Bumpers…

Do you love a bumper movement?? 

Reply
·

No. Vintage bumpers are overpriced and are bastards to repair.

Just being honest…

·

I stay away from complex vintage watches, simple winders for me as they are basic and require a basic service that most local watch repairers can do

·

What is a bumper movement? I mean, I obviously know what it is, but for the others who are clearly uneducated in vintage watch movements, they might want to know….

·
Donster_125

What is a bumper movement? I mean, I obviously know what it is, but for the others who are clearly uneducated in vintage watch movements, they might want to know….

Bumper movements are a pre cursor to the automatic rotor winding movement. 
Instead of a rotor weight turning 360 degrees…winding the watch…the weight travels between two springs…bumping back and forward, winding the watch. 

That is a simplistic answer…

·
Donster_125

What is a bumper movement? I mean, I obviously know what it is, but for the others who are clearly uneducated in vintage watch movements, they might want to know….

Okay, instead of a rotor that can spin freely in a complete circle, a bumper is a rotor limited to an arc of travel, with (coil?) springs at each end to bump it a bit.

I have one and I love that you can feel that spingy bounce inside it if you wiggle it in your hand right. It was the first watch I ever had serviced and @chronotriggered has revealed to me that it wasn't just age that made it such a pricey repair.

·
Porthole

No. Vintage bumpers are overpriced and are bastards to repair.

Just being honest…

More of a bastard to repair than any vintage watch tho…? 
With regards to price, apart from the Jaeger LeCoultre these watches were all pretty reasonably priced…

·

@OscarKlosoff @Universal_Lee 

Thank you for explaining that!

·
Universal_Lee

More of a bastard to repair than any vintage watch tho…? 
With regards to price, apart from the Jaeger LeCoultre these watches were all pretty reasonably priced…

I speak from experience, and yes, more of a bastard than a standard hand-wound 15J Swiss ébauche. Any vintage complication is a bastard, and there are varying degrees of bastard. Earlier automatics without rotor bearings are annoying, they just wear down over time, so it’s whether the trade off works for you. Bumpers were short-lived, so read into that what you wish. Parts, prevalence, and people.

I‘m not pissing on your parade, but you did ask the question: do you love bumper movements? My answer is, unfortunately, no, and there are some lovely watches that house them but you will not find me sporting them.

May all your rotors rotate without issue.

·

As far as what a bumper movement is... a picture speaks a thousand words...

Image
·
Porthole

I speak from experience, and yes, more of a bastard than a standard hand-wound 15J Swiss ébauche. Any vintage complication is a bastard, and there are varying degrees of bastard. Earlier automatics without rotor bearings are annoying, they just wear down over time, so it’s whether the trade off works for you. Bumpers were short-lived, so read into that what you wish. Parts, prevalence, and people.

I‘m not pissing on your parade, but you did ask the question: do you love bumper movements? My answer is, unfortunately, no, and there are some lovely watches that house them but you will not find me sporting them.

May all your rotors rotate without issue.

Varying degrees of bastard… I like that 🤣 Fair enough…I stand corrected. 

·
GasWorks

As far as what a bumper movement is... a picture speaks a thousand words...

Image
Image
Image
Image
·
Donster_125

What is a bumper movement? I mean, I obviously know what it is, but for the others who are clearly uneducated in vintage watch movements, they might want to know….

I didn't know what a bumper movement was.  Thanks for throwing me a bone!

·

Can’t say I love them, but sometimes watches I like come with them.

·

Everyday you learn something new wow. I never knew about this movement type. 

·

Learned something today. Thanks!

·
Porthole

I speak from experience, and yes, more of a bastard than a standard hand-wound 15J Swiss ébauche. Any vintage complication is a bastard, and there are varying degrees of bastard. Earlier automatics without rotor bearings are annoying, they just wear down over time, so it’s whether the trade off works for you. Bumpers were short-lived, so read into that what you wish. Parts, prevalence, and people.

I‘m not pissing on your parade, but you did ask the question: do you love bumper movements? My answer is, unfortunately, no, and there are some lovely watches that house them but you will not find me sporting them.

May all your rotors rotate without issue.

I agree with @chronotriggered for all the reasons stated. Before Eterna reduced wear on rotors with ball bearings, automatic movements were subject to wearing parts out because they were in constant motion. Those springs get loose in the movements and wreak all kinds of havoc.

·

To answer your question, no, I hate them.  They are overpriced and nearly impossible to service.

·
DLove61

To answer your question, no, I hate them.  They are overpriced and nearly impossible to service.

Ok…say what you mean there buddy. Gotcha coming in loud and clear. 😂 

I guess I’ve just been lucky with mine so far then….😬

·
Aurelian

I agree with @chronotriggered for all the reasons stated. Before Eterna reduced wear on rotors with ball bearings, automatic movements were subject to wearing parts out because they were in constant motion. Those springs get loose in the movements and wreak all kinds of havoc.

You just have to be nice to them… 😂

·

Nobody else thinks that, when you get them to pogo in your hand, it feels like it's alive, a baby kicking from within the womb?

·
PoorMansRolex

Nobody else thinks that, when you get them to pogo in your hand, it feels like it's alive, a baby kicking from within the womb?

Nope - I think of a washing machine falling down the stairs.