Bad week in watch tinkering. Long post, some complaining.

[Simeon]

I just want to vent slightly after an annoying week  Long post, lots of self-pity.

Started out by being outbid on three different watches on eBay. I normally hunt in multiples, so I can usually get one. In this case, I got 0 out of three. The job-lot of nice vintage watches that I chose not to bid on because I was "definitely going to get one of the other watches" sold for a lot less than I thought it would. Mildly annoying. 

I then started servicing my Olma watch with an ETA 1093 movement. The watch was running OK, just poorly and needed service. Strip down, clean and start to reassemble. Train is installed, runs nice and free. Can run the train backwards by blowing the escape wheel with my puffer. I install the barrel bridge, ratchet, crown and click and try winding the mainspring to watch the action. Train runs ok but then seems to start 'bunnyhopping' (starting and stopping) in the last part of the wind ike something is binding. Can't tell if this is the barrel bridge, there wasn't any sign of rubbing on the plate or barrel. 

Check the oil on all of the individual cap jewels on the pivots, no sign of oil (I had tried oiling with an automatic oiler through the setting). Clean and oil each cap jewel, think that they are now over oiled. Seek guidance from this form. Probably need to reclean and poke oil through the jewels with a fine needle. OK, will do that but let's move on to getting the balance in and see how it runs for now. 

Carefully install the pallet fork, check it's in the lower jewel, place the pallet cock on top - check the pivots are engaged. Add one screw gently, check again, add the other, check again, still fine. Tighten down. Check... the pallet fork was completely stiff! I had pinched the pivots.

Pull the pallet fork out, stare at the pivots- they look ... OK. Reinstall, completely stiff again. OK, order new pallet fork from Cousins.

Carry on with reassembly of the keyless works - what's going on here? The setting lever spring has broken. When did that happen? Don't remember that being broken when I removed it (but then I remember the crown action was a bit sloppy when going into setting mode).

Order the last remaining NOS setting lever spring on eBay after tracking it down (of course Cousins didn't have one). Put this watch on the shelf for completion another day. Basically going to tear it down, clean and reassemble again when I eventually get the new parts.

Move on to the next watch - a Soviet Slava 2427 Automatic. This watch was running poorly and very stiff to manually wind. Removing the auto winding works, it is clear that there is some wear in the reversers as they are visibly wobbling on their posts. Perhaps the posts on the auto bridge are worn? The rotor bearing and post seem OK, with minimal run-out or endshake on the rotor. Having established that the rotor bearing is actually OK, I proceed to remove the bearing post from the auto bridge for cleaning. I quickly realised that this was pointless as it wouldn't make any difference when cleaning so I went to reinstall it. When I press the post into position over the location posts it cracked in half and flew off in two pieces. Wish I hadn't bothered to take it apart. 

I found that Cousins have both the broken post and the auto-bridge in stock but I have already checked out my monthly Cousins order with the ETA, so this will have to wait until next month as I don't want to swallow the shipping costs for just those things. I already have a parts donor movement but this was already missing the entire auto works. Onto eBay to buy another donor. 

Press on with the reassembly of the watch and, in quick succession, lose two of the unusual Soviet 3 arm shock setting springs. Can't find them with my magnetic sweeper because they are made of brass. Finally researched making a tool to install them after this. Find that advice is that you can *only* do it with a tool.

I have one shock spring left on my current donor (I hope the dial side is the same size as the balance setting) so gave up for the week to just periodically glare at the watch on the bench.

Anyway TL;DR I had a bad week and feeling a bit defeated. 

How's everyone else doing?

 

[Neverenoughwatches]

39 minutes ago, Simeon said:

I just want to vent slightly after an annoying week  Long post, lots of self-pity.

Started out by being outbid on three different watches on eBay. I normally hunt in multiples, so I can usually get one. In this case, I got 0 out of three. The job-lot of nice vintage watches that I chose not to bid on because I was "definitely going to get one of the other watches" sold for a lot less than I thought it would. Mildly annoying. 

I then started servicing my Olma watch with an ETA 1093 movement. The watch was running OK, just poorly and needed service. Strip down, clean and start to reassemble. Train is installed, runs nice and free. Can run the train backwards by blowing the escape wheel with my puffer. I install the barrel bridge, ratchet, crown and click and try winding the mainspring to watch the action. Train runs ok but then seems to start 'bunnyhopping' (starting and stopping) in the last part of the wind ike something is binding. Can't tell if this is the barrel bridge, there wasn't any sign of rubbing on the plate or barrel. 

Check the oil on all of the individual cap jewels on the pivots, no sign of oil (I had tried oiling with an automatic oiler through the setting). Clean and oil each cap jewel, think that they are now over oiled. Seek guidance from this form. Probably need to reclean and poke oil through the jewels with a fine needle. OK, will do that but let's move on to getting the balance in and see how it runs for now. 

Carefully install the pallet fork, check it's in the lower jewel, place the pallet cock on top - check the pivots are engaged. Add one screw gently, check again, add the other, check again, still fine. Tighten down. Check... the pallet fork was completely stiff! I had pinched the pivots.

Pull the pallet fork out, stare at the pivots- they look ... OK. Reinstall, completely stiff again. OK, order new pallet fork from Cousins.

Carry on with reassembly of the keyless works - what's going on here? The setting lever spring has broken. When did that happen? Don't remember that being broken when I removed it (but then I remember the crown action was a bit sloppy when going into setting mode).

Order the last remaining NOS setting lever spring on eBay after tracking it down (of course Cousins didn't have one). Put this watch on the shelf for completion another day. Basically going to tear it down, clean and reassemble again when I eventually get the new parts.

Move on to the next watch - a Soviet Slava 2427 Automatic. This watch was running poorly and very stiff to manually wind. Removing the auto winding works, it is clear that there is some wear in the reversers as they are visibly wobbling on their posts. Perhaps the posts on the auto bridge are worn? The rotor bearing and post seem OK, with minimal run-out or endshake on the rotor. Having established that the rotor bearing is actually OK, I proceed to remove the bearing post from the auto bridge for cleaning. I quickly realised that this was pointless as it wouldn't make any difference when cleaning so I went to reinstall it. When I press the post into position over the location posts it cracked in half and flew off in two pieces. Wish I hadn't bothered to take it apart. 

I found that Cousins have both the broken post and the auto-bridge in stock but I have already checked out my monthly Cousins order with the ETA, so this will have to wait until next month as I don't want to swallow the shipping costs for just those things. I already have a parts donor movement but this was already missing the entire auto works. Onto eBay to buy another donor. 

Press on with the reassembly of the watch and, in quick succession, lose two of the unusual Soviet 3 arm shock setting springs. Can't find them with my magnetic sweeper because they are made of brass. Finally researched making a tool to install them after this. Find that advice is that you can *only* do it with a tool.

I have one shock spring left on my current donor (I hope the dial side is the same size as the balance setting) so gave up for the week to just periodically glare at the watch on the bench.

Anyway TL;DR I had a bad week and feeling a bit defeated. 

How's everyone else doing?

 

Welcome to the world of watch repair lol, it does get easier. 

[oldhippy]

We have all had days or weeks like that it's part of life. 

[Neverenoughwatches]

1 hour ago, oldhippy said:

We have all had days or weeks like that it's part of life. 

Thats the universe testing our character and our integrity.  

[Simeon]

15 minutes ago, Neverenoughwatches said:

Thats the universe testing our character and our integrity.  

Actually, this is a good point. Some of the main lessons I have had since beginning learning watchmaking is patience and tenacity. Don't lose your temper, don't give up - try it a different way. These are skills as well. 

[Neverenoughwatches]

2 minutes ago, Simeon said:

Actually, this is a good point. Some of the main lessons I have had since beginning learning watchmaking is patience and tenacity. Don't lose your temper, don't give up - try it a different way. These are skills as well. 

Absolutely,  if the universe thinks we need to learn a particular life lesson to continue growing, it will find a way to teach us it.