Watchmaking at a Molecular Level

JimInOz
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Well, maybe a bit of an exaggeration.

I was asked to fix a few watched for my Daughter In Law, and as they were ordinary quartz ones I said OK. And then she bought out this family heirloom, purchased from a pawnbroker in the 1930s as a gift from her hubby.

It was water logged and wound as tight as a drum, I could hardly open the click to let it down but managed to strip it for cleaning except for the balance cap jewel. I has the impression that it had never been cleaned by previous watchmakers. Sooooo, I decided to go ahead and remove the regulator and cap jewel, but the screws were underneath the balance cock, so it meant removing the 6.4mm diameter balance to get to the screws.

The hairspring stud required a 0.6mm screwdriver and the cap screws a 0.7mm one. Without a loupe they look like grains of sand.

Anyway, all stripped now and ready for cleaning and then re-assembly. I'm sure I'm going to enjoy that 😲.

MiniBits.JPG
 
Jwit
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I hope you took pictures or a video or labeled everything just as a back up... this is my plan when I start tinkering in the near future.

What kind of watch was the heirloom?
 
Bumper
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i once dropped the screw to my reading glasses & spent 10 minutes trying to screw a crumb back in... good luck 😀
 
wsfarrell
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When I see giant photos like the one above I forget how small these pieces are. Nice work!
 
JimInOz
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This is what I started with.

GoldWatch.JPG



All clean now. Just need to inspect pivots, teeth, jewels and then it can all go back together.

If this thread doesn't come to an end you'll know what happened 😁.

TinyCleanBits.JPG
 
STANDY
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Stop these threads， i had to pull the vacum apart after your last thread was seen by the boss......
 
JimInOz
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STANDY STANDY
Stop these threads， i had to pull the vacum apart after your last thread was seen by the boss......

You bullshitter! I bet you did a basic disassembly then hid all the bits in the bin and went to Hardly Normal for a brand newie.

😁
 
JimInOz
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Had to rely on Mr Rodico for assistance putting the cap jewel/regulator back together.

Just for a sense of scale, the huge thing bottom left isn't from a car engine, it's the arm screw from a pair of spectacles (eyeglasses for USA readers).

CapJewelInst.JPG


Anyway, that's it for me. Now 18:40 so it's beer time, no more tinkering for me today.
 
STANDY
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Reminds me of this Quote

image.jpeg
 
Archer
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Small parts are a part of life as a watchmaker. I recall once having a gentleman drop by to pick up a watch I had serviced, and his wife brought along he quartz watch for a battery swap, so I did it while they waited. As I was removing the screws from the back of he watch, she remarked at how "tiny" those screws were - of course in watchmaking terms they are huge.

So Jim, the real question is, how are you oiling that cap jewel?
 
JimInOz
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Archer Archer
So Jim, the real question is, how are you oiling that cap jewel?

Very carefully.

I used my smallest oiler, taking the smallest amount from a bigger drop of 9010 I put on a flat surface. Onto the cap jewel with a nice domed drop. Then the balance cock was set over the top and screwed down.

I may have to look at those pen oilers, I can see how much more controlled/simpler the oiling would be.

I'm having a long lunch with a couple of mates today so any more work will have to wait until Saturday.
 
Stewart H
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Nice one Jim.

As a matter of interest, do you have any idea what movement it is? I couldn't find it in any of my reference material.
 
CanberraOmega
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STANDY STANDY
Stop these threads， i had to pull the vacum apart after your last thread was seen by the boss......
The bigger issue is why are you letting Mrs Standy see what's on here 😲
 
STANDY
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CanberraOmega CanberraOmega
The bigger issue is why are you letting Mrs Standy see what's on here 😲

She wants a Dyson and any chance to show how dodgy they are. ( cough expensive cough cough ) 😉
 
CanberraOmega
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STANDY STANDY
She wants a Dyson and any chance to show how dodgy they are. ( cough expensive cough cough ) 😉
Sorry, I'm with her. We got a Dyson. It really is in a different league to every other vacuum we have owned. Owned it for 10yrs now, no problem
 
STANDY
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We don't even have carpet, polished floor boards due to living in the tropic,s
 
JimInOz
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As a Dyson owner, and a user of various Vacs, if I had to buy another I'd go for a bag vac like a Miele or similar quality.

Superb suction and chuck the bag in the compost when it's full.
 
STANDY
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We have a Miele ::psy::
 
dsio
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CanberraOmega CanberraOmega
Sorry, I'm with her. We got a Dyson. It really is in a different league to every other vacuum we have owned. Owned it for 10yrs now, no problem

JimInOz JimInOz
As a Dyson owner, and a user of various Vacs, if I had to buy another I'd go for a bag vac like a Miele or similar quality.

Superb suction and chuck the bag in the compost when it's full.

STANDY STANDY
We have a Miele ::psy::


^ The domesticated Australian male in his natural habitat, discussing Miele appliances before comparing toilet seat warmers and bread makers.
 
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