Trying an ST36 for a Change
In contrary to what many may believe, I do take input from the community regarding my modding habit. The ST36 movement was recommended, as it was dirt cheap, large and easy to work on, and as a hand-wind movement is relatively simple, as it lacks the automatic-winding components.
The above picture compared the ST36 against the NH35, and it dwarfs the Seiko-movement in comparison. (That does not mean that the ST36 is easier in all ways, at least in my opinion.)
Ordering the movement was an adventure. The price was around $25 on AliExpress, and I was wondering why I got no shipping information. The seller contacted me that something "went wrong with customs". The movement ended up in an obscure location in Florida. (I'm expecting an Agent Smith to contact me any day.) Anyhow, that issue was resolved, and the second movement made it all the way to my front door.
Now, I heard stories about Chinese movements being possible dirty and not lubricated. So I thought I would tear down the movement, taking a look at the winding components and the wheel train.
The above picture is about half-way through the process. If any lubrication was applied, it was clear. So I applied lubricant where necessary. This was in particular obvious with the keyless works. (I really didn't feel like taking on the keyless works at this time.)
On the positive side, the movement looked very clean. There were machining marks all over the place, but we are talking a $25 movement here.
So I put it back together. Putting the center bridge on is a bit tricky, as the pinions of the wheel train don't naturally align. (That aspect is easier with the NH35.) You have to move each wheel slightly, and make sure their pinions are properly seated. Getting the balance into place is also a bit trickier than with the NH35, but I may simple have more experience with the latter.
What is nice with the ST36, is that the bridges have cut-outs, allowing you to easily lift them. While it is an inexpensive movement, it was clearly designed to be serviced.
I put the ST36 on the timegrapher (face down), and it came back with -2 spd and zero beat error. Good enough, I'd say.
Now, what should I do with this movement? 😎
That's wildly impressive!
Yes, I would agree that it has more to do with persistence, the ability to handle having to do things over when they go wrong. (No sprinkling of fairy dust required.) But overall, the ST36 is indeed a good place to start. Fairly large and relatively simple.
I was foremost wondering what to build with it, and I still want to learn building watches with it. A Flieger-style watch seems like an obvious choice. (I don't think there are that many options, but I really haven't looked that hard yet.) But yes, I might give the watch away eventually.
Find a case it'll fit? #modding
I wanted to continue with this story, as I just received the case and the dial today. Assembly was a bit different from what I'm used to. The screws that latch onto the dial feet are recessed, and it wasn't quite clear how much turning they needed, but it took maybe a minute to figure out.
Installing the hands was easy, especially as the hour and minute hands are enormous. I used the pusher I used for the NH34 GMT hand for the hour hand of this watch. The second hand was relatively easy. It was very light, and I had to vary my usual technique a little, but that was maybe a minute delay.
Sizing the watch stem required a bit more care than usual, as this is not a threaded crown. I simply filed the last mm until it was a good fit.
The most tedious part was to install the retaining/screws and tabs. I might not have needed them, as the movement sits in a brass movement holder that makes contact with the case back. I installed them anyhow, but it was a tight space with the recessed screws, through a cut-out of the movement holder.
I threw it on the timegrapher, and it looks very healthy. No further adjustments were necessary.
Unfortunately, the only 22mm band I had laying around was a black NATO strap, which makes the watch appear even larger on the wrist. I will see if I can find a night leather strap with the typical rivets somewhere.
Overall I'm happy that I was able to check out the ST36 movement, even if just for the sake of comparison, as I worked with NHxx movements so much. I must say that I am intrigued with how a manual-wind watch feels. You can really feel the resistance building up, which is nice.
The size is a bit of an issue. It feels like I have strapped a hockey puck to my wrist, but at least for Flieger watches, this is a step in the right direction, historically speaking.