£10:10 Club

[gpraceman]

1 hour ago, Waggy said:

looks great, what did you use to polish up the case?

Just my rotary tool with a muslin buffing wheel and some green Dialux.

[AndyHull]

The Swatch Irony Chronograph YCS1000 High Tail Black Dial arrived and received a little attention last night.

It still needs some work, and there are a couple of tiny cracks in the crystal (and since its a Swatch, replacing the crystal is not an option).

However its not bad for a first pass.

There was another issue, the  chrono/sweep second hand was stuck, but a little bit of a jiggle from my Chinese quartz gremlin exorcizer freed it up, and a quick read of the user manual reminded me how to reset the chrono following a battery change, so now it is fully working and looking a lot less of a basket case. 

It may never be perfect, but then who amongst us ever will?

If some of you are thinking, "I'm sure I've seen that face somewhere recently", then this might help you out.

Its the Moon Swatch's older brother, but without the "Honest guv, its not really plastic." case or the trendsetter price tag.

Edited September 11, 2024 by AndyHull

[mpe7383]

Got a submission for the club, as previously featured on the what's coming in the post, this Citizen Valiant

So price criteria met

It's either 1963 or 1973, with the plastic movement ring will probably go for 73, and the movement is the 1802. I've had dealings with this movement before, it's one of those that just will not sit nicely in the movement holder so you end up fiddling around with it until you tighten onto the balance, then you hear the pop and your heart sinks. Learnt my lesson there so made sure the balance was out whilst on the dial side.

Only part purchased was the crystal, replaced the crown which I have a bag full, and the strap was a freebie from cousins. Cleaned up the case, didn't go to town on it but now looks a little more respectable. Beat error was really out and took an age to bring back but fluked a 0.0. I do wonder how fixed stud balances get so far out, this one certainly wasn't loose. End result +5/6, 270, 0.0

Believe it or not, that was the time I took the picture, although I did wait a couple of minutes.

 

[AndyHull]

The 1802 is a good movement to work on. It is broadly similar to some of the Indian HMT movements which are licensed copies of it.

I have a few nice examples of both the Citizen and HMT.

A nice robust and elegant looking watch, and a steal at that price.

 

[mbwatch]

This case and caseback also looks identical to most HMT Kohinoor models.

[AndyHull]

I have a couple of Rajats with similar calibres. In fact most of this little lot have very similar HMT calibres.

[Razz]

Here is my haul from the Friday swap meet and 1st Saturday of the month vintage fair. 11 watches for $9.50US (£7.30) each. They all work except the accutron (hopefully just an accucell which is on its way) and the Gruen with a broken staff) the Illinos pocket watch (from 1919) is missing the crystal and the dial is beat but really runs nice and the movement is very nice. It was part of a lot that was $1 and pulled down the average of the other 10! The Tissot rock watch is in the original box and the receipt from a cruise ship in Jamaica from 1991 shows someone paid $110US. Love the hunt, and then the opening and research into the piece. 

The Ultramar has a Felsa 690 auto with 25 j. The center seconds pinion is broken and seconds hand is missing.

Had the correct new acrylic.

On the Accutron nice case and original crown. It was a presentation piece for 25 years at Goodyear 1975. 25 years for a rolled gold watch. Oh well better than nothing; hope he got a good pension as well.

The Autocrat 

A new bow is on the way as well as crystal.

[mbwatch]

I've been sitting on an Autocrat for over a year, it needs a balance staff after I replaced some jewels but the one I installed initially is incorrect and I have not returned to it.

Finally a worthy contribution:

$10 US, a "Splendor" skin diver in a monobloc case. I was hoping for an EB8800 movement, but could tell by the slow calendar change action that isn't it. I also assumed a 2 piece stem and firmly pulled a 1 piece stem right out! But apparently this is by design? It reinserts and still works correctly.

Also expected a tension ring crystal I would have to blow out, but no it is a basic crystal removable with a lift tool. The dial is pretty marked up unfortunately, and the hands don't look great.

The movement I expected was a Baumgartner 866, but I'm not sure yet what this thing is.

Edit: Ah, the movement must be a Brac 500 series something or other.

[mbwatch]

On 11/14/2024 at 5:18 PM, mbwatch said:

Ah, the movement must be a Brac 500 series something or other.

Okay this comes as a surprise. I don't think a 1 jewel pin lever has any business hitting >320° and knocking 8 hours after full wind. I haven't installed the motion works and calendar yet so I'm hoping those shave 5° off the horizontals so I don't have to find other ways to temper it. I really didn't expect a movement like this to run so well. The mainspring is very thin and super long, so I'm interested to find out its power reserve.

[AndyGSi]

4 hours ago, mbwatch said:

Okay this comes as a surprise. I don't think a 1 jewel pin lever has any business hitting >320° and knocking 8 hours after full wind. I haven't installed the motion works and calendar yet so I'm hoping those shave 5° off the horizontals so I don't have to find other ways to temper it. I really didn't expect a movement like this to run so well. The mainspring is very thin and super long, so I'm interested to find out its power reserve.

Mainspring should be 1.25 x 0.125 but can't find any details on the actual length.

I know you say it's knocking but can I ask what you've got the lift angle set at?

[mbwatch]

5 hours ago, AndyGSi said:

I know you say it's knocking but can I ask what you've got the lift angle set at?

Lift angle is 42.0° as I found documented a couple of places. The photo above was taken just after switching to DU from a vertical position, and just before it gained enough to start knocking again. I'm not too worried yet since I expect the calendar to calm it a little. I can't imagine this watch was ever serviced in its life though, and expect the mainspring is original. I didn't measure it before reinstalling, but it felt much thinner than I am accustomed to on 70's and 80's wristwatch movements. I had to wind by hand because the barrel is quite large, 13 or 14mm and too big for any of my wristwatch winders but with an arbor hook hole too small for any of my pocket watch winders.

[mpe7383]

Another contender:

So here we have a 1950's Zodiac with the FHF 26 movement. Purchased for £10 buy it now, on arrival, as you can see, condition not too bad, there is some of the chrome plating coming away from the case. Movement was running, but somewhat reluctantly. Full strip down and clean, mainly just dried oil with a few hairs thrown in. There is quite substantial wear on the movement plate in the stem/clutch area, so not much I could do about that. Some fun and games with the hairspring, my fault, managed to slip and distort the spring whilst addressing beat error, but managed to recover from that. Like mbwatch's watch, I was surprised with the amplitude on this one at 290.

So nothing spent on the movement and case, everything was usable, however, I don't think the hour hand is correct, doesn't match and a bit too long for my liking, but as it's a £10 watch, I can live with it.

What I did have to order was female spring bars, not had any dealings with these previously. It's a small watch from the period and the lug width is 16mm, so ordered 16mm female spring bars. Wrong, I needed 14mm in order to get past the pins on the lugs. Cousins no longer stock these and elsewhere ridiculously expensive, so took apart the 16mm ones, ground down the tube to required length and re- assembled with the help of the staking set to round the ends back over.

[AndyGSi]

1 hour ago, mbwatch said:

Lift angle is 42.0° as I found documented a couple of places. The photo above was taken just after switching to DU from a vertical position, and just before it gained enough to start knocking again. I'm not too worried yet since I expect the calendar to calm it a little. I can't imagine this watch was ever serviced in its life though, and expect the mainspring is original. I didn't measure it before reinstalling, but it felt much thinner than I am accustomed to on 70's and 80's wristwatch movements. I had to wind by hand because the barrel is quite large, 13 or 14mm and too big for any of my wristwatch winders but with an arbor hook hole too small for any of my pocket watch winders.

It was early and I didn't see the 42.0° on the timegrapher but find it
hard to believe if everything is OK that the amplitude is correct?

[mbwatch]

1 hour ago, AndyGSi said:

find it
hard to believe if everything is OK that the amplitude is correct?

It is correct, confirmed with a slow-motion video and when it knocks it is easy to hear. The thing just has very high amplitude. If I open it again I'll measure the mainspring, but there was no evidence the movement had been disassembled before. Plate screws were factory tight and not a mark anywhere on it.

[mbwatch]

12 hours ago, mbwatch said:

It is correct, confirmed with a slow-motion video and when it knocks it is easy to hear. The thing just has very high amplitude. If I open it again I'll measure the mainspring, but there was no evidence the movement had been disassembled before. Plate screws were factory tight and not a mark anywhere on it.

Final results: after 30 hours, still running 290° horizontal and 250° vertical. With the motion works and in place at full wind it sits at about 328° and hasn't started knocking in DD. For whatever reason, the DD amplitude is slightly higher than DU even though the balance cock has a ruby cap while the lower balance cap is steel. In all, I'm impressed with this cheapo movement.

I just need to get a flat-ish acrylic crystal to put this back together. The hands were filthy but cleaned easily with rodico.

[spectre6000]

Are you sure the balance staff even touches the jewel? It's been a while since I messed with a movement like that, but last time I did, the jewel was just decoration and the staff fit into a conical steel cup. 

A name brand for under £10. Nice! I wonder if some silvering would clean the dial up. 

[AndyHull]

 

This little beauty is on its way. It is apparently "working", which is always a bonus. It just didn't quite make it into the 404 club, but easily qualifies for the 1010 society.

I have no idea what is in it, but it does at least claim to be Swiss and 17 Jewels. I'm going to guess its an EB880, but place your bets ladies and gentlemen.

EDIT: Well 'aint that curious in light of the current situation.

 

Edited December 7, 2024 by AndyHull

[AndyGSi]

13 minutes ago, AndyHull said:

I have no idea what is in it, but it does at least claim to be Swiss and 17 Jewels. I'm going to guess its an EB880, but place your bets ladies and gentlemen.

My guess would be something a little better maybe an FHF.

[RichardHarris123]

I'm on team Andy but which one?  Pin pallet for me. 

[AndyGSi]

1 hour ago, RichardHarris123 said:

I'm on team Andy but which one?  Pin pallet for me. 

Being a 70s watch possibly an FHF 73 Lever?

[Neverenoughwatches]

On 11/18/2024 at 1:58 PM, mpe7383 said:

Another contender:

So here we have a 1950's Zodiac with the FHF 26 movement. Purchased for £10 buy it now, on arrival, as you can see, condition not too bad, there is some of the chrome plating coming away from the case. Movement was running, but somewhat reluctantly. Full strip down and clean, mainly just dried oil with a few hairs thrown in. There is quite substantial wear on the movement plate in the stem/clutch area, so not much I could do about that. Some fun and games with the hairspring, my fault, managed to slip and distort the spring whilst addressing beat error, but managed to recover from that. Like mbwatch's watch, I was surprised with the amplitude on this one at 290.

So nothing spent on the movement and case, everything was usable, however, I don't think the hour hand is correct, doesn't match and a bit too long for my liking, but as it's a £10 watch, I can live with it.

What I did have to order was female spring bars, not had any dealings with these previously. It's a small watch from the period and the lug width is 16mm, so ordered 16mm female spring bars. Wrong, I needed 14mm in order to get past the pins on the lugs. Cousins no longer stock these and elsewhere ridiculously expensive, so took apart the 16mm ones, ground down the tube to required length and re- assembled with the help of the staking set to round the ends back over.

Did you notice the broken jumper spring on the set bridge ?

[mbwatch]

On 11/19/2024 at 8:23 AM, spectre6000 said:

Are you sure the balance staff even touches the jewel? It's been a while since I messed with a movement like that, but last time I did, the jewel was just decoration and the staff fit into a conical steel cup.

I missed this a few weeks back - yes it's a real functional jewel. And on the dial side a polished steel cap "jewel". They are fit into real metal chatons with a shock spring. I have seen the decorative type on an EB8800 before though.

[Razz]

I just can't beleive my luck. A landeron 48 chrono in working order for $10US or £7.83. Picked it out of a box at a swap meet this morning. Seemed gummed up and not working. Messing with it proceeded to drop it on the ground, lucky it hit my foot first and seems to have survived. Only has 2 lugs, but they are on the top of the watch case. Is plated brass so not sure if new lugs can be added or not. Here is what it looked like out of the box.

Then I got it home and started messing with it and changed out the crystal and went through it. Appears to need just a servicing and case work.

The best for last is the dial is pretty spectacular! No water damage.

Anyone hear of Dorex? Is 33.8mm not including crown and pushers.

Edited December 8, 2024 by Razz

[AndyGSi]

13 minutes ago, Razz said:

Anyone hear of Dorex? Is 33.8mm not including crown and pushers.

Have a look at this.

https://connoisseuroftimewatches.myshopify.com/collections/dorex/products/1940s-swiss-vintage-professional-sporting-telemeter-mens-chronograph-watch

[Razz]

4 hours ago, Razz said:

I just can't beleive my luck. A landeron 48 chrono in working order for $10US or £7.83. Picked it out of a box at a swap meet this morning. Seemed gummed up and not working. Messing with it proceeded to drop it on the ground, lucky it hit my foot first and seems to have survived. Only has 2 lugs, but they are on the top of the watch case. Is plated brass so not sure if new lugs can be added or not. Here is what it looked like out of the box.

Then I got it home and started messing with it and changed out the crystal and went through it. Appears to need just a servicing and case work.

The best for last is the dial is pretty spectacular! No water damage.

Anyone hear of Dorex? Is 33.8mm not including crown and pushers.

Another picture the color of the two subdials is the same as the entire dial, just the lighting.