Hello From New Member In West Yorkshire

[MathsBloke]

Hello everyone,

 

I'm thinking about starting watch repair and servicing as a hobby and this looks like the best place to get some tips.

 

I've just bought a Revue Thommen Diver's watch and was thinking / hoping that in a couple of years I might be able to give it its first service - am I being too ambitious?

 

I've looked at courses specifically the BHI Technician and the TimeZone ones but can't decide if it would be just as easy to learn from a book?

The BHI course is quite expensive and the TZ one seems to get poor reviews!

 

Is it worth joining the BHI?

 

Sorry for all the questions, grateful for any comments.

Regards

Bob

 

[Geo]

Welcome to the forum Bob, and thank you for the introduction.

It's a great hobby to get into, and between Mark Lovick's videos, books, and help from members here, you should be able attain the level you require. It worked for me!

[bobm12]

Welcome and ....ditto! 

 

Cheers,

 

Bob

[clockboy]

Welcome to the forum Bob, I have been a member of the BHI for a few years now & look forward to the monthly mag. Very informative with many of the walkthroughs & subjects way above my skill level. However they do run courses but they are expensive and are specific to certain subjects such as basic watch or basic lathe etc and so I have not attended any.

​Enjoy the forum there are lots of friendly & very knowledgeable guys here to advise & learn from.

 

Enjoy.

[MathsBloke]

Thanks for the replies, I decided to join the BHI and look forward to the magazines. I plan to leave the decision about which course until I've finished this years OU module (I'm doing a MSc in Maths). Started asking the relatives if they have any broken watches and clocks that I can practice on :)

[oldhippy]

Welcome to this forum. Not much more i can add most have said it all, apart from starting out repairing. Start on a pocket watch many are like watch movements just keep taking it apart and putting together, get to know what the parts are called and what they are for. Anyone can join the B H I I don't think you have to be a watch repairer or maker. Some one will put me right because I've been retired for many years but I still like to help and always pleased someone has decided to take up this profession. I was more into clocks and I was a watch/clock maker for about 30 years.Ask any thing you like there's many on here that are only to glad to help you out.

[clockboy]

Welcome to this forum. Not much more i can add most have said it all, apart from starting out repairing. Start on a pocket watch many are like watch movements just keep taking it apart and putting together, get to know what the parts are called and what they are for. Anyone can join the B H I I don't think you have to be a watch repairer or maker. Some one will put me right because I've been retired for many years but I still like to help and always pleased someone has decided to take up this profession. I was more into clocks and I was a watch/clock maker for about 30 years.Ask any thing you like there's many on here that are only to glad to help you out.

Yes anyone can join the BHI

[Folkvisor]

Hi Bob

 

I lived in Baildon for a couple of years and taught as a peripatetic music teacher with the Leeds Ed. Auth. I really enjoyed being there.

 

I am doing the TimeZone school. It's OK but I think I could have learned as much watching Mark's videos if I'd've known about them.

 

Have fun - even if you are losing springs and jewels it's still fun...

 

Dave

[WillFly]

Hi Bob - a welcome from me to the forum - nice to see you here.

 

Many people will tell you that a good movement to practice on - just taking it apart and reassembling it - is an ETA 6497 or 6498. These were originally small pocket watch movements which have, in later years, been incorporated into large wrist watches by makers such as Hamilton. You can buy them new from Hong Kong for around £35 - excellent value for the price - or pick up s/h stuff from eBay, and have fun. A good starter movement.

 

Anyway, whatever you choose - enjoy!

 

Cheers,

 

Will

[Folkvisor]

I hope you don't go out on the moor without a hat...LOL

[Folkvisor]

The 6497-1 is the one I started with; it is a very forgiving movement to start on because it's actually quite large compared to some. And I know you can get the Chinese movements a lot cheaper than what I paid for the Swiss-made movement. 

[MathsBloke]

Thanks for all the replies, I'm currently trying to decide which tools I need - some of the prices are a bit eye-watering, especially the lathes!

 

I've watched a couple of Mark's videos and yes, they are very good.

 

As previously mentioned, I've applied to join the BHI but Im still undecided regarding the Technician course - partly due to the cost.

 

I've done a bit of research and if I do the course (including exam) and buy a small selection of tools I'm probably not far off an outlay of £1000 just to get started.

 

So the course might have to be dropped and maybe use Mark's video and information instead - after all it's only going to be a hobby not a profession!  :D

[MathsBloke]

I've ordered the Chinese equivalent of 64971 from Cousins.

 

Another question - are Cousins' tools reasonable quality? I notice that they are considerably cheaper than the Swiss ones.

[Folkvisor]

I'm a piano technician among other things. My experience is that cheap tools are always more expensive because they break and you need to buy the more expensive tool eventually anyway. I'd go with the Swiss ones.

 

Dave

[bobm12]

Hi Bob....from the other Bob! :)

 

My suggestion is to get good quality Tweezers (Dumont) and screwdriver's set (bergeon, horotec...). Those are critical for the beginner and to do a good job on watches without the headache of poor quality tools. I suppose cousinsUK cheap tools are a little, just a little better than most but still cheapo from who knows where. Also, a good quality case and movement holder as well as a good quality back opener and press are necessary. This, right off the top of my head is what I believe is an absolutely most. I'd say US$1000 is not going to be quite enough but for starters it should get you going. You'll see what I mean with time.

 

Cheers,

 

Bob

 

We were posting at the same time but I agree with Dave...some will break, some will make the job harder, some will make you swear more than usual and some simply will not do the job or worth make a mess of it, including hurting yourself or the watch. There is however a minimal chance that a very little number of generic tools would do just right and the chance that if you let yourself go, buy the wrong expensive one...it is all some sort of game of chance sometimes.

[MathsBloke]

Thanks Dave and Bob

 

Yes, I think that I'll go for the quality tools working on the basis that they'll probably outlast me ;) 

 

With regards to the movement holder, the ones I've seen in the Cousins catalogue are like a frame with adjusting screws am I right in thinking that you have to buy inserts of some kind, to match the movement?

 

My apologies if these are dumb questions.

 

Thanks again.

[Folkvisor]

Hi Bob

 

No such thing as a dumb question. Any Swiss made movement holder with one adjustment screw will work for you. There are case holders as well - but you'll probably not need one of those for a while.

 

And you'll probably never need a lathe unless you plan on becoming the next George Daniels. ;-)

 

Dave

[bobm12]

No dumb questions at all...only the ones never asked! :)

 This is the case holder, it comes with the red posts and it is adjustable. The next picture is the movement holder, also adjustable, and in addition it is reversible to accommodate different common movement sizes.

  Of note is that good movement and case holders will make you swear less and a good case opener will protect the watch and yourself regardless if it is a screw on back or a press in back (Now we are talking about 2 different tools in addition to...). since we are not talking chronometers yet, that one is the only movement holder needed for reasonable sized watches. For oversized movements we use a bigger one of the same.

 

Hope this clarifies the holder thing.

 

Cheers,

 

Bob

[bobm12]

We were posting at the same time! :) Absolutely, no lathe for a long time yet!  :)

[clockboy]

Once you own a lathe so much more becomes possible. Also great & enjoyable skills to learn

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[MathsBloke]

This is great information, thanks to all of you.

 

I hadn't actually realised that there was a case holder AND a movement holder.

 

It sounds as though I don't have to worry about a lathe just now :)

 

I think that my credit card is going to be a little dented this evening!

[bobm12]

Careful Bob, some machines may actually destroy your credit card...just rub it gently!  :)

[Folkvisor]

My friend makes and crashes numerous model airplanes every year; that's expensive too. ;-)

[MathsBloke]

I've now signed up for the TimeZone course and if I want more than that afterwards then maybe that's the time to look at the BHI course.

 

It also gives me a good starting set of tools (purchased from Cousins).

 

So looking forward to getting started now.

 

Thanks for all the suggestions and advice.

[Folkvisor]

Hi Bob

 

TimeZone supplies pretty good quality tools. Have you chosen the type of loupe you'd like to use? 

 

I have an Optivisor 4x for most of the work on the 6497-1 movement and it is nice because it fits over glasses and gives binocular vision. I chose the loupe with a 10x and 18x lens that clips on the temple of my glasses for closer work; it was suggested by my optometrist because of my astigmatism. 

 

Anyway, welcome to our world. 

 

Dave