Jump to content

Homemade Watch Parts 2016


Recommended Posts

Very limited in time at the moment but want to try and do semi-homemade watches for me and the wife before the autumn ends. First day this year in the garage. Starting with the wife's as this "should" be the easier as it must be a quartz. Total hobbyist at this, and although I have a rough idea of what I am trying to achieve, making a lot of it up as I go along. Hope to share progress on this forum for anyone who is interested 

Dial 0.2mm brass sheet

IMG_3174h.jpg

 

Cut out and superglued onto a brass 3mm disc (machined from 10SWG sheet)

IMG_3175mj.jpg

Drill centre hole 1.1mm (was going to be 1.0mm but I snapped the drill bit)

IMG_3182jj.jpg

Swap onto the smaller lathe

IMG_3186mm.jpg

 

Mark out the dial diameter

IMG_3185mm.jpg

 

Aldi today selling routers for £24.99. Perfect to fix an old Gravograph I bought ages ago on ebay with dead motorIMG_3198nnn.jpg

 

Test piece which will go on the watch box as a plaque. Can now do engraving on the case back of the gents watch (later project still in the head)

IMG_3203jj.jpg

This is movement for my wife's watch. Ronda 1042. Smallest I could find which suites what I think I will need. Beside is a 5pence piece to give scale. Had to be a quartz as winding and setting the time was an absolute no no for the user

 

IMG_3204ll.jpg

Showing with dial in position. Decided I will try to attach with dial stickers rather then solder on feet (more chance of disaster and no time to keep scrapping)

mmm.jpg

Trying bath repair enamel. Will leave this for a week to set. Hopefully not too high and works ok

m  ggg.jpg

Square lump of silver. Starting the casing

 

IMG_3199bb.jpg

10mm hole to start things off

 

IMG_3202nn.jpg

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  • Like 6
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

I've always wanted to build a watch from 'scratch', or at least start with basic movement and embellish accordingly. I met a watchmaker, (sort of, on line) who started with ETA 6497/8 and had a variety of dials and hand combinations you could "customize" your own watch. Below pics from his website. I'm not promoting his efforts, just showing what can be done.

Good job on your efforts! Can't wait to see more.

Some of the many parts available for your custom design.

All cases have display backs. These are the plain movements.

Lineup of hand options.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...
  • 2 weeks later...

More progress today, getting close to finish line ......

Make the case back ... fit rubber o-ringIMG_3352small.jpg

 

 

 

IMG_3355small.jpg

 

IMG_3383small.jpg

 

 

 

IMG_3387small.jpg

 

IMG_3390small.jpg

 

This is not finished, but getting close, so just laid things together to see roughly what end result will look like

 

IMG_3428small.jpg

Cubic zircona finish

IMG_3437small.jpg

  • Like 5
Link to comment
Share on other sites

very good lathe  work !   as far as snapping drill bits,  " vary feed and speed"  to produce a "proper chip".  drill bit sharpening and dubbing is another  vast subject.   keep up the good work.  vinn

Link to comment
Share on other sites

post 5 A.jpg

 

Thank you for positive comments. Glass is on, all the zircona was glued onto silver setting strips with Araldite Crystal Clear. There is plenty of things not right which I would do differently, but I suppose that is the problem when no prototype to try things out first. Anyway, I learnt a lot doing this project, and I know some of the areas that need to be improved

 

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 weeks later...


  • Recently Browsing

    • No registered users viewing this page.
  • Topics

  • Posts

    • Hello and welcome from Leeds. 
    • Unfortunately I'm not that lucky. I started on the train side and after I noticed the binding I pulled everything out except the driving wheel to rule everything else out. It still binds. I'm going to double check that the pinion is fully seated on the staff first, then if no joy I'll push the bridge jewel up a fraction of a mm. Fingers crossed!
    • Happy to have helped, great way to start the day with a win! 🥳
    • Thank you for the advise!! It worked. The setting screw was a lock/unlock to remove the rotor. 
    • I have that French tech sheet too, it is a little different than the English one (eg, it doesn't have the auto works diagram). BTW, it looks like you are looking up the case number in the 1979 ABC supplement. The 1974 ABC catalog does have the 3093 case. As you determined it takes the 1222-5 crystal.  When I serviced my President 'A' (which also takes that crystal), I was able to fit a 29.8 crystal from my DPA crystal assortment. Those are, in my opinion, a great deal. The assortment comes with 10 sizes each from 27.8mm to 32.4mm in 0.2 increments. I pretty much use them for any non-armored crystal that takes a high dome crystal. I think they no longer make them but Cousins has still has some in stock but when I bought them they were around $40 for the set and now they are around $100. Still, at 40 cents a crystal it's still a good deal. For the large driving wheel, I remember I once assembled the keyless/motion works first and when I placed the large driving wheel it was interfering with the setting wheel on the dial side as the teeth were not fully meshing and it wouldn't fully seat. If that isn't the issue I got nothing and am looking forward to see how you solve it 🙂
×
×
  • Create New...