Jump to content

Recommended Posts

Posted

So I've been searching, I've even Googled, and I cannot seem to find out how to chamfer a watch case.  I've been getting into case restoration, polishing, etc., for Rolex and the like, but this topic seems elusive.  Any help, advice, points in the right direction, and equipment I would need would be most welcome!

Posted

Hello!

I’m assuming you mean facet or bevel along the lugs....

Those are made with a lapidary or lapping machine. It requires a precision holder that allows you to move the case only in one direction so that the bevel is precise or sharp. It also allows you to give it a brushing or black polish finish.

The Swiss machines are running at around $9000 and up.

If you’re refinishing a case with a bevel.... then gentle touches with the buffing wheel at high speed can clean them up but be very careful not to round the angles.

I hope this helps.

Cheers!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

  • Like 1
Posted

Something like that, yes. LOL

Essentially it's to re-establish the chamfer, or create the chamfer on a sterile case. Looks like I've got some more researching to do!



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

Posted

I'm very interested in this as well.

I had thought, perhaps a buff, loaded with diamond paste, somehow attached to one of those knife sharpening jigs that keeps the angle constant... Not tried it yet, just been thinking about it (without spending $9k on a lapping wheel)

Posted

Well, after spending a couple hours of researching (on top of the previous research!), I think I've found something...

SHAVIV 29249 Bonus Pack Deburring Tool Kit for Extra Close Work with Mango IIB Handle (11 Pieces)

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003JY7LXI/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_c3DDBbNYNZZME

From what I've seen on video of this, this particular tool will do a 45 degree angle. There are others that will fit the handle for different bevels etc., but you get the idea. I'll give this a go and let you know what I discover and the results.



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

Posted

That's a deburring tool for removing burrs and sharp edges from machined parts. It will probably put a chamfer on a sharp edged case feature but it will be ugly, and need filing and further work to be nice looking.

Posted

True, but at least I won't have to spend 9 grand. LOL

I'm aware what it is, but do it enough times and it'll give me something I can work with. I'm not really going for perfection. We'll see what happens!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

Posted

I'm not really sure what you're trying to do; if it is refinishing an existing bevel this won't do it, if it's creating a new bevel then a file would work far better.

Posted
I'm not really sure what you're trying to do; if it is refinishing an existing bevel this won't do it, if it's creating a new bevel then a file would work far better.


What I'm trying to do is create a chamfer at a precise angle where none previously existed, then go from there. Since I don't have 9 grand lying around, and since I really haven't found or been given anything of substance thus far, this seemed like a good idea to try out. I'm not exactly the sharpest knife in the drawer, but I do get the steak cut.

If there's something you know that you can educate , I'm definitely willing to listen!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
Posted

How big of a bevel and on what shape of case? Honestly files would be the best and easiest. If you aren't skilled at filing there's really not another method that will get you there any easier. Even with a lathe and milling machine and being skilled in their use, matching contours and angles would take forever. With a bit of practice you can file bevels all over a case in about an hour, figure two to three times that to get them polished while keeping them crisp.

Posted

I have one of those tools, great for taking the sharp edges off so you don't cut your fingers, not so good for giving you a nice edge on a watch case, although other than hand files and practice I can't think of a better way.

Posted

Thanks for the guidance so far...now we're getting somewhere!

Just so we're clear, short of a machine or tool to do this for me, the deburring tool is nothing more than something to use as a reference point so to speak to get me started.

From the two dozen or so videos I've seen of the tool in action, it looks like it'll get me started on a point of reference - a basic 45 degree angle - that I can then improve upon with other tools. Sorry if I made it sound like this was all I was going to try and use!

The watch case in question is a Star Time generic "Submariner" case. Like I said, use the tool a couple of times to get the point of reference started, then go to work with the file. I'll totally admit that I'm not mechanically inclined, but I'm not entirely helpless either. In my mind's eye, this seems fairly straightforward.

I hope this makes sense. Like I said, I spent a lot of time researching with not much to go on. Short of a step by step guide, this is the best I can come up with. I'm sure it sounds crazy to some, but it makes sense to me a little. lol



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

Posted

Can I suggest you practice on some scrap steel first before trying it on a watch case, much better to make the learning mistakes on some scrap than something valuable.

I've not ever tried to refinish a case so will be interested to see your results

  • Like 1
  • Recently Browsing

    • No registered users viewing this page.
  • Topics

  • Posts

    • This was what I was afraid of. The movement is not one of the generic black square modules. Remove the movement from the clock and try prying it open very carefully, without breaking the plastic tabs. The plastic might be brittle from age. Clean the wheels and check the battery contacts for corrosion. Check the PCB for bad solder joints. Take plenty of photos along the way.
    • One of the problems with trying to Photograph Phils things are that his enjoyment was building these things so they tended to E falls on what will see if I can find some earlier pictures or any pictures I wasn't even sure because I was looking for that specific picture for somebody else and even it got the last version and that would have been the last version. You will note that he put the indexing on something that he could unscrew it or whatever and it can slide back out of the way so the rest of the lathe can be used as a lathe. With the lathe cut are actually coming down from the top I was there once where he demonstrated how to cut a pivot with the setup it was really beautiful. Older set up if I remember it's not a worm gear assembly in the thing in between the stepping motor and the holding block I believe this particular one was like a 100 to 1 gear ratio. Earlier version with watchmaker's lathe. Even looks like he is the watchmakers bed and then switch to something he made. Then I do have other pictures and things of the rotary stage in use. In the raw so if you tube videos here is an example of one were somebody's mounting a three jaw chuck. At one time there were available on eBay they were not cheap but if you're patient like I was I found one cheap on eBay. After you watch the video it look at his other videos he is a whole bunch of other examples of the same rotary stage. That I do know there are other pictures examples and possibly videos you just have to track them down. One of the minor issues of finding this particular tech sheet for the unit is I believe it was a custom manufacturer and the company change their name but I remember the new name here's a link to the company https://www.ondrivesus.com/rino-mechanical-components                
    • Escapement adjusting always interesting and depending upon the reference always confusing. Okay maybe it's not always confusing but it does lead to confusion. I have a PDF below it's actually a whole bunch of separate stuff including a hand out that came from a lecture that's on you tube. Then from that we get this image Consequences of doing things especially if you do things out of order or you do things for the wrong reason. Oh and even if the watches working I made the mistake one so showing my boss how tweaking the banking pins on a full plate on the timing machine made the amplitude get better and now he thinks that's what they're for and I don't think a fully grasped exactly what horn clearance means. Consequence of doing things. Notice what it says about opening and closing the banking pins and total lock? So yes I've had that on a full plate where it won't unlock at all and that's the banking pins or a combination of things basically. So banking pins unfortunately get moved. One of the ways to tell if it's been moved is the look straight down at the end of the fork with the balance wheel removed. Power on the fork push at the one side look at it push it to the other side also look at it and compare anything with the center reference the balance jewel and see if both sides of the same. No guarantee after the same there in the right place but at least are the same typically when people play with things one side will be way off from the other because they had no idea what they were doing at all because of course it's a full plate and you really have to paying attention and even then there's still hard to do. Then the other thing that comes up like it shows below is people often adjust the banking pins to do all those other things as opposed to horn clearance which is all that it's therefore and maybe bonus Guard pin clearance although you're supposed to deal with the guard pin is a separate thing like single roller gets bent in Or out or sometimes physically gets moved in and out. Some full plates older escapement's typically pallet forks held together with screws and you can actually unscrew and move the entire assembly in Or out more complications to deal with.     Escapement handout wostep nscc.pdf
    • If he was much younger and some sort of sports player it wouldn't be a problem. They would be in there and doing surgery and he'd be back on the field in no time. Unfortunately when you get older little things are bad and big things can be really bad so not good at all.
    • Where I work everything incoming watches whatever detailed descriptions are taken entered into a computer program and photograph of each item. Then ideally although it depends on who's doing the paperwork detailed descriptions can be quite good other times there lacking. Like I really like it with pocket watches if they would record the serial number it avoids confusion later on. Then when watch repairs are completed that is also entered in. It's one of the amusements I learned when I was in school instructor had a shop and commented about the important aspect of keeping detailed records of repairs. Because oftentimes a customer who got a new crystal will come back later on when the watch doesn't work and expect you to fix the entire watch for free. Then you can remind them that they just got a crystal. Strangely enough that keeps coming up or occasionally comes up where I work now. One of the problems of using the service marks on the case is that in the case of pocket watches oftentimes that's not the original case. Then case marks? What I was doing warranty work for a company I used to describe a code number in the back of the case and it would tell me the next time I see the watch that basically what I did I made no attempt at keeping track of customers because we had literally thousands of them I think they sold 30,000 of these watches and they would come back by the hundreds because they had a lifetime warranty. Yes that's a story all of itself but I would put a code number that would reference what was done to the watch the last time and think I had a date in there somehow so it did tell a story if you knew the code. Another shop I once worked out the number would reference the page in the book. So other than knowing we had been in there you would have no idea what happened because you have to go look at the page in the book to see what happened. Then the problem of how you examine a watch you should examine the watch in detail every single time to avoid complications. Although on vintage watches and this is a of amusement I have at work when people ask something and I say of the watches done when it leaves. This is because on vintage oftentimes problems won't show up until the watches much farther into the repair like it's now running and you discover things that you can't discover before because it wasn't running to discover them that also become sometimes difficult to have exact rigid prices are estimates of repairs or in the case of a pocket watch you may not find out if a casing problem to later on when you case it up in the watches running. I was just thinking for all those people that would like to leave a mark maybe you should learn to do what some of the past watchmakers did? Leave a mark but leave it in such a way that no one will ever find it? Typically not done for repair purposes but done for other reasons like identifying it's legit. I have a friend with a Gruen watch and one of the Roman numbers the bottom line that just looks like a line under extreme magnification actually says Gruen watch company or something equivalent. So here's a link showing how to mark your watch without being seen although that's not the actual title. So if you can learn micro engraving you can engrave the watch someplace probably just about any place you just have to remember where you put it. https://cnaluxury.channelnewsasia.com/obsessions/how-to-prove-if-watches-are-authentic-secret-signatures-182516  
×
×
  • Create New...