Watch of Today

[Waggy]

Not sure it was hard to make out, I think its printed just below the pallet cock below AS 1700/01 ??

 

[Razz]

1 hour ago, Waggy said:

Not sure it was hard to make out, I think its printed just below the pallet cock below AS 1700/01 ??

 

Looks like it. Automatic according to Ranftt and you can match the pictures to confirm.

[GomBoo]

EBEL 18k Gold Modul-O-Quartz Beta21 movement 1970

[GuyMontag]

4 hours ago, GomBoo said:

EBEL 18k Gold Modul-O-Quartz Beta21 movement 1970

Gorgeous watch!

[JohnR725]

4 hours ago, GomBoo said:

Beta21 movement 197

 in a watch repair discussion group no pictures of the movement?

[Waggy]

7 hours ago, Waggy said:

All better, except the amplitude, but this was already pretty good and I expect it to improve over the next 24-48 hours

Just checked and amplitude is at 266° so a 34° improvement from bedore the service/restoration 

Edited August 4, 2023 by Waggy

[Neverenoughwatches]

5 hours ago, Waggy said:

Just checked and amplitude is at 266° so a 34° improvement from bedore the service/restoration 

Thats always a positive feeling of getting something right waggy.

[GuyMontag]

1973 Bulova Oceanographer 'T'

 

[Waggy]

My son asked me to do a watch for him and his best friend to celebrate their exam results which are out in a week or two, so I let him loose on my 'to do' watches and he picked this one for his friend which is a Seiko 7S36 from November 2003. I was quite relieved that it wasn't a junker....but looks can be deceiving. I knew it was a non runner but there were a host of other hidden issues...

Watch before:

Gotta love that arm cheese 

When I came to remove the movement from the case it was very stuck... then I realised why... the dial feet were snapped off and the dial was glued in place with some kind of double sided tape which was sticking out and sticking the movement inside the case:

 

Next I noticed that the crown wheel screw was sheared off, probably by someone not knowing it was a left handed thread... after a good clean I set about installing new dial feet:

I then polished up the case restoring the correct finish, and here it is all back together and doing well on the timegrapher (no before numbers as this was a non-runner) - the amplitude isn't bad, and I expect it to improve in the next 24-36 hours... fingers crossed 

New crystal (broke 3 getting this one in  - need to work on my technique) and new strap and here is the finished watch:

And yes ... I contemplated keeping this for myself instead of handing it over to my son to give to his friend! 

[KarlvonKoln]

Hoping to sell this to a friend  today.  It's a rather nice Citizen Automatic.  I was considering keeping this one, but I am between paychecks and extra money would be good right now.  A friend called, asking if I had any vintage mens automatics.  And this was the one I had so I will be showing it off.  Fresh from a COA, and all polished up and sporting a new crystal.  Lume is still bright, day & date move forward perfectly, and the rotor weight just glides.  I have the calibre written down somewhere but, whichever it was, this is a fine movement.  I'm only going to ask him for $30.  Wish me luck.

Update: alas, it was not his style.  He prefers Swiss.  Off to Ebay it goes.

Edited August 5, 2023 by KarlvonKoln

[steve1811uk]

Seiko 2119-0090 P June 1969

Replacement crystal, Setting lever spring. Loose cannon pinion and sticking hairspring. All fixed and running properly again + 2 SPD on wrist. My uncles watch since early 70s. He gave a stranger a lift home from the pub. The guy left his coat in my uncles car and was never to be seen again to this day. The watch was found in the coat pocket. No way of contacting people in those days like there is today to be able to hand it back.

[steve1811uk]

Seiko Elnix 0702-6010

Changed the Crystal for a 285V17GCAF

Straight swap for the 285V21GN. I also ordered a 285V23GCAF but that wasn't quite the right fit. I will make a post highlighting the similarities and differences for future reference.

[Waggy]

Spent the last few nights after work working on this atlantic which has a different look and reminds me of the watches you see from the 70s on programs like Minder and the Sweeny.

I now have the Minder theme tune ear worm!

It came in reasonable condition, and the timegrapher showed a rate of +227 s/d and an amplitude of 182° and a beat error of 9.9 ms.

After a good clean and some TLC I managed to improve the situation, here is the trace after about 12 hours, I plan to tweak the rate and beat error tonight, but I'm very happy with the new amplitude of 307° which is a gain of 125°.

I managed to save the crystal but the dial was literally flaking away in front of my eyes so had to restrict myself to how much work I did on it. I did a case clean/polish and reapplied the heavy brush finish to the bracelet, and here is the final result:

I'm wearing this at work today, wonder if I'll get any comments, or arm muscle strain from the weight of it 

[steve1811uk]

Great work on the restoration. Running really well. Is it an ST96-4 movement? Looks like the same as in an AVIA that I'm working on.

[Waggy]

5 minutes ago, steve1811uk said:

Great work on the restoration. Running really well. Is it an ST96-4 movement? Looks like the same as in an AVIA that I'm working on.

Thanks, I think its a ST96-4, good eye!

[noirrac1j]

Good Job!

[KarlvonKoln]

I cannot recall if I have posted this one before: I was in the mood to wear black today.  And I've always liked the color combination of black and gold with a black dial.  This is an uncommon one these days; an Avalon "Rivera", from sometime in the 1960s, with the usual 17 jewels, incabloc, & water *resistant*.  I do not remember off the top of my head which Swiss ébauche is in here, but it is Swiss and looked pretty sweet.  Fairly accurate as well.  And makes for decent eye-candy also.

[Galilea]

2 hours ago, KarlvonKoln said:

I cannot recall if I have posted this one before: I was in the mood to wear black today.  And I've always liked the color combination of black and gold with a black dial.  This is an uncommon one these days; an Avalon "Rivera", from sometime in the 1960s, with the usual 17 jewels, incabloc, & water *resistant*.  I do not remember off the top of my head which Swiss ébauche is in here, but it is Swiss and looked pretty sweet.  Fairly accurate as well.  And makes for decent eye-candy also.

That watch (which I am pretty sure I have, plus a couple of other Avalons) is awesome; cool lugs. I collect 60s non-brands, intentionally - at first they just were sort of leftovers in lots bought at auction. But I know so little about them, I can rarely find them in searches anywhere.

I also notice you like pocket watches, as do I. Most of my watches are pocket watches. I collect only American ones, and those are of course very easy to ID. I am getting a drawer-full of Swiss ones just collaterally and I don't know how to figure them out. 

Advice for me? Thank you.

[KarlvonKoln]

3 hours ago, Galilea said:

I am getting a drawer-full of Swiss ones just collaterally and I don't know how to figure them out. 

Advice for me? Thank you.

Whew!  Well, I can say that Longines and Vacheron (et) Constantin kept some records which provide a bit of help.  For the others, there are veterans on this forum who have researched longer than myself.  If you have any Longines or VC, I can maybe point you to a couple sites.  The rest? I can fix them, but probably not identify them.  Ébauche movements are particularly tricky. 

Addendum: the Ranfft archive can often help more with Swiss manufacturers. 

Edited August 13, 2023 by KarlvonKoln

[Galilea]

1 hour ago, KarlvonKoln said:

Whew!  Well, I can say that Longines and Vacheron (et) Constantin kept some records which provide a bit of help.  For the others, there are veterans on this forum who have researched longer than myself.  If you have any Longines or VC, I can maybe point you to a couple sites.  The rest? I can fix them, but probably not identify them.  Ébauche movements are particularly tricky. 

Addendum: the Ranfft archive can often help more with Swiss manufacturers. 

Heck no I don't have any fancy ones that are unsigned, lol, I don't have any fancy ones at all, hardly. Maybe one or two Longines, one U. Nardin woman's movement of unknown functioning state, no Vacheron, no. I had a Piaget for a minute but it turned out to be a fake. 

I think one of the things I like so much about watches is the sense of history/story I  can attach to them. I like to imagine the wearer in the context of the day, etc. If you can't ID them, how do you ever know when they came from, and if that cannot be extrapolated then I suppose any further efforts at imaginative history are moot. How depressing. 

I still thank you kindly

[rossjackson01]

Watch of today.

I've finally finished the Seiko 6119. Thank you folks. Not the 6119a I was recently posting about. Still haven't got the correct crown. However?.....

I obtained a 6119 which was a 'b'. I did a teardown. Clean and  full service. It came without a strap, so I've found a strap from another Seiko purchased last year.

Not a great photograph, but, thank you to all. I'm on the way, getting there. Great fun this hobby. 

[Waggy]

This a project I did over the weekend, a Lucerne. Watch was a non-runner due to dire need for a service, gummed up with old oil and a damaged balance hair spring. This is the first time I have taken on rebuilding a hairspring was was smiling all day when I got it not only working, but working well!

Before and after pictures:

Finished watch

[Razz]

Here is my latest. A Tissot Seastar with a 2571 (US 2591 actually) automatic with day-date complications.  Actually came in pieces (as pictured below) and I managed to complete a reassemble and source several parts needed. I will write up the restoration on another thread soon enough. Still need a thorough clean and lube service. The 37mm case is pretty large on my small wrist. 42mm lug to lug. With this movement and the dial-hands types I think this is a late 70s model. Really like the bezel...maybe a little Rolex-ish style wise?

then after pix...

Edited August 25, 2023 by Razz

[Waggy]

Just posted a very cool 404, link below:

 

 

[KarlvonKoln]

I just snapped up this Wittnaur today, for all of $75 and change.  (A bit high for the 404 Club.) It was dirty and sluggish, but I had all of Sunday off, and cleaning watches keeps me out of trouble.  It came with no strap so I fitted it with an oxblood-colored leather one.  It runs smooth now.