Greetings from NYC

[kkrankall]

Hello everyone. I have been lurking this forum for awhile and decided to introduce myself.

I never owned a watch until last year when I purchased a vintage 1965 Breitling Chronomat 808. I love the watch as it is a geeky watch with a slide rule and I am a geek. Once i picked up that watch I got it serviced at a watchmaker in NYC that seemed to have a good reputation and when I received it back the beat error was 1ms and the reserve was only lasting ~ 18 hours. So i returned the watch back to get the reserve fixed. They said that the mainspring needed to be replaced and did it for no charge. When i received the watch back the reserve is fixed but the beat error was still off so I popped off the back of the case and fixed the beat error. But looks like the chrono is hanging up every once in a while...

While the Breitling was being serviced I wanted to pickup a less expensive watch to wear every day so I picked up a nice vintage Wakmann 1319 with a blue reverse panda dial and a Valjoux 236 already serviced. Then a few weeks later picked up a almost NOS O&W Computer with a Valjoux 7733. It needs to be serviced. Later that week sourcing the bay picked up a vintage Heuer Up/Down with a Valjoux 77. Runs good enough to wear (it's my favorite and going to be my daily driver) but the chrono losses a few seconds every now and then so it needs servicing ASAP.

Well after having not the best experience with my local watch repair shop I decided I will overhaul the Heuer 77 myself. I then found a cheap Hegex with a Valjoux 77 on the cheap with cracked crystal, missing thrown, broken stem and movement all gummed up. So I have successfully torn down and have everything ready to clean. I picked up a small ultrasonic cleaner and some lighter fluid and small glass jars to clean the movement. Now I'm waiting for my moebius oils and lub to come in so I can put the Hegex back together.

This seems like a great community and look forward to learning lots from this great resource.

Kevin

[bobm12]

Welcome Kevin! Here in Miami we clean our watches with salt water and dry them in the sun, since they are in abundance! Just kidding!

In any case, I hope you find this forum a good experience and a good company for your watchmaking journey! Remember, every on here make a big community to help one another, so don't hesitate to post your questions and experiences.

Cheers,

Bob

[vinn3]

welcome,  kevin;  how are things in the Bronks?

[dadistic]

Greetings and Salutations!

[kkrankall]

8 minutes ago, vinn3 said:

welcome,  kevin;  how are things in the Bronks?

Not sure. The Bronx and Staten Island I don't visit very often. I live in Harlem/Hamilton Heights. 

[Cad101]

Hello to you Kevin and don't forget to post pics of your watch repairing endeavours .

Mick

[kkrankall]

Thanks for the warm welcome. I will take pics of my watch repairs. Going to take my time on the first go around so be patient.

For now here is my small collection.

 

[dadistic]

Very, very nice. Love the Heuer.

[noirrac1j]

Hello Kkrankall,

Welcome to the forum!

Let me get this straight: your FIRST watch was a 1965 Breitling Chronomat 808? I think my first watch was from a supermarket vending machine, and it had a prism sticker dial that didn't really tell time. The "watch" was filled with candy.

I'm very familiar with Hamilton Heights uptown. I completed my MA in neuroscience at City College of NY, and I remember when Hamilton Grange was right on convent avenue....it's since been moved directly adjacent to the engineering building of the school.  Well, sounds like you've got an eclectic mix of mechanical watches. Welcome again.

 

JC

[bobm12]

Nice collection! I LIKE!!!

 

[MikeInWV]

Nice start to your collection! 

[kkrankall]

20 minutes ago, noirrac1j said:

Let me get this straight: your FIRST watch was a 1965 Breitling Chronomat 808? I think my first watch was from a supermarket vending machine, and it had a prism sticker dial that didn't really tell time. The "watch" was filled with candy.

Ha. Okay let me clarify. It was the first watch that I have bought. I think my first watch was from the 80's and it was an E.T. watch. I still have it! I have never liked watches or jewelry and I have skinny wrist. But the vintages watches fit great. 

[horsetrailer]

I hear you. I've tried three independent watchmakers in NYC and they all were crooks and incompetent. However the Rolex Service center in NYC did an amazing job on my sea dweller and even followed my instructions on how I wanted it regulated

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[noirrac1j]

8 minutes ago, kkrankall said:

Ha. Okay let me clarify. It was the first watch that I have bought. I think my first watch was from the 80's and it was an E.T. watch. I still have it! I have never liked watches or jewelry and I have skinny wrist. But the vintages watches fit great. 

Hey KK,

An ET watch....and you still have it?!? Your membership here is now completely qualified!

JC

[frenchie]

Welcome!!

I'm quite familiar with the Morningside Heights neighborhood 

 

Edited May 13, 2016 by frenchie

[kkrankall]

Nice! You must know of Dinosaur BBQ 

26 minutes ago, frenchie said:

Welcome!!

I'm quite familiar with the Morningside Heights neighborhood 

 

Home of Columbia U and Dinosaur BBQ. I'm a transplant so not too familiar with all of neighborhoods but know quite a few. I'm original from CT and the wife already had a co-op, so being I mostly work in NYC and my office was in LI it made sense for me to move in with her. Now she is tired of the city and wants to move back to CT... Can't win.

 

I'm in Brooklyn today at a client.

[frenchie]

I also live in CT (greater Hartford area) !! My wife is the one who spends time in the city for work... And yes, I do know of Dinosaur Barbecue

[noirrac1j]

27 minutes ago, kkrankall said:

Nice! You must know of Dinosaur BBQ 

Home of Columbia U and Dinosaur BBQ. I'm a transplant so not too familiar with all of neighborhoods but know quite a few. I'm original from CT and the wife already had a co-op, so being I mostly work in NYC and my office was in LI it made sense for me to move in with her. Now she is tired of the city and wants to move back to CT... Can't win.

 

I'm in Brooklyn today at a client.

Dinosaur BBQ....it's always crowded!

[Cad101]

N.Y seems an exciting place to eat I'm shutting my eyes trying to imagine a nice BBQ'd diplodocus steak with fries. Of course I'll pass on the salad I don't want to look greedy  

[noirrac1j]

9 minutes ago, Cad101 said:

N.Y seems an exciting place to eat I'm shutting my eyes trying to imagine a nice BBQ'd diplodocus steak with fries. Of course I'll pass on the salad I don't want to look greedy  

The Stegosaurus ribs are the best....Diplidocus is good too if its not tough.

hahaha

[bobm12]

Sounds like a T-Rex sort of talk! Are we getting some Aegirocassis benmoulae cocktail as an aperitif?

Cheers,

Bob

[clockboy]

Welcome Kevin, You seem to have already made a great start with horology & you have some real nice watches my fav. being the Brietling. Lots of knowledge & advice here if needed from this friendly forum. Enjoy.

PS Warning! Horology can become very addictive.

[Geo]

Wishing you a warm welcome to a very friendly and helpful forum.

[oldhippy]

Sorry I'm late in welcoming you to this friendly forum. Lots here for you to enjoy. 

[Sangamo]

Welcome Kevin,

I am from Grapecreek, Illinois.  Here I have actually made my own watch cleaning solution because I am so rural the sun sets between my farm and civilization!  

My fear about using lighter fluid for cleaning your good watches is its effect on drying without residue and parts requiring shellac in the escapement to make the watch function.

Let me encourage you to carefully reconsider your plan.  The only thing lighter fluid for should be used for is getting you evaporation time correct i.e. use it to "curve" or "flatten" the chain of carbons in the solution.  I used Coleman white gasoline for this purpose, not lighter fluid.  I used the best grade Naphtha I could get, some Stoddard solvent (may need to ask a dry cleaner for it) and some ammonia.  I used a crystalline form of ammonia because it had 0% water.  I started with 16oz Naphtha added 1.5 oz white gasoline and 1/8 teaspoon ammonia depending on how greasy/oily the movement seemed to be (if a lot of grease or oil I may double the ammonia and if using on clocks even more exponentially).  I used what I would call a double "whetting" of Stoddard solvent.  I did not use an ultrasonic on this.  I simply put parts in a basket and soaked until clean (about 25 minutes with gentle brush to plates or swoosh of fluid to parts).  I "Air" dried with no heat from a blow dryer and rinsed in the base of Naphtha and white gas used in the cleaner and dried in boxwood sawdust.  Sawdust will gently drop or a bench blower will remove the excess (if not, grime remains there).  Let me caution you that this solution is very flammable and should be used in a well ventilated area with no open flames anywhere near or risk of static electricity.  I would also caution this solution may alter shellac so remove the balance wheel to keep from roller jewel and the pallet fork to keep off pallet jewels.  Clean them in hairspring cleaner and dry according to directions for hairspring.  I would encourage you to experiment with solution to get an idea how much to increase and decrease each portion for the individual application you have presenting itself.  It does ok for me if I am not in a hurry.