Timex Movement 32
Illustrated one of the most challenging workhorse movements I've serviced (by far)
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Ex-Disney Artist / Designer / Self-Taught Watch Restorer
San Francisco
Member since
Last active: 59 min ago
6.00” / 15.24 cm
What were your challenges specifically? From what I can see, probably the most difficult was aligning pivots so you can put the bridge on.
What were your challenges specifically? From what I can see, probably the most difficult was aligning pivots so you can put the bridge on.
Aligning all the pivots is just Step 1. You have to flip the movement upside-down to secure the bridge screws in place without misaligning the pivots during this process.
Aligning all the pivots is just Step 1. You have to flip the movement upside-down to secure the bridge screws in place without misaligning the pivots during this process.
Wow. The rubber band technique is a new one for me in watchmaking. We did use this technique in the old days to hold in-circuit emulators in the processor sockets in low level computer development. The tension on each band had to be just right, or not all hundreds of pins would be connected. I guess watchmakers have similar problems.
Oh, it's legendary are far as being hard as hell to service. They say they're made to be tossed.
I didn't go to watchmaking school but I always try to repair movements that most formal grads dread to service. Repairing a Timex movement felt like a rite of passage.
Oh, it's legendary are far as being hard as hell to service. They say they're made to be tossed.
It's serviceable, just a pain in the butt to put back together. If I started a watchmaking workshop, I'd test people with a Timex movement to see if they have the patience to seriously pursue watchmaking.
https://www.watchcrunch.com/blackbookalpha/possssssssssssssssssssts/1970-timex-viscount-restoration-service-207607
Oh my god you know my pain
So i bought an old Timex for $15 that used a similar M24 movement to try snd work on it
Two things: it’s crazy how small the parts are, legitimately smaller than a grain of rice
And that size is horrendous for trying to line stuff up having never done it before.
I also lost one small (thankfully not complex part) that i’ll need to get machined later but that’s a project for snother time
I would love to learn this but can feel your pain! It took me an hour to put ONE spring back in place on mine!
What were your challenges specifically? From what I can see, probably the most difficult was aligning pivots so you can put the bridge on.
Ever eaten a big sandwich that falls apart really easily? This is that “sandwich!”
As a vintage movement, it’s small and to be cheap, the pivots and such are TINY but need to be lined up extremely precisely
You need to line up like 4-5 gears in holes that look as thin as a human hair while keeping the pallet fork engaged with the hairspring. And do all this by plunking down a bridge that makes it easy to knock out
Thats the pivot fork alone and the wiseguy who made it (its rather ingenious how robust it is) needs you to flip it over too at some point!
Its so small!
Do you restore vintage Timex for dinero? I might be in the market for that.
I grew up in an elderly household so I was exposed to all the old tech like typewriters, bakelite rotary phones and phonographs around the house.
I currently have a 1950s metronome on the repair queue that needs new oil. Things from that era were just incredibly robust.
Ever eaten a big sandwich that falls apart really easily? This is that “sandwich!”
As a vintage movement, it’s small and to be cheap, the pivots and such are TINY but need to be lined up extremely precisely
You need to line up like 4-5 gears in holes that look as thin as a human hair while keeping the pallet fork engaged with the hairspring. And do all this by plunking down a bridge that makes it easy to knock out
Thats the pivot fork alone and the wiseguy who made it (its rather ingenious how robust it is) needs you to flip it over too at some point!
Its so small!
Funny since I do use the 'sandwich-flipping' analogy to describe how abysmal these Timex movements are. You put some ingredients in and juggle that bread without it falling off.
Get a microscope with 2x to 4x objective lenses if you can afford it, it'll save your eyes from working too hard.
Do you restore vintage Timex for dinero? I might be in the market for that.
Depends if people are willing to pay for a professional service if their Timex has sentimental value
Funny since I do use the 'sandwich-flipping' analogy to describe how abysmal these Timex movements are. You put some ingredients in and juggle that bread without it falling off.
Get a microscope with 2x to 4x objective lenses if you can afford it, it'll save your eyes from working too hard.
I heard they're extraordinarily robust and do it all with no gems and hell, some people even lubricated them with olive oil and they run fine.
But yeah, this was and to this date is, the first mechanical watch I've taken apart and boy was it a bad choice! I'll take apart an old HMT Citizen movement once my "donor" watch comes in.
I honestly think I could do the HMT one (dis and reassemble) but the Timex is ironically done to such precision and cheapness it's hard for a complete newbie. BTW how'd you learn watch fixing?
I heard they're extraordinarily robust and do it all with no gems and hell, some people even lubricated them with olive oil and they run fine.
But yeah, this was and to this date is, the first mechanical watch I've taken apart and boy was it a bad choice! I'll take apart an old HMT Citizen movement once my "donor" watch comes in.
I honestly think I could do the HMT one (dis and reassemble) but the Timex is ironically done to such precision and cheapness it's hard for a complete newbie. BTW how'd you learn watch fixing?
Learned watch repair from books and YouTube. I was thinking of going to watchmaking school but I like fixing weird movements.
I didn't go to watchmaking school but I always try to repair movements that most formal grads dread to service. Repairing a Timex movement felt like a rite of passage.
Honestly I feel like if I had good access to Vostok parts and took up watchmaking to repair Vostoks I wouldn’t have a bad business. I’ve thought about it but not very seriously. For context, I live in the U.S., where finding someone to work on your Vostok is challenging
I know it’s tangential, but watchmakers, not wanting to bother with these Timex movements reminded me Of stuff that is a little closer to me