My L&R 111 & #3 Watch Rinse Cleaning Solution Recipe

[AndyGSi]

  On 11/18/2024 at 3:37 PM, SwissSeiko said:

I'm still trying to figure out a way to emulsify the mixture.

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If the soap you're adding isn't enough then maybe something like this would work.

[Neverenoughwatches]

  On 11/18/2024 at 2:06 PM, mbwatch said:

Restoring mechanical watches in general.

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So true

[SwissSeiko]

Here is the makeup of the surfactant I have. I may add this to the solution instead of the Oelic acid.

 

[SwissSeiko]

I wanted to check back in and give people an update on this solution. I decided to omit the dish soap, as I didn't think it was useful and added a strange blue/green deposit to the parts similar to oxidized copper, mostly the plate and bridges. So using just the Naphtha, mineral spirits, ammonia, and IPA, it left yet another strange white deposit on my parts. I was cleaning a Rolex 1030 movement, and it also kind of discolored some of the copper looking wheels. More testing and experimentation is required, but I thought the finish with this was better than what I had gotten with the Liquinox solution in the past. That added black oxidation to some of the steel parts on a Rolex 645 movement I cleaned with it. That was a mistake that took a long time to correct. This was all done in an ultrasonic, heated to 30C and for 6 minuets per cycle. One wash, 3 Rinses.

[nickelsilver]

I can't think of a commercial watch cleaning machine that heats the cleaning solution (or rinse); there is a warming of the solution as an effect of the ultrasonic, but I don't think it hits 30C. Maybe try it unheated?

[SwissSeiko]

  On 12/10/2024 at 3:35 PM, nickelsilver said:

I can't think of a commercial watch cleaning machine that heats the cleaning solution (or rinse); there is a warming of the solution as an effect of the ultrasonic, but I don't think it hits 30C. Maybe try it unheated?

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Thanks, I will give that a try. I have a few more movements to service this week, so ill do a bit more testing. I have the parts coming in slowly for my automatic rotary cleaning machine build, so that might help as well.

[LittleWatchShop]

I need some more cleaning solution, so I am revisiting this topic.  I use L&R products because my dad did, so there's that.  I could try to concoct my own, but life is short (and getting shorter).

Being curious, I read the MSDS for both the L&R Extra Fine and L&R #111 products.  They are the same!  I would hazard a guess that L&R came out with Extra Fine first.  Later they created/re-labeled for the ultrasonic product.

Thoughts??

[SwissSeiko]

  On 1/28/2025 at 7:09 PM, LittleWatchShop said:

I need some more cleaning solution, so I am revisiting this topic.  I use L&R products because my dad did, so there's that.  I could try to concoct my own, but life is short (and getting shorter).

Being curious, I read the MSDS for both the L&R Extra Fine and L&R #111 products.  They are the same!  I would hazard a guess that L&R came out with Extra Fine first.  Later they created/re-labeled for the ultrasonic product.

Thoughts??

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I've put the cleaning recipe on hold for the time being, and I'm using #111 currently. Just too many repairs and services to have time to tinker much with the formula. 

 

Heres the differences I found between #111 and the Extra Fine:

 

#111

 

 

Extra Fine

 

[LittleWatchShop]

Interesting. Also the Naptha % is a little different.

I am going with the extra fine product.