Introductions

[bytes2doc]

Greetings and salutations all!

New to the forum and thought I would introduce myself.

After trashing a pocket watch I picked up at a flee-market I joined the NAWCC and took a weekend course on pocket watch repair, that was back in 2009 as I recall, when I lived close the NAWCC headquarters. I've been fixing PW ever since, as well as acquiring tools and books of the trade, which seems to be an entire hobby by itself.

I very recently have become interested in repairing wrist watches. I picked up my first vintage non-running Elgin on eBay and got it running again, as it just needed a good cleaning.

Recently I signed up for the timezone watch school level 2 and I'm in the midst of repairing a ETA 2824-2 encased in my Tissot two-tone Ballade III. I've had this watch since 2006 and it stopped working last year. Once apart I found that the stem had significant rust on it and that the pivots on the balance wheel were broken. A new balance wheel just arrived yesterday, so I'm off on that project again.

I do have a lot of tools for watch making as I picked a lot up from a guy who retired, also from the net, and a wonderful watchmaker's bench from an extra that a watch maker had. After removing 4 layers of paint the bench is beautiful in it's original condition.

I have a nice watch maker's lathe with collets I picked up on eBay, and lucked out in that it is in perfect condition. I still have not mastered making staffs.

My other Horology interest is clock making. However this is a first attempt. I'm using Bill Smith's plans on building a skeleton clock. The plates are cut, the pillars complete, the drum barrel and arbor along with the teeth have been cut and assembled. I manufactured my own tool bit to cut the ratchet teeth. I need to purchase a special wheel cutter for the train wheels.

My current watch collection consists of a Brietling Navitimer Limited Edition, the one with an in-house movement, a Tissot Ballade III, and a Seiko kinetic.

Sorry for being so long winded, but happy I found you guys.

[frenchie]

Welcome !!!!

 

post some pictures of your setup, it sounds amazing !!

Edited August 31, 2014 by frenchie

[Vich]

Welcome to the forum. Loads of stuff going on in here all the time with a wide range of experience from hobbyist/tinkerers like me to people that actually know what they are doing. Stacks of info already in the threads and not all deadly serious.

Cheers, Vic

[Geo]

A warm welcome from Scotland and thanks for the comprehensive introduction. Like you I am interested in all things horological and totally agree that searching for tools and literature is indeed a hobby in itself.

[bobm12]

Welcome from Florida, where the weather and the beach is always nice...except in summer where it rains everyday and during the hurricane season from March through November! No, we don't have snow, but it hails during winter. :)

 

We have good beer though (from Europe) and excellent coffee (from South America).

[Mark]

Welcome to the forum :)

[Lawson]

Welcome Bytes!

Kick your shoes off and make yourself comfortable mate :)