Someone who doesn't know their limits, joining the hobby

[neevo]

Hello everyone!

I have a history of biting off way more than I can chew, but I am happy to report I have pretty much (eventually) fiinshed the projects with big success. This has generally been vintage audio over the past 10 years as I have bought basket case equipment and brought it back to life. Generally as a way for me to afford the items, build something special and learn new skills and aquire more tools! I am lucky as I have built a machine shop in my garage, so can do most things these days, but watches is a new level of complexity altogether.

Here is a link to my McIntosh rebuild for anyone interested: https://audiokarma.org/forums/index.php?threads/mcintosh-c20-can-and-should-i-bring-it-back-from-the-dead.833130/

Link to the end result: https://audiokarma.org/forums/index.php?threads/mcintosh-c20-can-and-should-i-bring-it-back-from-the-dead.833130/post-16406066

Watches in never something I have had... I always thought my wrists were too small. However a mate gave me a Garmin as a way to track lap times for racing Enduro (motorbikes) and I just got used to wearing it on my wrist. So I started ot explore options for something more traditional. This led me down a rabbit hole of looking at vintage watches to see the sort of aesthetic I liked and fell in love with the Omega Seasmaster 300. Shame as I seem to be about 10 years too late on the trend to build a homage (frankenbuild), but nevermind.

Over the past few months I have had a great time building 2 watches using parts from China and I wear them every day. I have now gone down the path of pulling my NH35 apart so I can start to get used to servicing movements. More tools are required but that suits me down to the ground. Plus these tools can all be packed in to a box, unlike my lathe, milling machine and welders!!!

Really enjoying it so far, loads more to learn and I have to get used to a scale that blows my mind considering the tolerances on items you struggle to see with your eyes.

I am also working on building my Seamaster 300. Have my 565 movement on the way already and working out how I can build the rest of the parts without moving away too far from a genuine homage build.

Edited December 6, 2024 by neevo
Typo's

[CYCLOPS]

Hi, welcome to this forum, there is a lot of help and experience here, those Omega's are nice and still sought after, parts could be an issue though, you can do this!

[clockboy]

Welcome to forum, enjoy.. Myself amongst my many interests I am also an audiophile enthusiast with my cd,s, vinyl collections cataloged.

[RichardHarris123]

Hello and welcome from Leeds, England. 

[neevo]

17 hours ago, CYCLOPS said:

Hi, welcome to this forum, there is a lot of help and experience here, those Omega's are nice and still sought after, parts could be an issue though, you can do this!

Yeah that’s what I’m finding. But I also had the same issue when I restored the McIntosh, and luckily I’ve built some connections that might be able to help.

For example; I can’t find a flat, white text on black background date disc for my 565. So I’m going to see if I can have an original date disc redone. The process won’t be the same but I’m sure I can replicate the artwork precisely.

[Kimmoth]

On 12/7/2024 at 1:28 PM, neevo said:

I'm sure I can replicate the artwork precisely.

How?!

This claim blows my mind. What sort of tooling gets this job done?

 

[AndyGSi]

1 hour ago, Kimmoth said:

How?!

This claim blows my mind. What sort of tooling gets this job done?

 

A very steady hand.

[Neverenoughwatches]

1 hour ago, Kimmoth said:

How?!

This claim blows my mind. What sort of tooling gets this job done?

 

I think the expression "artwork" might have misleading thoughts. From what I can decipher the plan is to add ink to the numbers of a date ring. And as Andy said can be done with a steady hand , I've touched up missing colour to date ring numbers. Not sure if I fancy colouring a complete ring. What is interesting is dial printing, so check out "Saving Time" on the Tube. An interesting humorous guy that has dials restored with the help of a wee French lassie. 

[tomh207]

1 hour ago, Kimmoth said:

How?!

This claim blows my mind. What sort of tooling gets this job done?

 

Likely photograph the disc and get it into CAD to trace the design and sizing, one option from there is to chemically etch or laser engrave a cliche for a pad printer.

 

Tom

[neevo]

10 hours ago, tomh207 said:

Likely photograph the disc and get it into CAD to trace the design and sizing, one option from there is to chemically etch or laser engrave a cliche for a pad printer.

 

Tom

Correct. That was my thinking but I don’t have a plan yet. However I have a great design guy who can likely find the fonts. He did on my McIntosh restoration.

Then reprinting the disk will be the tricky part. Again I have a print guy who does my McIntosh panels and I might see if it’s possible to UV print, gerber or laser etch the font.

Edited December 8, 2024 by neevo

[Kimmoth]

10 hours ago, tomh207 said:

laser engrave a cliche for a pad printer

Here we go; this is the sort of info which transforms unknown unknowns into known unknowns. Never knew a cliche could be a physical thing, or heard of a pad printer. 

As for doing it by hand, that just sounds like, 'and then I do magic' to my ears...

[Knebo]

I've used this technique from our host to print a "minute disc" for my jump hour watch:

 

[neevo]

My Omega 565 came in. Wow what a stunning piece of engineering as well as a flat out gorgeous (to quote Marshall) looking piece too.

 

I was taking the automatic bridge off and realised my screwdrivers were not really sharp enough to get on to the screw heads properly. Luckily I have a machine shop so I grabbed some Acetal, a couple of bearings, a set screw and made a screwdriver sharpening jig. I sized it so it would run on one of my non precision stones. It works perfectly.