My First Real Mechanical! and I dropped it.
Other than that one franken-watch I bought the other day, this is my first real working mechanical! A Seiko 5 reference number SNK357K1. It's beautiful! My phone camera didn't do it justice, but you can trust @benswatchclub description of it!
What's the occasion? I'm glad you asked! I graduated last month from my chemical engineering bachelor's program and received my first paycheck as a lab assistant to my professor the other day! This is probably one of my happiest times of the year.
Although I must confess, this is a pre-owned watch. I'm not comfortable enough to buy it brand new. I got it at about 42 USD (equivalently) from the original price of 90 USD (eq.). The watch works great, except for the missing bracelet link and original box. But hearing the movement tick and how it didn't rattle when I shake it satisfies my lust for watches. That is until I dropped it two days later when I picked it up from my dresser. As a result, the rotor was loose and won't wind the watch.
I probably should've brought it to the nearest watchmaker, but I mustered enough courage to buy some watchmaking tool and do it myself. I know where the problem is. I wouldn't want to disgrace my newly acquired engineering degree. After watching some guides on Youtube, doing some exercise on the franken-watch, and a little tinkering, I DID IT!
It was an exciting endeavor. I worry about so many things like getting dust/water into the movement, accidentally knocking something over, or scratching the watch, but I managed. I also take the chance to swap the bracelet for some leather. It was more difficult than expected, but nothing I couldn't handle.
So, that's my story on this little celebration watch! I thank you for your time reading this. Do you have any similar experiences? Let me hear your thoughts on the comments.
PS: Did I get some moisture into my watch?
Budget watches shopper, because I'm broke
Congratulations on your achievement and salutations for your ingenuity! May you enjoy your new Seiko for many years to come!
Congrats on your graduation, that’s exactly the kind of thing you get a watch for. And good on you for jumping into repairing your watch.
Congrats! Frankly I am deeply impressed by you bravery. Wish I had the guts to open my watches when I have issues with them!
Hello Nanday, I remember you buying the Frankenwatch. That was quite a while ago.
Coincidentally, I'm actually also wearing an SNK today.
Regarding your concern about moisture, it is definitely valid, and I normally try to work on watches in air-conditioned environments. The main thing is however whether the case seal remained intact. The other concern is dust, and whether you touched the movement with your bare hands. (Probably not much of a concern if you mainly tightened to rotor screw.)
In either case, congratulations on the degree and repairing the watch.
It's not like you had much chance of messing it up worse. I would advise against attempting to regulate this movement, as that is a delicate job that I messed up and ruined the movement. I wouldn't be too concerned about ambient moisture myself. Every time you adjust the time, the same thing happens to a small degree.
Congratulations on your amazing achievement and fantastic watch! May you have many more professional milestones worth celebrating.
Congrats! Frankly I am deeply impressed by you bravery. Wish I had the guts to open my watches when I have issues with them!
Well, it comes down to the costs. Both watchmaker service and watchmaker tools cost roughly the same in my area. So, rather than spend it on a watchmaker, I decided to buy the tools and do it myself. Also, the guide on youtube is really straightforward, which helps with confidence.
Hello Nanday, I remember you buying the Frankenwatch. That was quite a while ago.
Coincidentally, I'm actually also wearing an SNK today.
Regarding your concern about moisture, it is definitely valid, and I normally try to work on watches in air-conditioned environments. The main thing is however whether the case seal remained intact. The other concern is dust, and whether you touched the movement with your bare hands. (Probably not much of a concern if you mainly tightened to rotor screw.)
In either case, congratulations on the degree and repairing the watch.
Hey! Yeah that's my mistake, it is really humid here on the equator. I'll keep that in mind next time! I also carefully used a holder and tweezer instead of my hands to hold the watch down.
It's not like you had much chance of messing it up worse. I would advise against attempting to regulate this movement, as that is a delicate job that I messed up and ruined the movement. I wouldn't be too concerned about ambient moisture myself. Every time you adjust the time, the same thing happens to a small degree.
It takes practice, someone said. Don't feel too bad about it 😀
Congratulations Brother!!!! Don't sweat it. I dropped one of my favorite pieces . Lots of cash later it's back on wrist ! Things happen. Enjoy your watch