My first watch restoration

I’ve had this watch for a few months, after carrying it for a while I’ve noticed it is losing time and making a strange clunking sound. Time to take it apart and see what’s wrong

Reply
·

Good looking watch. Best of luck on the servicing.

·

Good luck. I sincerly hope that you have been trained someplace other than Youtube for watch restoration. If not then I send thoughts and prayers.

·
foghorn

Good luck. I sincerly hope that you have been trained someplace other than Youtube for watch restoration. If not then I send thoughts and prayers.

I have zero experience, just going to try to teach myself

·

That’s not a bad idea actually

·

1) What tools do you have?

2) Which lubricants will you be using?

3) How will you clean the parts?

4) What visual aid will you use?

So meant questions.

·

YouTube links are not working (for me anyway)

·

May be due to me being on my mobile phone

·

Good luck. pocket watches are a good place to start. 👍

·
Eliminator

1) What tools do you have?

2) Which lubricants will you be using?

3) How will you clean the parts?

4) What visual aid will you use?

So meant questions.

I can only answer the first question. I have a kit for it, for all other questions the answer is I have no idea

·
Ren1939

I can only answer the first question. I have a kit for it, for all other questions the answer is I have no idea

I found that with cheap screwdrivers the blade ends may not be perpendicular to the blade, so they may slip out of screw slots. I bought a set of dressing stones. I paid about £30 for my screwdrivers and was disappointed to find the blades were plated.

When removing hands, use a plastic bag, the ones that slide and lock to close. Only saying this in case you use a plastic carrier bag. Put this over the hands, this will stop the dial being damaged.

Cheap tweezers may not hold small parts well, I've dressed mine on the stones to get the best grip. When I say grip, hold screws and tiny springs very gently. Hopefully they won't ping off the tweezers quite so far.

I have a large piece of black plastic on my table. The 3 sides that I am not working from I have raised, in an attempt to contain parts that may try to escape.

Buy some Rodico, very like blue tack, but for watchmakers. May be safer to pick up screws with this at first. Using tweezers isn't as easy as it looks on YouTube😭

You'll need small pots to put the parts in, try to keep the screws in the same pot as the bridge that they retained.

Take photos, YouTubers have stripped watches for ages and can put them back together with their experience. We can't. Take photos😊

Don't take the watch apart on the edge of the table, parts will find the shortest route to the floor.🙄 Put the watch further from the edge.

·
Eliminator

I found that with cheap screwdrivers the blade ends may not be perpendicular to the blade, so they may slip out of screw slots. I bought a set of dressing stones. I paid about £30 for my screwdrivers and was disappointed to find the blades were plated.

When removing hands, use a plastic bag, the ones that slide and lock to close. Only saying this in case you use a plastic carrier bag. Put this over the hands, this will stop the dial being damaged.

Cheap tweezers may not hold small parts well, I've dressed mine on the stones to get the best grip. When I say grip, hold screws and tiny springs very gently. Hopefully they won't ping off the tweezers quite so far.

I have a large piece of black plastic on my table. The 3 sides that I am not working from I have raised, in an attempt to contain parts that may try to escape.

Buy some Rodico, very like blue tack, but for watchmakers. May be safer to pick up screws with this at first. Using tweezers isn't as easy as it looks on YouTube😭

You'll need small pots to put the parts in, try to keep the screws in the same pot as the bridge that they retained.

Take photos, YouTubers have stripped watches for ages and can put them back together with their experience. We can't. Take photos😊

Don't take the watch apart on the edge of the table, parts will find the shortest route to the floor.🙄 Put the watch further from the edge.

I really appreciate all of the help, I learned my lesson of letting my watch sit on the edge of the table, a few days ago I was replacing the battery in my Accutron and I dropped the screw, found it 45 minutes later.

·

I have a hunch this is a mainspring issue, and removing/installing that is one of the trickier parts of the process. Good luck!

·

Mind to Conceive, Eye to perceive, Hands to achieve

·

Thank you

·

Pure admiration loving your #pocketwatches

·

Best of luck! I hope it gets running properly.

#waltham