ETA 2551 Service by Beginner

[AlexanderB]

Hi everyone.

DISCLAIMER: This is a post of a very beginner in watch repair. Hence this is by no means a description of how to service an ETA 2551 movement.

OK. Now that this is clear I can start this thread, without being liable to whatsoever

I happened to found a selection of different movements from ebay that someone wanted to get rid of. Among these 18 movement (won't tell you that I paid a mere 40 EUR for all of them). Although they are quite small they are excellent to train my skills.

Most of them came with a dial and hands but no case. Even the stem and crown was missing on each besides one which is fine. I need only one for my exercise.

I started with a 2550 where I immediately saw that the hairspring was somewhat faulty. It turned out it was broken. So I used this to get a first impression of the movement. I wanted to reassemble it but it turned out that also the setting lever was broken. So I keep the parts as spares.

Back to the 2551. It is an old movement that was built between 1965 and 1972. It has a date complication but no second stop. Pretty straight forward. I was able to find the BOM from ETA somewhere in the web but no oiling chart. I will look at my 2824 oil chart. Should be similar and this is about learning. I'd like to see it running again after cleaning, lubricating and assembly. It worked before disassembly.

Here are the first pictures of the two sides before disassembly.

 

 

[AlexanderB]

After taking the initial photos I started with the disassembly. I take a picture pretty much after every step, e.g. taking away the gear bridge and after literally every gear. Since these are a lot of pictures with very little difference I show only the most important ones.

This helps me if any doubt appears to get it assembled again. I upload them to Dropbox and use my smartphone on the workbench to look at them from time to time. Very convenient and a big help during re-assembly.

Here we go disassembling the date mechanism.

 

[bobm12]

Great beginning Alexander, anxiously waiting for more!

Cheers,

Bob

[AlexanderB]

Thanks Bob, but why "anxiously"?

I actually did all the steps a couple of days ago. So the pictures come in now very quickly.

What I should mention is that one of the most important photos is the first of my last post. Here you can clearly see the position of the Date Jumper with its spring. BTW it took me 1h to get to this stage: 10min of taking away the parts and 50min under the workbench looking for the da... date jumper spring! I'm sure I am the only one crawling under the workbench looking for parts.

Next: disassembly of the different date wheels, setting wheel, pawl winding wheel etc. and the automatic assembly.

I should have done the automatic assembly first and then take away the balance wheel / balance cock. I'd like to have the balance out of the way as soon as possible. There is a certain risk of damaging it when holding the movement in the movement holder.

 

[AlexanderB]

Next is taking apart the balance, pallet fork and train gear. BTW this was the first time I saw the left-threaded screw of the crown wheel with the special marking I read about earlier. Two extra slots left and right.

I should have taken apart the crown wheel, click and ratchet wheel first. But OK. Next time. I should prepare myself a little checklist.

 

 

Edited April 29, 2016 by AlexanderB

[AlexanderB]

On this side of the movement finally the barrel bridge, barrel and the intermediate wheel (not 100% sure about this).

[AlexanderB]

Turning the movement once more I started to disassemble the keyless work. I always take apart the setting lever although I heard often that watchmakers leave it in place for cleaning. I found it not too difficult to screw it in again what I use a big chunk Rodico that I use to hold setting lever and plate together and then insert the setting lever screw.

That's it for the time being. Parts are already cleaned and I spent another hour looking for the lower incabloc under the table. I need to practice a smoother grip on the tweezers. But this will come. BTW I use Dumont #3 or #5 Dumoxel here.

[bobm12]

Don't feel bad about the spring adventure under the bench!! I can vouch that most of the watchmaker time is spend there! Just talking by experience!

The funny part is when the part is not attracted by the magnet and is the last one to finish the watch!!!

Your pictures are awesome and I always learn from walkthroughs so much even if I have worked on the movement before...which in this case I haven't so double the treat!

Thank you for sharing!

Cheers,

Bob

[Cad101]

Only last night I spent an hour searching the floor for a spring from my poljot alarm movement I'm working on at the mo only to find it stuck to my rodico. I had to have a lay down after to calm down.

[svorkoetter]

I once lost the date spring from a Poljot 3133 chrono movement. Never did find it. I ended up making a new one and then lost that one too. Fortunately, I found it a few minutes later, stuck to my shirt.

Edited April 29, 2016 by svorkoetter
Typo

[bobm12]

That's hilarious! But I got a good one, I lost the little spring that fits in the hole of the bezel in a sub. It goes in under a ball/pellet? and make the bezel ratchet....I didn't even bother, I got a spring bar and made another! Then the pellet got lost...no problem, I destroyed 3 ball point pens until I could get one pellet that won't run away...Job done!

OK, back to the OP!

Alexander, you will find that Seiko marks the screws too in a similar way...but different. You will still recognize the marking of course.

[AlexanderB]

OK, so I'm not alone . I had a slight notion that this might be the case.

One question regarding the movement. Are the incabloc jewels of plate and in the balance cock identical? Couldn't find any clue.

Cheers Alexander

[bobm12]

I believe (again not familiar with this movement) but you will find the jewels may differ in either diamether, thickness or both when comparing the top with the bottom. Even if it takes a little longer, I would not mix them...probably do them separate just in case...they are so small!!

[AlexanderB]

Thank you, that's what I did. I was wondering to clean them in ultrasonic. Not the cap jewel just the lower part. The cap jewel is very clean after bathing in Benzine. Any objections?

[bobm12]

I wouldn't clean those in the ultrasonic or in any machine...dip them in benzene/Ronsonol/lighter fluid, for a while and then check them for dirt. Give them a very personal treatment. That way they can't get lost...although there is always Murphy's Law: "Whatever can go wrong, will! " BTW, I do the same to the hair spring now... I used to put it attached to the main plate in the ultrasonic but don't anymore. You see, I don't deal with volume so I can take my time, being a hobby.

When you put the parts -- especially the tiny ones -- in the baskets and after the clean, inspect the basket with the loupe...some get stuck in there and you can easily miss them later. One more reason not to put the jewels (and all its components) in those too.

 

 

[Geo]

Excellent work so far Alexander!

[frenchie]

Yes, a very good topic !!

[AlexanderB]

Thank you folks. This way I can get at least something back to you all.

Bob, I thought the same. For the balance and hairspring I now use Bergeon One Dip (No. 2552). Regarding the basked: I know! I once overlooked a tiny screw. As I realized that it was too late: since there was water involved the screw was totally rusty.

There are a couple of learning experiences in the meantime:

1) Don't ever rush things and move slowly. I once moved to fast and knocked on the workbench and the parts flew all over the place...

2) Keep order! When I put the parts in the little baskets for cleaning I combined some groups. Ended up in a mess. I got myself more tiny baskets and it happens that I for instance put in there only the train wheel bridge plus its two screws.

3) As you mentioned Bob, after emptying the baskets I triple-check with the loupe that they indeed are empty and no spring or screw has hidden in come corner of the round basket.

4) STOP working when you feel some restlessness. You'll mess up for sure. I now stop after I see that I make more than one mistake in a row. Also see 1).

5) RELAX when using the tweezers! Just very gently. Breathe out. Force yourself not to force it. Cool, cool, easy, easy - DAMN! Pushed too hard again. Be right back. Find me on the floor.

Cheers Alexander

 

 

Edited April 29, 2016 by AlexanderB
Added 5)

[AlexanderB]

Here we go.  Lubricating the lower incabloc (actual the plate incabloc) was a challenge in itself. I never did this before. Saw a video somewhere and it looked so easy: put a tiny little drop of 9010 in the middle of the flat side of the cap jewel and let the lower part fall on it. The cap jewel will hold due to the oil.

Well it took me at least five attempts to put a drop of 9010 on the cap jewel because the oiler always sticks to it. So I happened to clean the cap stone again and again. I got a little nervous and violated rules 1, 4 and 5 (see above) ending up on the floor another three times although I myself gave the advise to stop when parts start slipping from the tweezers.

I hope you will use my rules unlike me.

Anyway. Now I got it done and the jewels are in place again. Uff!

Cheers Alexander

 

[AlexanderB]

Just now, AlexanderB said:

Here we go.  Lubricating the lower incabloc (actual the plate incabloc) was a challenge in itself. I never did this before. Saw a video somewhere and it looked so easy: put a tiny little drop of 9010 in the middle of the flat side of the cap jewel and let the lower part fall on it. The cap jewel will hold due to the oil.

Well it took me at least five attempts to put a drop of 9010 on the cap jewel because the oiler always sticks to it. So I happened to clean the cap stone again and again. I got a little nervous and violated rules 1, 4 and 5 (see above) ending up on the floor another three times although I myself gave the advise to stop when parts start slipping from the tweezers.

I hope you will use my rules unlike me.

Anyway. Now I got it done and the jewels are in place again. Uff!

Cheers Alexander

P.S. I added the 2Ct (my 2Ct BTW) for those who just lurk in and have no idea of what we are talking about. We are talking about really, really small parts!

 

 

[AlexanderB]

Sorry for duplicating the post. Wanted to edit it. Anyway.

In now installed the setting lever. This is how I did it:

1. Place the setting lever on the plate.
2. Grab both the plate / setting lever with Rodico.
3. Insert the screw.
4. Repeat steps 1 to 3 until you manage to tighten the scew.

In my case it took five attempts. Here are my 2Ct again. The movement is actually smaller than a 2Ct coin (EUR).

[AlexanderB]

Last for today: finished the keyless work. Thanks to Roland (Endeavor) in the neighbor thread about the ETA 2540 I decided to assemble the stem, clutch wheel and winding pinion first. What a fiddly thing to do. But I eventually managed it. Then the yoke and its spring (managed not to crawl on the floor!) and finally the setting lever spring. Everything lubricated with D5. Did not use grease here.

[AlexanderB]

BTW I use a slightly angled perspective when taking the pictures. This lays emphasis on the parts I was working on. The last picture was taken with an aperture of 5.6 which leads to a slightly blurred background. Visit my photography threat for more details on this.

Edited April 29, 2016 by AlexanderB
typo

[oldhippy]

You are doing very well. Keep up the good work.

[Cad101]

Are you polishing your oilers oil flows much easier of a polished one . Your doing a excellent job BTW