Let's talk about watches...

[MasterYotti]

3 minutes ago, BrightonCorgi said:

Pre-coffee post.

Totally understand!

[BrightonCorgi]

9 minutes ago, MasterYotti said:

Have this Hamilton H3 on my workbench today! Any other aspiring watchmakers here? I have a dream to do this full time but that may be a few years out

My family sells tooling to watch makers in CH from Biel machine shops. 

[MasterYotti]

35 minutes ago, BrightonCorgi said:

My family sells tooling to watch makers in CH from Biel machine shops. 

What kind of tooling?

[BrightonCorgi]

3 minutes ago, MasterYotti said:

What kind of tooling?

Usually tools to hold parts in place. 

[Chibearsv]

1 hour ago, MasterYotti said:

Have this Hamilton H3 on my workbench today! Any other aspiring watchmakers here? I have a dream to do this full time but that may be a few years out

At 6'5" with hands like a tight end, and terrible eyesight, that's what hell looks like to me 😁

I sure appreciate those that have the patience and skill to work in the tiny world.  I find it fascinating that anyone could put that together.  Cool hobby

[Hammer Smokin']

reminds me of taking apart a high end fishing reel. 

let's say I have only did that once - and learned my lesson. 

[MasterYotti]

23 minutes ago, Chibearsv said:

At 6'5" with hands like a tight end, and terrible eyesight, that's what hell looks like to me 😁

I sure appreciate those that have the patience and skill to work in the tiny world.  I find it fascinating that anyone could put that together.  Cool hobby

Thank you very much! I have been working on the various skills needed for quite some time and it always feels like surgery. Any small movement can be catastrophic to the movement. Still learning everyday and I am grateful every time I get to work on these tiny mechanical engines 😁

[Fuzz]

7 hours ago, MasterYotti said:

Have this Hamilton H3 on my workbench today! Any other aspiring watchmakers here? I have a dream to do this full time but that may be a few years out

I binge watch the channel Wristwatch Revival on Youtube. Always amazed how small those parts can get, especially those screws that hold the balance wheel. Crazy that those tiny screws are made on a machine the size of a small car.

[MasterYotti]

34 minutes ago, Fuzz said:

I binge watch the channel Wristwatch Revival on Youtube. Always amazed how small those parts can get, especially those screws that hold the balance wheel. Crazy that those tiny screws are made on a machine the size of a small car.

I LOVE this channel. Marshall is incredible! 👌

[HDGSN]

1 hour ago, MasterYotti said:

I LOVE this channel. Marshall is incredible! 👌

 

1 hour ago, Fuzz said:

I binge watch the channel Wristwatch Revival on Youtube. Always amazed how small those parts can get, especially those screws that hold the balance wheel. Crazy that those tiny screws are made on a machine the size of a small car.

Same. Marshall is great and really makes it seem like you could pick up the hobby. 

[Pantone151]

I went through a span of a few weeks of watching a lot of his videos and found it interesting but the thought of picking that up as a hobby seems daunting. Looks like a pretty big learning curve up front and also looks like the tools can get expensive in a hurry

[BrightonCorgi]

12 hours ago, Fuzz said:

I binge watch the channel Wristwatch Revival on Youtube. Always amazed how small those parts can get, especially those screws that hold the balance wheel. Crazy that those tiny screws are made on a machine the size of a small car.

Think about when you have to create gear or spring when restoring a movement.  Most watch manufacturers don't carry parts back so many decades.  I know a guy that this is his main business; restoring movements for which there are no spare parts. 

[Bijan]

The talk of watch repair motivated me to fix this circa 1995 watch that got water damage around 2000-2001. (A marker came lose and got jammed in the hands).

Everything was ok, once I managed to find the marker that dropped and bounced away. And I had to bend the second hand up since it caught against the minute hand at times.

Thankfully it had a calibration/zero mode that simplified things.

[Greenhorn2]

On 3/29/2023 at 1:24 PM, Hammer Smokin' said:

reminds me of taking apart a high end fishing reel. 

let's say I have only did that once - and learned my lesson. 

My dad told me there's only 2 people that take a back off a watch. A jeweler and a fool.

[HDGSN]

1946 Rolex Ref. 4500 Chronograph with Pulsation dial and stamped with the name of Cuban jewelry retailer Joyeria Riviera 

Sold at auction for € 91,000

https://www.monacolegendauctions.com/auction/exclusive-timepieces-31/lot-80

[SCgarman]

On 4/3/2023 at 9:00 PM, Greenhorn2 said:

My dad told me there's only 2 people that take a back off a watch. A jeweler and a fool.

A jeweler sets diamonds, fixes necklaces etc. A watchmaker works on watches. The two are generally not interchangeable. FYI

[Greenhorn2]

1 hour ago, SCgarman said:

A jeweler sets diamonds, fixes necklaces etc. A watchmaker works on watches. The two are generally not interchangeable. FYI

I guess the small town I grew up in had an interchangeable. If your watch quit working you carried it to the old man at Robbie's Jewelry store and he would fix it. But then again, all we had was Timex and Mickey Mouse watches.

[BrightonCorgi]

Taking the case back off for a battery or adjusting is one thing.  Disassembly is another.

[MasterYotti]

On 3/29/2023 at 10:26 PM, Pantone151 said:

I went through a span of a few weeks of watching a lot of his videos and found it interesting but the thought of picking that up as a hobby seems daunting. Looks like a pretty big learning curve up front and also looks like the tools can get expensive in a hurry

Tools definitely can get expensive in a hurry. And to be honest it is worth spending the money based on the quality differences.

[Rhod]

Dropped my favorite watch off 6 weeks ago to get a service estimate.  Finally got it yesterday.  Going to cost me $700 to get this one back on my wrist.  Painful.  That's a lot of cigar $.

 

[MasterYotti]

Finished a full service on this beauty from 1966! What an awesome watch!

[MasterYotti]

4 hours ago, Rhod said:

Dropped my favorite watch off 6 weeks ago to get a service estimate.  Finally got it yesterday.  Going to cost me $700 to get this one back on my wrist.  Painful.  That's a lot of cigar $.

Depending on what is wrong with it, I can do it for almost 50% less

[Rhod]

1 minute ago, MasterYotti said:

Depending on what is wrong with it, I can do it for almost 50% less

That's tempting, but I already gave them the go-ahead.   Honestly, no idea what's wrong.  Dropped it with my local guy who I have used a lot in the past.  Asked for a replacement pin that kept falling out of the bracelet and said while he has it go ahead and adjust the time.  It was running a bit slow.   After he had it over 3 months he finally admitted he screwed up something in the crown and couldn't fix it.  So i shipped it to Omega.

Will definitely keep you in mind for anything in the future.

[MasterYotti]

23 minutes ago, Rhod said:

That's tempting, but I already gave them the go-ahead.   Honestly, no idea what's wrong.  Dropped it with my local guy who I have used a lot in the past.  Asked for a replacement pin that kept falling out of the bracelet and said while he has it go ahead and adjust the time.  It was running a bit slow.   After he had it over 3 months he finally admitted he screwed up something in the crown and couldn't fix it.  So i shipped it to Omega.

Will definitely keep you in mind for anything in the future.

Totally understand 👍

[BrightonCorgi]

4 hours ago, Rhod said:

Dropped my favorite watch off 6 weeks ago to get a service estimate.  Finally got it yesterday.  Going to cost me $700 to get this one back on my wrist.  Painful.  That's a lot of cigar $.

Did that include polishing or anything beyond a routine movement service?