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Hi im totaly new to this hobby


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hi my name is Mark am a disabled boat builder/ commercial fisherman due to a broken back at sea, have always liked to fix things and had 2 old pocket watches but just inherited a box of 24 pocket watches and wish to at least service them.

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Welcome!

pocket watches are a great way to start as everything is a bit larger. Of course, I don’t heed my own advice but there are a lot of other folks here with tons of knowledge and experience to draw from. 

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Hi Mark, You have plenty to practice on there. Start with the pocket watches. See Mark Lovick on u tube, he runs courses. I consider de Carles book Practical Watch Repairing an asset and have referred to it for years. There are many experienced and helpful people on this excellent forum. All good wishes, Mike.

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hi my name is Mark am a disabled boat builder/ commercial fisherman due to a broken back at sea, have always liked to fix things and had 2 old pocket watches but just inherited a box of 24 pocket watches and wish to at least service them.

Welcome to a very helpful group.


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Another vote here for Donald De Carle's book "Watch Repairing". I like pocket watches, always wanted one since being a kid and seeing antique ones. While they are bigger than watches, they are a lot more convenient to collect than cars or boats, and the tools take up less space!

I like De Carle's approach, as he starts from first principles, and makes so many parts instead of trying to buy them.

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Pocket watches are a great way to start. If all the parts are there and intact, especially balance staffs, working on them is relatively easy. If parts are broken/missing, then you need to be the kind of person that likes a treasure hunt! The parts are out there, but parts hunting can be an art. No one is selling here, but people can sometimes point you in the right direction.

Have Fun!

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