Hello from Salvatore

[Salvatore]

I am new to watchmaking. So far, watchmaking for me has been 5% watchmaking and 95% excavation:

I spent 12 hours vacuuming my carpet and sifting through the collected dust, for example, in search of a click spring I had assumed flew across my room, flung from the first watch I tried to reassemble a few weeks ago (an AS ST 1686). I would pour the same lighter fluid I use to clean the parts on the pile of dirt and hairs from the vacuum, then sift through the ashes, and repeat, determined to find that evasive thing. It got dark by the time I was ready to sift through the ashes the fourth time, and so I ran back inside to grab my flashlight. Upon my return, shining the light into the curiously empty pan, one of the guys from the motorcycle shop next door asked me "was that yours?" Luckily they had poured the smoking ashes onto the sidewalk rather than into the nearby planter. I tried not to look too upset or desperate, but fearing a passing pedestrian stepping on the pile and walking off with my spring lodged in their boot, I got down on hands and knees with the flashlight and my face inches from the smouldering ashes to continue my quest. Maybe they felt guilty, but hopefully just out of curiosity or familiarity the three big guys pulled out their cellphones, turned on the lights, and joined me. The next morning one of them asked me if I ever found that pesky thing, and I was able to tell him "yes, in fact I did find that spring in the last place I looked: right where it belongs: in the watch." See, when the click didn't engage, and any winding I did on the crown would immediately unwind, I realized the click was spring loaded, looked back at the photos I took step by step of the disassembly, saw the spring sitting there in the watch in one photo, and assumed the worst: that the spring had sprung its way to freedom. But after that exhausting day of excavation, I finally slept a few hours, and awoke with an epiphany: and sure enough, upon removing the mainspring winding gear, discovered hiding underneath what you experienced watchmakers probably knew was coming the whole time. The spring was where it should be, just on the wrong side of the click. Well, the good news is that the watch, soon able to hold a wind, ticked back to life and kept pretty good time.... of course, then I lost the watch (that's another  story).

 I finally removed my carpet and painted my floor, but still managed yesterday to lose what I think might be called a date wheel blocking yoke for my first over $10 movement: an original ETA 2824 from a Technos Select I found on Ebay, which is how I found this forum and this thread. I thought it was the adjacent spring that hit me in the forehead (which I found on the table) but it must have been the yoke, which must have then landed in a crease in my pants or shirt and left my room before I knew it was missing. Argggg! I have one picture documenting the disassembly that shows that the yoke even existed. Now it's a ghost. Any advice on what the part is actually called would be highly appreciated. I can easily find the corresponding part on ebay for the 2824-2 version, but that looks different than my ghost yoke. I was glad to see that MrBeat found a spare, but was hoping to see the photo as DJT2 requested, to help clarify what I think I need.

Thanks for any insight. I will be here often, hopefully to help eventually, and hopefully never again to identify a lost part. 

I am including a picture of my lost part (which in the photo lies between the U shaped spring and the date wheel) and, for your entertainment, the LOST WATCH poster I plastered all over Brooklyn after losing my first watch (which I did find by the way woohooo!!!!)

[File uploads failing. I will try to post a followup with photos.)

 

[dadistic]

Great Story!

And greetings 

[sperki77]

Hi, Salvatore!

Gee, what's it like to lose a watch part... I've never lost one (total lie).  In reality, probably most, if not all watchmakers have a similar story.  I'm no different.   Honestly, if lost watch parts could glow in the dark, my house would be lit up like a Christmas tree!   

Welcome to the flying watch parts club (and the Watch repair talk forum)

P.S.  Glad you found your lost watch!

Shirley

[noirrac1j]

Welcome to the forum Sal! That's a rough draft for a short story you've got there. I saw that episode of twilight zone too, and it gave me a chuckle to see you mention it in that ad--which is hilarious. Where is that posted? Bayridge....Bensonhurst...maybe Court street?!? Glad you found the spring, sad you lost the watch.

 

P.S. Isn't that part the date jumper and its spring?

 

Watchmaker, Writer, Philosopher--You're a Renaissance man! Welcome again and look forward to more posts.

JC

[Salvatore]

Thanks folks, I am so glad to have found you all. 

JC: the posters were plastered all over near the Bedford L in Williamsburg. I ended up finding the watch on the floor under where I hang my keys - it musta got tangled in my keys as I pulled them out of my pocket. I spent more money on printing those posters than I paid for the watch.

Thanks for letting me know what the part is called (date jumper) - now I can try to find one. I see technical charts detailing every part from a lot of the ETA movements including the 2824-2, but am having a devil of a time finding a chart for the original 2824 so your input is very much appreciated. I hope we cross paths around the neighborhood one day.

-Sal 

[Salvatore]

P.S. I just looked for the date jumper on EBay and that is the part that screws down right over the part I lost. To be clear: I still have the date jumper. The photo above was taken right after I safely removed that, directly before I unsafely pulled out that spring and sent the little part next to it sailing to the Lost Part Oasis. So the soon-to-be missing part is in the photo: between the spring and the date wheel. It looks like it holds the date wheel in the right position and/or prevents it from spinning. Anybody know what it is called?

[noirrac1j]

Thanks folks, I am so glad to have found you all. 
JC: the posters were plastered all over near the Bedford L in Williamsburg. I ended up finding the watch on the floor under where I hang my keys - it musta got tangled in my keys as I pulled them out of my pocket. I spent more money on printing those posters than I paid for the watch.
Thanks for letting me know what the part is called (date jumper) - now I can try to find one. I see technical charts detailing every part from a lot of the ETA movements including the 2824-2, but am having a devil of a time finding a chart for the original 2824 so your input is very much appreciated. I hope we cross paths around the neighborhood one day.
-Sal 

Bedford on the L line? Yep, know that area. I live right near there in Bushwick. Glad you found that watch....right where you hang the keys. It figures, right,? Ha ha ha. Yes I noticed there seems to be some discrepancy between the 2824 and the 2824- for the part. I will look up on my materials database in a bit and get back to you.
J

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[Salvatore]

Ahhh I just found it: JC you were right -- it is the date jumper! Just because I searched for that on ebay and the date jumper plate popped up didnt mean ebay was right haha: you got it right.

 

Amazing that I can add a post at night and wake up with the answer. I want to buy you a coffee next time you are in Greenpoint. Thank you thank you JC.

[noirrac1j]

Glad to be of help Sal. Coffee would be great and I'll have some time in a few weeks when I finish up with school. I looked up the ETA on Borel and there are 4 variants to the basic module:

Yours is only date, correct? It would be the 2824-1. The difference between these is whether it has the day and hack feature to synchronize the movement. There is also a chrono but that doesn't have parts available on Borel. I have account and can order if you need. Just PM me.

J

Edited March 12, 2017 by noirrac1j

[Deggsie]

I am new to watchmaking. So far, watchmaking for me has been 5% watchmaking and 95% excavation:
I spent 12 hours vacuuming my carpet and sifting through the collected dust, for example, in search of a click spring I had assumed flew across my room, flung from the first watch I tried to reassemble a few weeks ago (an AS ST 1686). I would pour the same lighter fluid I use to clean the parts on the pile of dirt and hairs from the vacuum, then sift through the ashes, and repeat, determined to find that evasive thing. It got dark by the time I was ready to sift through the ashes the fourth time, and so I ran back inside to grab my flashlight. Upon my return, shining the light into the curiously empty pan, one of the guys from the motorcycle shop next door asked me "was that yours?" Luckily they had poured the smoking ashes onto the sidewalk rather than into the nearby planter. I tried not to look too upset or desperate, but fearing a passing pedestrian stepping on the pile and walking off with my spring lodged in their boot, I got down on hands and knees with the flashlight and my face inches from the smouldering ashes to continue my quest. Maybe they felt guilty, but hopefully just out of curiosity or familiarity the three big guys pulled out their cellphones, turned on the lights, and joined me. The next morning one of them asked me if I ever found that pesky thing, and I was able to tell him "yes, in fact I did find that spring in the last place I looked: right where it belongs: in the watch." See, when the click didn't engage, and any winding I did on the crown would immediately unwind, I realized the click was spring loaded, looked back at the photos I took step by step of the disassembly, saw the spring sitting there in the watch in one photo, and assumed the worst: that the spring had sprung its way to freedom. But after that exhausting day of excavation, I finally slept a few hours, and awoke with an epiphany: and sure enough, upon removing the mainspring winding gear, discovered hiding underneath what you experienced watchmakers probably knew was coming the whole time. The spring was where it should be, just on the wrong side of the click. Well, the good news is that the watch, soon able to hold a wind, ticked back to life and kept pretty good time.... of course, then I lost the watch (that's another  story).
 I finally removed my carpet and painted my floor, but still managed yesterday to lose what I think might be called a date wheel blocking yoke for my first over $10 movement: an original ETA 2824 from a Technos Select I found on Ebay, which is how I found this forum and this thread. I thought it was the adjacent spring that hit me in the forehead (which I found on the table) but it must have been the yoke, which must have then landed in a crease in my pants or shirt and left my room before I knew it was missing. Argggg! I have one picture documenting the disassembly that shows that the yoke even existed. Now it's a ghost. Any advice on what the part is actually called would be highly appreciated. I can easily find the corresponding part on ebay for the 2824-2 version, but that looks different than my ghost yoke. I was glad to see that MrBeat found a spare, but was hoping to see the photo as DJT2 requested, to help clarify what I think I need.
Thanks for any insight. I will be here often, hopefully to help eventually, and hopefully never again to identify a lost part. 
I am including a picture of my lost part (which in the photo lies between the U shaped spring and the date wheel) and, for your entertainment, the LOST WATCH poster I plastered all over Brooklyn after losing my first watch (which I did find by the way woohooo!!!!)
[File uploads failing. I will try to post a followup with photos.)
 

Worth a read..... just for the chuckle [emoji23]

Welcome


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[WileyDave]

Welcome Salvatore,

The last line in your ad says it all....

[Bluestifford]

What an enjoyable introduction. 

Thanks.