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AlamedaMike

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Hello,

I'm Mike.  Loved watches most of my life thanks to my Grandfather's collection.  I've only recently started to understand their inner workings, which has led me to servicing vintage, mechanical and electro-mechanical Timex watches as a hobby.

Mark's videos have been INDISPENSABLE in my journey into the world of watch servicing.

When I'm not tinkering with watches, I restore vintage Vespas and Lambrettas and wrench on an old Ford pickup.

Thanks.  I look forward to learning a lot and maybe contributing now and then.

Attached are 4 of my latest serviced Timex watches.

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Welcome, Nice vintage looks, both round ones.

I got me a used electric one years back, trying to sharpen the pivots, lost a part.

I was more of a longines man in seventies and departed the US thirty years ago, wish I had kept some timex in my collection.

Wishing you all the best 

Regards

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Hi and thanks for the pics. Nice clean watches. Yes, watches are interesting. I do not know much about Timex, electric movements or hummers and stick to mechanical and quartz. I usually end up with older higher end watches to fix but wear and tear is a problem after many years usage. I have an old verge and an early lever English lever PW in bits at the present time. Best regards and good wishes, nice to have you aboard, Mike.

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"Timexican"  was the moniker used on the now defunct Vintage Timex Watch Forum hosted on Network 54.

So maybe it  is time for new one.   maybe Timex'r  Timexite Timexian.....hmmm Timexian, Timexologist?  - One who collectors, repairs, or is inclined to Timex watches?  :)  

What is you base method of servicing a vintage Timex movement?

 

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Take out the movement.  Let the power out of the main spring.  Remove the rocking bar and its 3 winding gears.  Remove the ratchet wheel.  Remove the minute wheel assembly, and any date gears if its a date movement.  I loosen the balance screw about 2 - 2.5 turns out, but leave the balance in if its basically grime free.  Then a dip in lighter fluid with hand agitation followed by a dip in a rubbing alcohol rinse.  Air/blow dry.

Then put all the parts back on and oil.

I take the balance screw off, flip it over, and fill about 1/2-3/4 with oil and put it back in slightly.  Then I turn the movement over and oil the the balance pin that goes in the base plate v-conic bearing.  This is how I "oil" the v-conic bearing, by putting oil on the balance pin.

Acrylic crystal is hand sanded wet with 1500 and 2000, followed by Mother's Mag Aluminum Polish by hand.  Works wonders.  Chrome plating is hand polished with chrome polish.  Various bits are cleaned with Q-Tip dipped in rubbing alcohol.

Dial numbers, decorative dial doo-dads, and hands are cleaned with a Magic Rub eraser.  Then entire dial is cleaned with Rodico and a micro-fiber cloth.

That's the majority of it.  I looked over the cleaning method you documented (nice job BTW), and turns out you and I basically do the same thing.

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yes, very much the same and inline with the service manuals.  Have you tried to work on an older Ingersol or Waterbury movement?

These can be fully torn down and assembly is much quicker.  But, these are very prone to excessive wear and meddling fingers, missing parts etc.  Gives you a view as to how the engineering and design was carried over from one generation of movements to the other.s reused and.

Here are two that I have -

 

 

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Yeah, I just follow the guidelines stated mostly by Timex, with a few modifications, like leaving the balance in.

I started with Timex movements.  Full tear downs and such.  Bridged movements seem like a walk in the park!  :-)

No I don't own any Ingersoll's.  Outside of my Timex watches, I own a couple Caravelle's, and a Rodania.

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