Best movements for practice?

[IndianaMatt]

Hey guys...I am brand new to watches and was just looking on ebay for a few movements to practice taking apart and putting together. Can you all take a look at these and let me know if they would be worth getting for this purpose?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/311339037472?_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

 

Thanks!

Matthew Condon

[Rob]

Yep, they look nice and big to practice on. Go for it.

[Ishima]

Man those are some surprisingly beautiful scrappers.

[IndianaMatt]

Yes, I thought they looked nice too. I am going to try to get them. Even though I plan to practice on them, I'll take it slow and try not to do anything that will cause damage. If they turn out to be nice movements, I might want to restore them one day. 

[Don]

Those do look very nice. Bidding war!!!

 

Just kidding. Welcome to the forum and good luck.

 

Don

[bobm12]

Hi Matt,

 

I join the rest of the gang in the approval! Also, I would recommend a complete watch so you can wear it with pride after you work on it!

 

Cheers,

 

Bob

[WillFly]

Here's the data for the big runner:

 

• 21319580
• Grade: 291
• Model: 7
• Class: 110
• Estimated Production Year: 1919
• Run Quantity: 4,000
• Total Production: 1,490,000
• Size: 16s
• Jewels: 7j
• Movement Configuration: Openface
• Movement Finish: Nickel
• Movement Setting: Pendant
• Plate: 3/4 Plate
• Barrel: Going
• Train: Quick
• Regulator: Plain
• Adjusted: No
• Railroad Grade: No

[IndianaMatt]

Well, I didn't get them. :( They went for $32 total. I was just a little under the winning bid. It was a few dollars over my budget at the moment anyway and I don't have any tools yet to work on them. I'm sure there will be others another day. They did look nice though. I have been looking for a new wrist watch for about 2 years now. I'm thinking I might try to find some movements to play around with and if they turn out to be nice and work well, I might convert them into wrist watches. I do love pocket watches but hate things in my pockets...I love the idea of converting these old movements into something that I personally can use.

[bobm12]

Then you want to look for an ETA 6498 or 6497 or maybe a Hamilton 917, 921, 923, 945...

[WillFly]

Sorry to hear you got pipped at the auction post.

 

There used to be lots of old Waltham and Elgin movements on eBay and, as Bob says, ETA 6497/8 and some Hamilton movements are solid to work on. If you work on American pocket watch movements - being in the US - then replacement parts may be easier to get hold of should you need them.

[anilv]

For practise, try to get a watch advertised as running. Do an ebay seach for handwinds under USD25 (with free shipping!), there are a lot of garish watches from India which although hard on the eyes, represent good value for a beginner watchbreaker maker.

 

If you can take it apart and get it back together and running then thats a big motivational boost for you!

 

If you start with a watch which is not running you may be stuck and lose heart thru no fault of yours.

 

For a simple handwind you'd need

 

A simple caseback opener

A loupe (10 x )

A pair of decent tweezers (*)

Some decent screwdrivers (*)

A bottle of Zippo fluid (or equivalent) for cleaning watch parts.

Some Rodico (funky green plasticine which watchmakers use)

Some watch oil (*)

mainspring winder

parts organisor

Misc tubs and containers.

 

For Items marked with (*) try to buy quality stuff as poor tools will make your work so much more difficult.

 

 

Anil

[ricardopalamino]

User ID thewatchcollector  has a boatload of donor watches at reasonable prices . 

Edited April 21, 2015 by ricardopalamino

[anilv]

Re thewatchcollector....

 

..... has a lot of watches and cheap too but most of them have issues and you need to have a bit of experience before you tackle these.

 

Notice how thewatchcollector sells his watches in 'lots' of similar models.. the idea is that you take the best from 4 watches and maybe end up with two working ones. Good deal as they're cheap enough but a bit challenging for the beginner. If you end up with two working watches out of 4 then that's good but bear in mind these will have old mainsprings and if automatic, the autowinder is usually shot. Water resistance is non-existant of course.

 

if you're thinking of buying from thewatchcollector then stick to seikos... well made cases and movements usually mean the watch can be saved. A lot of Seikos have hardlex crystals and these are quite difficult to polish. A replacement will probably cost more than the watch.

 

Anil

[bobm12]

Good advise Anil! I recommend the watch collector as a good source and dependable seller. All you said is absolutely true, not for beginners unless you get lucky. His shipping to US takes supper long, almost a month and sometimes even more! BTW, @Matt, considering the cost of retrofitting his watches and depending on the project, the overall price may be too much so chose carefully if you do.

 

I may add that here, on this side of the pond, although not original/hardlex, you can substitute Seiko crystals dirt cheap. Just a 2mm thick X 28mm diameter of mineral glass, beveled, is US$2.50 and less depending on the supplier. I do it all the time and they look perfect! In my mind, using sapphire crystal would be better, even than hardlex, but it is too expensive (US$18 for 1.5 mm thick) and I haven't found a source for 2 mm thick...but I haven't looked much either.

 

Cheers,

 

Bob

[Don]

I've bought a couple of movements and several parts from eBay seller vacheron_nl. He has some interesting stuff, some of it NOS. A lot of them running. The downside is that shipping takes a bit. But you can get a deal if you're patient.

 

A couple of things I forgot to mention....a lot of the movements they sell that don't have a dial are also missing the hour wheel, so be aware of that. Also, many of them are smaller movements. You can check the diameter of the movement in the Ranftt Database.

Edited April 21, 2015 by Don

[TheFixer]

Well after all your welcome input, I have decided to go the pocket Watch route to practice on.

And have obtained this, see picture below.

Ingersol, pocket Watch with what I understand are in some circles known as Dollar Watches.

Now I have talked to my Watchmaker about these and he owns six of them including two Automaton versions, one of which he built from a pile of bits.

He said they were simple and easy to service, but looking on various forums that opinion varies somewhat.

Now my guy can pretty much fix anything from simple no complication movements to complex chronographs plus electric and tuning fork Watches.

So from his point they probably are easy to service and repair.

But is it a good one for me to start with, if so any advice on how to take it apart.

Currently it is working and keeping good time, I would hate to ruin it, even though it didn't cost much.

 

Thanks for looking.

 

Jon

 

[Geo]

This is not the best type to start of with. It is fundementaly a two plate construction that will make reassembly very difficult indeed when it comes to aligning the drive train pinions.

A far better choice would be to go for a movement that consists of separate bridges and balance c o c k. This type is a lot easier to work on because you do not have so many pinions to align at the same time. Also it is easier to asses the free running of the components as you go.

[Ishima]

Can't say I've ever worked on a piece like this, but I'm inclined to agree with geo, 

on my early mechanical practices, I've had standard wristwatch movements (with specific bridges and cocks) that i wish i was exaggerating when I said I've sat trying to gently align pinions of the gear train for well over half an hour and very much wanting to cry. I imagine this would have made me tear my hair out.

That being said, don't regret the acquisition, put it aside, it will make a fantastically interesting and useful practice later. 

Edited April 29, 2015 by Ishima

[Gotwatch]

I agree with the above comments. A 3/4 plate is what I started on years ago and it proved well suited.

 

BTW, that is an extremely clean watch for a dollar watch. So many are abused because of their low worth (at purchase), not so much now. Great find.

[ken]

I have had these and I think it's a great thing to learn on. The pivots are heavy and won't break off easy, this can be good in the early learning stages but as mentioned it's takes time but great accomplishment when it's back and ticking away.

[TheFixer]

I have had these and I think it's a great thing to learn on. The pivots are heavy and won't break off easy, this can be good in the early learning stages but as mentioned it's takes time but great accomplishment when it's back and ticking away.

Thanks for that, any tips if I decided to strip it?

[ken]

Just make sure you let the power down

off the spring. If you take parts out with

it wound up it can strip the gears

and mess up the watch.

Try to get the best fit with the screwdriver so not to strip the screws.

[Phil]

I started on these types of watches, Smiths, Ingersoll, westloc and a few cheaper Canadian watches, the reason was exactly what Geo stated lining up the drive train pinions as I snapped a pivot pinion on an early waltham watch, so I practiced and practiced on these cheaper watches until I mastered aligning the pinions and it worked for me. Tought me patience and I eventually mastered aligning the pinions much easier without damaging any.

[Budsy]

Guys,

Where is best place to buy movements online?

New to this so looking for something inexpensive. Believe a seagull st 36 is a good starting movement. Also Russian ones.

Many Thanks

[jdm]

I would rather buy entire watches on aliexpress, $10 or less.