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I have been interested in wrist watch repair for years.  Finally decided to get some tools and other supplies to do some cleaning of my windup and kinetic watches.  In the past, I have figured out how to get a grandfather clock to run as well as repairing and cleaning some cuckoo clocks.  One  clock  needed new bellows which I made out of a large Ups envelope.  I think it is the Tyveck  type material.

 

 I want to start with an ll bean hack watch from the mid 80's.  I want to clean it, get a new gasket, and repaint the glow in the dark hands as well as the dots on the clock face.  So many parts in these instruments! Nervous about keeping track of where they belong after dismantling! 

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Thanks.  Is there a step by step instructional about how to take apart a Hamilton hack watch, windup LL Bean, from the mid 80's?. Do you have to take it completely apart if it is just running a little fast?. I have read somewhere that watches run fast when the hair spring is dirty, oily....  Making the spring, in a sense, shorter...

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49 minutes ago, Triacon said:

Thanks.  Is there a step by step instructional about how to take apart a Hamilton hack watch, windup LL Bean, from the mid 80's?. Do you have to take it completely apart if it is just running a little fast?. I have read somewhere that watches run fast when the hair spring is dirty, oily....  Making the spring, in a sense, shorter...

Just wait until some of the "old hands" here come online.  I'm sure someone will have an answer for you.  Post your information request in the "Watch Repairs Help and Advice" section of the forum.

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Hello from me.

I'll try and put you on the right path. First of all if a watch needs cleaning then the whole watch movement is taken apart. The hair spring if dirty or has any foreign body on or in it will cause the time keeping to become erratic and sometimes just cleaning the hairspring and re-oiling the balance pivots is all that is required. It really depends on the condition of the watch movement after you open it up.

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Ok, will post photos when I get the tools, and start dismantling the watch.  I used to wear this watch all the time.  Epically while fishing.  Noticed water droplets inside the crystal...  Where do I find a new gasket for the back cover?

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6 hours ago, Triacon said:

Ok, will post photos when I get the tools, and start dismantling the watch.  I used to wear this watch all the time.  Epically while fishing.  Noticed water droplets inside the crystal...  Where do I find a new gasket for the back cover?

You can buy a pack of various sizes of watch back gaskets on Ebay for less than ten bucks.

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