Jump to content

Recommended Posts

Posted (edited)
2 minutes ago, Waggy said:

"I am no Jedi yet".

Use The Force Waggy…trust your feelings!!!

…I love ❤️ the love for the pins ❤️

Edited by rehajm
  • Like 1
Posted
14 minutes ago, Waggy said:

Working on a Rocar (Ebauches Bettlach Cal. 8135) which is really putting my Padawan skills to the test - "I am no Jedi yet".

signal-2023-09-23-143708.thumb.jpeg.4d04c7fa4dbaa9e8a7c3a82773e42ee1.jpeg

0131.thumb.JPG.b8ca08b9a6ceb2ed7a6176e5e76ccf6b.JPG

0137.thumb.JPG.5932c04320a6e6b79a4ed32d7abdc72b.JPG

However I think I may have spotted 2 issues, the first being a mangled hairspring:

0121.thumb.JPG.7ed6461bf5a1eaf883a016603438a0e0.JPG0122.thumb.JPG.728184d5b3b2422a7049d441ecb9e9b5.JPG

 

Usually I would have walked away from this, but decided to 'give it a go' and it ended up like this:

0126.thumb.JPG.b66f5170961295eb56dacffe6151c5a6.JPG

Quite proud of myself 🙂

Here is issue number 2.... can you spot it:

untitled.GIF.6fdd32706c003a918e35f5aa1dc15cf3.GIF

Replaced the jewel using my jewelling tool (another first!)

Lets hope those were the last of the surprises!

Good man you are. I'm now at my skill level where I am going to try to repair mangled balance springs. Microscope at the ready.  Well actually in a few days. Can't concentrate to well after a tooth extraction and infection . Hence watching Youtube and reading 'Talk' posts.

  • Like 5
  • Thanks 1
Posted
1 hour ago, Waggy said:

Working on a Rocar (Ebauches Bettlach Cal. 8135) which is really putting my Padawan skills to the test - "I am no Jedi yet".

signal-2023-09-23-143708.thumb.jpeg.4d04c7fa4dbaa9e8a7c3a82773e42ee1.jpeg

0131.thumb.JPG.b8ca08b9a6ceb2ed7a6176e5e76ccf6b.JPG

0137.thumb.JPG.5932c04320a6e6b79a4ed32d7abdc72b.JPG

However I think I may have spotted 2 issues, the first being a mangled hairspring:

0121.thumb.JPG.7ed6461bf5a1eaf883a016603438a0e0.JPG0122.thumb.JPG.728184d5b3b2422a7049d441ecb9e9b5.JPG

 

Usually I would have walked away from this, but decided to 'give it a go' and it ended up like this:

0126.thumb.JPG.b66f5170961295eb56dacffe6151c5a6.JPG

Quite proud of myself 🙂

Here is issue number 2.... can you spot it:

untitled.GIF.6fdd32706c003a918e35f5aa1dc15cf3.GIF

Replaced the jewel using my jewelling tool (another first!)

Lets hope those were the last of the surprises!

Well done waggy, you straightened out that little blighter .

1 hour ago, rossjackson01 said:

Good man you are. I'm now at my skill level where I am going to try to repair mangled balance springs. Microscope at the ready.  Well actually in a few days. Can't concentrate to well after a tooth extraction and infection . Hence watching Youtube and reading 'Talk' posts.

Bless you Ross , tooth pain 🤕, the closest pain a man can get compared to the fairer of our kind popping out a small human 😅

2 hours ago, rehajm said:

I love ❤️ the love for the pins ❤️

Someone has to , are you crazy ? 😁

  • Thanks 1
Posted
4 hours ago, rehajm said:

…I love ❤️ the love for the pins ❤️

At least the timegrapher has no problem picking them up!

BTW I managed to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory, I didn't notice that the staff was broken. It wasn't until I removed the jewel to clean it that I noticed it floating around in there. Mrs W. asked if there was a way to fix it..... she didn't approve the purchase of a lathe.... but Christmas is coming soon, so you never know!

  • Like 2
Posted
10 minutes ago, Waggy said:

Mrs W. asked if there was a way to fix it..... 

Hey matey, at least she took an  interest and asked a question. Thats some kind of win, unless you went on and on and on and on about it and she was just trying to shut you the hell up 😆

  • Haha 1
Posted (edited)

After my defeat at the hands of the Rocar  I decided to try another, an Orient. After battling with the pallet fork, balance, date finger wheels (the horrible plastics ones), putting on new dial feet, crystal, crown, winding stem and second hand (ship of Theseus??) I finally managed to get it up and running.

PXL_20230925_033128327.thumb.jpg.ad9b66dfad0ed86c487a3285010c2968.jpg

Wearing it into work today after a first pass at the regulation after assembly, I'll tweak it tonight, but seems to be running well.... So far.

Black strap is just temporary, thinking of getting a grey one as permanent one... Any thoughts?

Edited by Waggy
Added some extra background
  • Like 7
Posted
8 hours ago, Waggy said:

Any thoughts?

Grey sounds like it should work, or how about a dark navy blue?

AsPurchasedCropped.thumb.jpg.f577e3896461d19f8e86bc60fbd01382.jpg

My lunchtime fix for today. Not much to say, new crystal obviously, new battery, full fumigation and case clean and polish. The original Rotary strap was almost unworn, so it also got a fumigation and was re-used. 

Restored.thumb.jpg.60d8b6ef385390f85f852b0960ed006d.jpg

 

.. and here is the Montine I did the other day for comparison.


CleanedServiced.thumb.jpg.6f6591f5397b818c30f020c693e86c48.jpg

I'm spoilt for choice.

  • Like 3
Posted
9 minutes ago, AndyHull said:

Grey sounds like it should work, or how about a dark navy blue?

AsPurchasedCropped.thumb.jpg.f577e3896461d19f8e86bc60fbd01382.jpg

My lunchtime fix for today. Not much to say, new crystal obviously, new battery, full fumigation and case clean and polish. The original Rotary strap was almost unworn, so it also got a fumigation and was re-used. 

Restored.thumb.jpg.60d8b6ef385390f85f852b0960ed006d.jpg

 

.. and here is the Montine I did the other day for comparison.


CleanedServiced.thumb.jpg.6f6591f5397b818c30f020c693e86c48.jpg

I'm spoilt for choice.

Maybe I should start a new thread on watch straps, we've all seen the amount of cheese on watches, I do wonder about straps. 

Posted
6 minutes ago, RichardHarris123 said:

Maybe I should start a new thread on watch straps, we've all seen the amount of cheese on watches, I do wonder about straps. 

Mostly they go in the bin. Occasionally if it is interesting, unusual or unused, then I may take the time to clean it and re-use it.
I also tend to save interesting buckles and such like, to put on to fresh leather.  I figure cleaning metalwork is a lot simpler and safer than trying to fumigate well worn old leather.

Leather is pretty tough stuff though, so a little diluted bleach and a lot of scrubbing goes a long way. Rejuvenation with neetsfoot oil or leather rejuvenation products can work wonders.

  • Like 4
Posted
19 hours ago, Waggy said:

Black strap is just temporary, thinking of getting a grey one as permanent one... Any thoughts?

I tried a few, but blue was close but not close enough and grey didn't work, so went with a steel bracelet in the end which seems to set it off nicely.

ff8e019c-a958-4647-b8e1-f6e1b23ff7c5.thumb.jpg.c390fd7d6a724d64d2141241ffbd5fc0.jpg

I always struggle with strap selection, in a way they can make or break to look of the watch. But it's such subjective thing I guess there are no hard and fast rules to help. However, this is not what this thread is about so maybe worth starting a new thread to discuss?

11 hours ago, AndyHull said:

My lunchtime fix for today.

@AndyHull Great job on the Rotary by the way! I always have a soft spot for Rotary as it was the first watch I ever 'wanted', I remember it was a square black and gold one. Similarly Accurist which was the watch I bought with my first pay check and still have it.

Here is the new thread:

 

  • Like 2
Posted

It was a public holiday here in the UAE on Friday, so I decided to put it to good use and work on a watch that has been on my to-do list for a while which is an automatic Zodiac square watch. The build went well, however I am still ironing out the bugs in my scope camera and ended up losing all the photos I took of the pre-build and build 😱 this also made the re-build a challenge as the calendar works side was a little unusual (bridge over the cannon pinion).

So only have a picture to show of the before and finished watch, the dial was in great shape under a beaten up crystal which I replaced. I didn't do much with the case as the plating was already starting to wear, so just a quick polish with some Flitz.

Here is the before:

image.thumb.png.63d17b889dc4fe3b8f9825c4e51a960a.png

 

And here is the completed watch:

signal-2023-10-02-075031.thumb.jpeg.2e9882e9724a081755081789fb90b126.jpeg

 

  • Like 8
Posted
1 hour ago, Waggy said:

It was a public holiday here in the UAE on Friday, so I decided to put it to good use and work on a watch that has been on my to-do list for a while which is an automatic Zodiac square watch. The build went well, however I am still ironing out the bugs in my scope camera and ended up losing all the photos I took of the pre-build and build 😱 this also made the re-build a challenge as the calendar works side was a little unusual (bridge over the cannon pinion).

So only have a picture to show of the before and finished watch, the dial was in great shape under a beaten up crystal which I replaced. I didn't do much with the case as the plating was already starting to wear, so just a quick polish with some Flitz.

Here is the before:

image.thumb.png.63d17b889dc4fe3b8f9825c4e51a960a.png

 

And here is the completed watch:

signal-2023-10-02-075031.thumb.jpeg.2e9882e9724a081755081789fb90b126.jpeg

 

I'm interested to know what type of crystal you fitted as it looks quite low profile.

Posted

Another productive weekend, I fixed my Orient which suddenly stopped, on inspection I found a blue fibre wrapped around the escape wheel... no idea how it got there. I then decided to do a Seiko 7009 from 1985 that I purchased recently from speedtimerkollektion. On reassembly I noticed that the centerwheel was cracked around the inner diameter where the pinion is fitted... very strange (sorry forgot to take a picture). The crystal broke when I took it out (of course!) so I had to replace, hence the missing 24 hour numbers which were painted onto the original crystal. Everything else is original including the bracelet. Before and after pictures:

signal-2023-10-07-173323_004.thumb.jpeg.ca7a3557605ff59406d9aa223fdefeba.jpeg

Here is the movement:

signal-2023-10-07-173323_005.thumb.jpeg.4f8d1e5b7e736459173b0ccb520e2900.jpeg

Our old friend Mr Glue! - no dial feet:

0047.thumb.JPG.9b159ae6a2a767f3d4d439723e87965c.JPG

I replaced the dial feet using my new mini soldering gas gun and low temperature solder paste, worked a treat, and here is the finished watch, complete with fingerprints (Doh!):

signal-2023-10-08-162140.thumb.jpeg.294ced25c13a0e2e34a649b818d2ab33.jpeg

Let me know what you think 🙂

 

I gave it a rough calibration, but will wait 24-48 hours to do the final calibration.

  • Like 7
Posted (edited)
3 hours ago, steve1811uk said:

Looks great, would love to hear some more details of how you did the dial feet, equipment, materials, technique etc. I would be afraid to cause damage to the dial using heat.

This is the low temp (138 °C) solder paste I used:

Screenshot_20231008-204710.thumb.png.d82c08f6b44c7d58a1522ac7253439e4.png

And here is the butane solder torch:

Screenshot_20231008-204828.thumb.png.0d04e95ddd0b6ba72bbf119cb24675eb.png

I don't have my full set up here yet, so I used a dial foot reamer to mill a slot in the dial (see below), I then put a blob of solder paste in the milled 'hole' and the placed the dial foot with the sticky solder paste holding it in place, about 3 seconds of heat (if that) with the torch on low setting and it melted and stuck the foot in place. Worked a treat, the short blast of heat was enough to melt the solder, but not enough to travel through the dial to the other side (too much) and damage the front of the dial.

I have switched to solder as I have had poor results with epoxy and super glue, slightest force and the feet popped off.

My plan is to use the small dial feet and remove the need to mill a slot, but they aren't here yet:

Screenshot_20231008-205931.thumb.png.75219e4b92cdde9dba902b5c96d0c4ee.png

Here is the dial foot milling machine I used, but will not need soon:

IMG_20230925_132454.thumb.jpg.6cd733f0c4486d643bc6c93b71e7c223.jpg

Edited by Waggy
  • Like 1
  • Thanks 2
Posted

My work in progress 1983 serial numbered Seiko 6309-836b or Seiko 5 sports diver with Pepsi bezel. With the original bezel insert and a "NOS". Slightly different size numbers on the new insert. Aftermarket bracelet goes very well with the case, I think. Hands are in good shape except for the lume. Slightly scratched glass. Re-lumed, new glass, and polished case this would pop quite a bit more but is quite nice as it is as well.20231009_0826192.thumb.jpg.6119a07b7588c73a41f78910d5bb668f.jpg20231013_2125102.thumb.jpg.b3ed5bc754e88cb2aaa5bb71f5bb59fe.jpg20231013_2125542.thumb.jpg.6f3e97e20fddf1543ab46cf280024979.jpg

  • Like 6
Posted

Just finished working on this 70s Paul Jobin 25 Jewel ETA 2772. As expected from  ETA, easy to set up and great performance on the timegrapher.

I'm wearing it today for a test. BUT . . .

I didn't realise until yesterday, when I was casing it up, that this movement joins those ETA movements with the infamous design flaw. i.e. if you don't have the crown in the hand setting position when removing the stem, the clutch is not constrained, and the yoke can come out of the slot.

 . . . so off with the hands, dial, date mechanism to reset the yoke and clutch 🥴

I've added a note in big red letters in my copy of the service sheet.

 

1.thumb.jpg.5eab1a4718a141162e327b36b0be3d14.jpg

10.thumb.jpg.4b98010582f0d8ad746595831103ac15.jpg

 

  • Like 8
Posted (edited)

I've had the same issue on a 2788 and 2789. Great movements, very accurate. It's one of those mistakes that you try and only make once.

 

Love the dial by the way.

Edited by steve1811uk
Added text
Posted
1 hour ago, steve1811uk said:

I've had the same issue on a 2788 and 2789. Great movements, very accurate. It's one of those mistakes that you try and only make once.

Only a second out after wearing it all day. Great movements, and cheap to buy if not in a big name brand. 

The 2772 doesn't have quick-set date unlike 278x, which is a bit of a pain.

Posted (edited)

IMG_0883.thumb.jpeg.acbb456e600e16bf4ceee487f97ae5bd.jpeg

This one was part of a very profitable lot of ‘costume’ jewelry and two watches. From the pics I knew at least one of the strands of pearls was real and it turned out to be two strands with gold clasps. $$$ and a ladies gold longines I have yet to investigate..

…anyways, Mark L. posted a video of servicing a Chinese fakie movement so for fun and practice I gave this one a go…

IMG_0545.thumb.jpeg.a2e93d773d57f89dd23f79112cd1eae4.jpeg

IMG_0866.thumb.jpeg.1e4444c5358071e73f11616f170f8c4d.jpeg

Notice the sticker remnants to hold the dial in place

IMG_0871.thumb.jpeg.5c30270d68d6c88131f04e5c89919d5d.jpeg

…a gear tumbled out when I opened the case. After cleanup and laying things out for assembly the top wheel on the setting lever was missing so the staking set made it right. Everything works but if I turn the winding stem- yes, it winds, if I turn the stem towards twelve the little date wheel becomes disengaged from the date ring…

The punch line- it regulated DD in beat and zeroed but it was horrible in all the other positions- one to two minutes, fast and wobbly. Just for fun I cased it up and wore it to dinner three days ago, played golf and wore it around the house…and as I write it has maintained perfect sync with the sweep second on my phone clock…what are those manufacturers playing at? 🧐🧐🧐 Kind of makes it hard to bin it…

Edited by rehajm
  • Like 1

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Restore formatting

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.


  • Recently Browsing

    • No registered users viewing this page.
  • Topics

  • Posts

    • Hi, this is the first place I found when looking for advice so I hope someone could advise me.  Im completely new to touching watches but I’ve always wondered how they work.  I’ve bought a cheap movement, an ETA replica to take apart and rebuild.  Im thinking I’ll need some screwdrivers, tweezers, movement holder and a loop? My goal is just to have a go first and see if I enjoy it enough before buying more tools.  Do I buy cheap tools for now and get better quality tools later if I enjoy it like I think I will? or will the cheap tools be a pain and take some of the fun out of it?  With quality tools being relatively expensive I’m unsure what to buy.    Any advice would be greatly appreciated!
    • Yeah I have seen 44-56 documented for Elgin 18 size elsewhere. I have the style of gauge that's like a set of feeler gauges and I never noticed before today it is faintly stamped "Elgin". Pictured is the way I have been measuring. I am going to go to a larger jewel than the 42 that had been in there. I recently won an auction on a big set of Fitrite jewels all in the little bottles, to discover that the what's actually in the bottles bears no relation to the chart of sizes printed on the box. In most cases it seems to be all mixed so in fact I have about 24 little bottles and thousands of assorted jewels of all diameters and lengths, which is better than nothing. But since I don't have a micrometer with a table, measuring for the exact diameter will be a big job. Instead I will test a lot of them in the fork slot the same way I measure with the gauge. But this is still the next thing. I have to get the escapement to unlock first.
    • it would be nice to have the exact model of the watch the or a picture so we can see exactly what you're talking about. this is because the definition of Swiss watch could be a variety of things and it be helpful if we could see exactly the watch your dealing with then in professional watch repair at least some professionals they do pre-cleaned watches. In other words the hands and dial come off and the entire movement assembled goes through a cleaning machine sometimes I think a shorter bath perhaps so everything is nice and clean for disassembly makes it easier to look for problems. Then other professionals don't like pre-cleaning because it basically obliterates the scene of the crime. Especially when dealing with vintage watches where you're looking for metal filings and problems that may visually go away with cleaning. Then usually super sticky lubrication isn't really a problem for disassembly and typically shouldn't be a problem on a pallet fork bridge because there shouldn't be any lubrication on the bridge at all as you typically do not oil the pallet fork pivots.  
    • A few things you should find out before you can mske a decision of what to do. As Richard said, what is the crown and all of the crown components made of . Then also the stem .  The crown looks to have a steel washer that retains a gasket. So be careful with what chemicals you use to dissolve any stem adhesives or the use of heat. You might swell or melt the gasket unless you are prepared to change that also . The steel washer maybe reactive to alum. Something I've just used to dissolve a broken screw from a plate. First drilled out the centre of the screw with a 0.5mm carbide . Dipped only the section that held the broken screw in Rustins rust remover. This is 40 % phosphoric acid. 3 days and the screw remains were completely dissolved, no trace of steel in the brass threads. A black puddle left in the solution.
    • I suppose this will add to the confusion I have a roller jewel assortment. It lists out American pocket watches for Elgin 18 size and even 16 size it's a 50. But not all the various companies used 50-50 does seem to be common one company had a 51 and the smallest is 43. American parts are always interesting? Francis Elgin for mainsprings will tell you the thickness of the spring other companies will not even though the spring for the same number could come in a variety of thicknesses. But if we actually had the model number of your watch we would find it probably makes a reference that the roller jewel came in different dimensions. So overlook the parts book we find that? So it appears to be 18 and 16 size would be the same sort of the arson different catalog numbers and as I said we don't have your Mongol know which Log number were supposed to be using. Variety of materials garnered her sapphire single or double but zero mention about diameters. Then in a section of rollers in this case rollers with jewels we do get this down in the notes section Roller specifications but of course zero reference to the jewel size. I was really hoping the roller jewel assortment would give us sizes it doesn't really. But it does show a picture of how one particular roller jewel gauge is used  
×
×
  • Create New...