Jump to content

Recommended Posts

Posted

Hi,

New to the forum and new watch  repair hobbyist. I have been replacing batteries in my wife's multitude of watches. Mostly inexpensive ones that if I mess up won't be devastating.

I've been mostly successful but I ran across a watch with plastic bracelets, one on each side. There is one pin attaching the bracelet to the body of the watch and a coil spring that fits inside the housing where the bracelet is attached. It came off easy enough when I removed the pin, now I can't get it to go back together. 

Just wondered if there is a special tool or a trick that a beginner like me doesn't have (the tool and/or the knowledge) can use to put this thing together properly.

It's a matter of pride now, I don't want this problem to defeat me. Although it is definitely winning. Any advice is appreciated.

IMG_0340.JPG

IMG_0341.JPG

Posted

As long as the holes in the bracelet and the watch is okay. A watchmaker could put a new springbar on. maybe he can use the old one. 

It could be a little tricky on thus as it's not a normal case or bracelet. And there are some spring to hold the bracelet down. Put a leather strap on it instead :)

Posted

You can buy a spring bar tool on eBay for a quid or so. It's like a screwdriver with a notch in it.

You need to engage one end of the spring bar in the hole in the case and use the tool to compress the hidden spring inside the spring bar and wiggle the bar end into the other hole. You'll also have to fight the spring in the bracelet.
Three hands will help.
Eventually you'll get the idea.
Having the spring bar ping across the room is part of the fun!
Cheers Neil


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Posted

Thank you for the reply. I realized that I didn't state the actual problem in my OP. If you look closely at the spring there is a raised area that fits inside the housing to produce tension. I can put it together but only when the raised part of the spring is outside of the housing, when I put the raised part of the coil inside where it is supposed to be, I then can't line up the band to properly seat the pin in both holes. I can get one side in but not the other.

  • Like 1
Posted

Thanks Neil, I do have a spring bar tool, the real issue is with the coiled spring fitting inside the case and then lining up both holes to get the pin in.

i actually can compress both sides of the pin so it is inside the case but it won't line up when the coil spring is inside where it belongs. It will line up if the coil is outside the case but then the bracelet is wide open and won't tension to the wrist as it should. It tensions outward instead. 

My fault for not explaining properly. I do appreciate the help though.

Posted

Looks like an LTS - life's too short.

 

Put it away for a week or two. It can be easier with fresh eyes

 

Neil

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

  • Recently Browsing

    • No registered users viewing this page.
  • Topics

  • Posts

    • 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  
    • Seems to still do it through my mobile data, I use an android phone almost exclusively, but I'll double check it. Thanks mark Strange, I'll try my laptop that utilities edge. I've been on site half hour since I got home, it hasn't done it yet. Thanks John
    • At work, I'm on MS Edge, not through chose, on my phone, chrome, no issues with either. 
×
×
  • Create New...