Jump to content

Timex watch over wound!


bosstaki

Recommended Posts

I think you let the spring down by removing the dial and the hands. I never bothered repairing these watches as clockboy says they were made to just be replaced. One other thing it is a myth you cannot over wind a watch, when the spring is fully wound and the watch doesn't go there is something wrong in the movement preventing it from working, dried oil, dirt and wear are the most common.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

OH is quite correct in that you need to remove the dial in order to access the click and safely let down the main spring.

CB has also provided the service manual which if followed will result in an effectively serviced Timex.

Contrary to popular opinion Timex watches were manufactured with servicing in mind and Timex had in place the supply of all spare parts for exactly this purpose. The servicing procedures that Timex outline in the servicing manual were specifically developed to facilitate a simpler and cheaper approach to servicing a movement which was itself designed with this approach to servicing in mind.

I get the feeling that a lot of he more traditional watchmakers got frustrated with Timex movements because rather than adopting the Timex procedures they tried to fully disassemble the watch to clean it and subsequently struggled to reassemble it, resulting in a hatred and disrespect for the brand.

Looked after the way that Timex intended, they are perfectly capable time keepers (not Rolex precision granted, but perfectly adequate) and significantly more robust than the fully jewelled, 10x the price, Swiss alternatives. I've never come across a "V-Conic" balance with a broken pivot for instance.

 

  • Like 4
Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 hours ago, Marc said:

OH is quite correct in that you need to remove the dial in order to access the click and safely let down the main spring.

CB has also provided the service manual which if followed will result in an effectively serviced Timex.

Contrary to popular opinion Timex watches were manufactured with servicing in mind and Timex had in place the supply of all spare parts for exactly this purpose. The servicing procedures that Timex outline in the servicing manual were specifically developed to facilitate a simpler and cheaper approach to servicing a movement which was itself designed with this approach to servicing in mind.

I get the feeling that a lot of he more traditional watchmakers got frustrated with Timex movements because rather than adopting the Timex procedures they tried to fully disassemble the watch to clean it and subsequently struggled to reassemble it, resulting in a hatred and disrespect for the brand.

Looked after the way that Timex intended, they are perfectly capable time keepers (not Rolex precision granted, but perfectly adequate) and significantly more robust than the fully jewelled, 10x the price, Swiss alternatives. I've never come across a "V-Conic" balance with a broken pivot for instance.

 

I have read the servicing procedures recommended by Timex. However I personally do not believe a watch can be effectively serviced without it being stripped inspected and cleaned. Many watchmakers also agree and thats why they do not entertain a Timex. 

  • Haha 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

53 minutes ago, clockboy said:

I have read the servicing procedures recommended by Timex. However I personally do not believe a watch can be effectively serviced without it being stripped inspected and cleaned. Many watchmakers also agree and thats why they do not entertain a Timex. 

it's certainly true to say that there are a lot of watchmakers out there who consider Timex's own published service procedures to be inadequate, and the design philosophy and build quality of their watches to be contemptibly inferior. This is something that I have never understood; it's almost as though there is amongst watchmakers a culture of bias against the brand, dare I say it, an element of snobbery.

It's also quite correct that Timex's service procedures would be wholly inappropriate for a fully jewelled movement, in much the same way that the service requirements for a Ferrari differ from those of Ford, but if your garage tried to tell you that they need to service your Ford in accordance with the Ferrari service procedures (and that they should charge you accordingly), because the published Ford procedures are inadequate you would quite rightly question their rationale and take your custom else where.

I can only speak from my own experience and that includes quite a lot of Timex watches. There are definitely some aspects of Timex design that I dislike, just as there are design aspects of many other Swiss, American, Russian, and English watches that irritate me, however, I don't think that their durability can be questioned. What is more, from experience I can happily say that the vast majority of apparently dead, 50 years old and never been serviced and look like they've spent most of their life in a war zone Timex's that I have then given the Timex spa treatment, have straight away sprung back into life and gone on to perform as designed. If that isn't evidence of an effective service procedure then I'm not sure what is. And as I said before, I have never encountered a broken Timex balance staff.

Obviously other people have different experiences and accordingly (and quite rightly) will have arrived at their own opinions. What I find so difficult to accept, let alone understand, is the (so often repeated) assertion Timex watches were never intended to be repaired or serviced. The fact that Timex went to the trouble and expense of publishing service manuals and tech sheets, and providing a supply of spare parts is proof positive that they were meant to be serviced. And my own experience with them has demonstrated to me that the published service procedures are not only perfectly effective, but also incredibly simple to carry out.

  • Like 6
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Many thanks for you're superb help again guys! I've had the hands & face removed, l've let the main spring down, cleaned the movement & re-oiled & she's now running like a good girl should be! Cheers guy's, merry Christmas to all you watch guys out there [emoji268][emoji268][emoji301]️????[emoji481][emoji898][emoji884][emoji1303][emoji3]


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have an appreciation for Timex's. They have a bad rep, but they are very good for what they were supposed to be, a cheap watch. I guess it is the same as saying that a Honda or Toyota is a good car, it is...but a Ferrari is much better. Likewise a Timex is a good watch, I see them all the time from the 50's and 60's still ticking away, but a fine watch is better. Some people would like to own a Ferrari, other would rather own 20 Hondas or Toyotas. 

If you get a chance try to get your hands on the Timex book. It is a real treat. Its called Timex a Company and its Community.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

5 minutes ago, tomprobkins said:

IIf you get a chance try to get your hands on the Timex book. It is a real treat. Its called Timex a Company and its Community.

I'll second the recommendation of the book. It starts with the history of clock making in Connecticut, to set the stage for Waterbury Clock, which eventually became Timex. Led me to the Chauncey Jerome autobiography, which is  a great little piece of history itself. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

10 hours ago, clockboy said:

I have not found a effective way to service a Timex. Timex watches were produced to be used and then replaced.  This might help but how to actually remove the plate is not explained but on page 24.4 shows how to let the mainspring down.

Timex 24.pdf

Wow, that's interesting- thanks for the PDF @clockboy!  I have a few Disney Timex watches floating around that my daughter has been asking me to fix.  I've held off because the first one I did was such a pain.  Looks like the service procedure is a heck of a lot easier than I had originally envisioned.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Like Marc I get puzzled by some peoples dismissive attitude to Timex. They are not high precision jewelled watches and they don't need servicing like they are - procedures as outlined in the manuals are fine most of the time. Nearly every Timex I've had (and that is a lot) in a non working condition has been quickly returned to life. For those that aren't I have boxes of spares, and official Timex repair kits as supplied to watchmakers - or those that used them anyway.

Providing you know what you are doing it is not that difficult to take apart and put together the movements either, it's just obviously not as easy dealing with two plates rather than bridges - all those pivots need lining up at once ;). Again there seems to be a common belief that you can't do this as the movements are riveted. In my experience only a minority of very early movements are like this, the vast majority use screws.

I suppose I shouldn't complain though as people dismissing them out of hand means they are still very cheap to buy. I like the virtually endless different dial designs you can get, and some of the cases are pretty good as well. Each to their own.

Stephen

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

Yeah, I just rejuvenated an old Timex today.  After some trial and error with a couple of scrap watches I figured out that you really don't need to fully disassemble them.  You just take out the balance wheel and pop the rest into the cleaner.  It's a bit tricky to put the balance wheel back in though; because threading the hairspring back into the regulator and then the stud hole takes some care.  I eventually got it and as soon as the stud was in place, voila!, it ran!  Much to my surprise.  I'm sure there are some tricks I haven't learned.

I share the viewpoint of many respondents to this thread.  Timex watches are humble time servants.  They aren't glamorous but they do their job and it was kinda fun to see how they "ticked".  They are indeed surprisingly robust.  I got two working today one I cased and it's nice looking "vintage" watch.  The other is just a movement for which I don't have a case.

Any suggestions for how to work on Timex mechanicals would be welcomed!

Link to comment
Share on other sites



×
×
  • Create New...