Watch Hand Press

[Davey57]

What do people think about presses for fitting hands?  I sometimes find it difficult to get hands on nice and square. I am using one of those double ended tools with the holes in the end and find they don't have much "feel" to them and I admit that on occasions I do find I have more control using tweezers. Yes I know, sorry!

I just thought that at least with a press everything should be nice and square and then it is just a matter of applying the right amount of pressure.

[Geo]

I've used both methods, but prefer using a press.

[rogart63]

I prefer the double ended tool? Have a Bergeon that i use most of time. I don't now if i am doing the right thing. But sometimes a can adjust the sitting of a hand by pressing a little on the front to lower it or on the back to rise it. Just that little adjustment. 

[Marc]

I use my staking tool to keep things square, and by selecting the appropriate size hollow flat I can make sure that the hand are only pushed onto the top of the pipes. There is even a plain brass tipped stake which I use for seconds hands.

[oldhippy]

I never used a hand press, I don't think they were about in my time, I always used tweezers and never had problems.

[WileyDave]

I'm thinking about buying a mid-priced press, (the amount of use does not justify laying out big coin), since I have learned with tweezers, but finding it more difficult with sweep hands, I have tried stakes also with good results. A press would speed up process.

[Davey57]

The reason I was asking is because I had some chrono hands to fit and I have not done any before. Just tried today and managed ok, sort of had them hovering about near enough in position on a piece of Rodico then nudged them into place and pushed them on with a cocktail stick with the end squared off flat. Had more trouble with the hour hand. I am not sure if a press would have been an advantage with the tiny chrono hands, it might have just obscured things. I do still fancy trying one for normal sized hands, and if I do another chrono it might help.

[digginstony]

I use to use tweezers until I lost a minute hand on an old waltham pocket watch. It was a bit of a tight fit and was probably using too much pressure. The thing pinged off into the unknown and to this day I have never found it. Now I use a staking set. Tweezers are excellent for adjusting minute hands up and down.

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[Davey57]

I was wondering about using a staking set. I did get mine out today and pondered whether to give it a try. It did look as if the movement would be quite close to the edge, but still enough to support it ok.

Wouldn't you think that you would be able to get plastic tipped punches to use as hand pushers for a staking set?  I suppose that you have as much chance of marking the hands using tweezers as you would with the end of a punch. I think I will have a go at fitting some hands with the staking set tomorrow. 

[oldhippy]

In one of my staking sets I had I had a single punch with a plastic end, the staking set was Japanese.  

[MWNAWR]

If your budget is tight and you don't do this procedure often, I would suggest sticking to the tweezers or double ended tool from Bergeron. Hope this helps.

[ausimax]

I use an El Cheapo hand press from China, does the job for me, I also have a double ended hand fitting tool with plastic/rubber tips use it quite often when I'm to lazy to grab the press I also use it for setting second hands, have an old home made oiler with a blob of rodico on the tip, hold the hands with that and just press them on.

 

Those chrono sub hands are a real pain in the **BLEEP**, had to change the movement in a Seiko with a 7T62 movement, the dial is only located and secured by the dial feet pushing into holes in the plastic mvt surround, every time I tried to case the movement the dial would move and flip off the sub dial hands, took about 6 tries and I was really p--- off from refiting the hands even considered gluing the dial on!

 

 

Max 

[Davey57]

I use an El Cheapo hand press from China, does the job for me, I also have a double ended hand fitting tool with plastic/rubber tips use it quite often when I'm to lazy to grab the press I also use it for setting second hands, have an old home made oiler with a blob of rodico on the tip, hold the hands with that and just press them on.

 

Those chrono sub hands are a real pain in the **BLEEP**, had to change the movement in a Seiko with a 7T62 movement, the dial is only located and secured by the dial feet pushing into holes in the plastic mvt surround, every time I tried to case the movement the dial would move and flip off the sub dial hands, took about 6 tries and I was really p--- off from refiting the hands even considered gluing the dial on!

 

 

Max 

 

I can only imagine how you felt, fitting a set just the once was stressful enough for me.

Thanks to everyone for the input, the jury is still out at the moment. I won't rush in to anything just yet, but I'll let you know.

[bobm12]

Hi Dave,

 

In my mind and given it is a hobby, it would be a good thing -- also an economic one -- to learn to use the manual double sided "stick" first and then if you still need the press, buy one that justifies the expense. That said, I bought a press (Horotec, expensive) and most of the time it is sitting there laughing at me! Yes, it is somewhat useful and "good" to have but not indispensable... (considering it is a hobby)

 

Just my 2 cents,

 

Cheers,

 

Bob

[WileyDave]

Hi Dave,

 

In my mind and given it is a hobby, it would be a good thing -- also an economic one -- to learn to use the manual double sided "stick" first and then if you still need the press, buy one that justifies the expense. That said, I bought a press (Horotec, expensive) and most of the time it is sitting there laughing at me! Yes, it is somewhat useful and "good" to have but not indispensable... (considering it is a hobby)

 

Just my 2 cents,

 

Cheers,

 

Bob

Agreed Bob, kinda like an auto mechanic, it's better to have the tool and not need it, than need the tool and not have it! My two cents is worth exactly that much.....! Thanks

Dave

[Davey57]

Hi Dave,

 

In my mind and given it is a hobby, it would be a good thing -- also an economic one -- to learn to use the manual double sided "stick" first and then if you still need the press, buy one that justifies the expense. That said, I bought a press (Horotec, expensive) and most of the time it is sitting there laughing at me! Yes, it is somewhat useful and "good" to have but not indispensable... (considering it is a hobby)

 

Just my 2 cents,

 

Cheers,

 

Bob

 

 

 

Agreed Bob, kinda like an auto mechanic, it's better to have the tool and not need it, than need the tool and not have it! My two cents is worth exactly that much.....! Thanks

Dave

 

That's the trouble Bob, Dave.  I've always bought the best tools that I could afford (without going mad) throughout my working career as a truck mechanic. They got some real abuse but lasted well. I once spent quite a bit of money on what I thought was a great piece of kit from Snap On, thought it would save me loads of time on certain jobs. It's still lying in the top drawer of my toolbox 30 years later and I doubt I used it more than twice. :biggrin:

But I still love nice tools, that's the problem.

[digginstony]

Buy the best tools you can within your means. They are as much pleasure to own as your watch collection.

Tony

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[frenchie]

I use the double ended pusher tool too (hand fitter?).

No complaints, but it's the only kind I've ever used :)

[jdrichard]

I used rodico and the double sided hand tool and had a hell of a time with the minute hand. It was an art to level it off. If I had a hand press, I most likely would modify some of my watches.this is the beast that needed the hands put back after a repair and cleaning.

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[bobm12]

I've found this tool, dressed to a very smooth finish to be of great help when the setting of hands go "left". Great for cheap watches with iffy fitted hands too. They allow to get in between the hands and separate/level too.

 

[jdrichard]

Thanks. I'll have a look. I still think hands should snap into position and not need so much attention to install. Poor engineering. As well, you could have the hands mechanically attached and then snapped onto the movement. There should be no art required, just science:)

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[bobm12]

I still think hands should snap into position and not need so much attention to install

 

Regretfully, there is no snap to hand setting! :)

[jdrichard]

Just bought a hand press from China , aliexpress. 15 bucks

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[Davey57]

Fitted a couple of sets of hands using my staking set. I found they went on pretty good and were nice and square. A couple of things came to light, first make sure there is no dirt on the inside of the hollow punch. I discovered mine had some preserving grease up there. Also I think that after market hands although they do fit are probably not as close to the tolerances of originals and seem to take a bit of persuasion to seat.

[Blacklab]

Double ended tool (not the Bergeon one) works fine for me. Used to use the hand press, but I find the double ender gives more control.