input

 

[CYCLOPS]

Welcome, nice Longines, get the screw extractor mentioned or drill it out carefully, thankfully there are 2 screws holding the bridge down...