Self-practice movement disassembly
1
I had some time during covid when my classes were online and at home. I bought a cheap Chinese mechanical watch online and disassembled it to try my hand at disassembly!
Note: i’m not a professional, I just did this for curiosity haha
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Jonathan
I sometimes build watches when I’m free :) Not a professional, just a regular guy documenting his learning journey!
Singapore
Member since
Last active: 6 months ago
Sometimes you need to simply "stay in your lane".
Watch making is NOT a DIY project. At least no serious watchmaking.
Can we see the results of the re-assembly? haha
Sometimes you need to simply "stay in your lane".
Watch making is NOT a DIY project. At least no serious watchmaking.
Can we see the results of the re-assembly? haha
Aww I’m sorry to hear that, I was just curious to see how everything worked inside! It was a $10 movement and I had no intention to put it back together but I did! Let me see if I can find the photos :)
That’s cool! What was your biggest takeaway?
That’s cool! What was your biggest takeaway?
Thanks! I think this was really early on in my hobby and I didn’t quite have the right tools or the know-how 😅 but I learnt from a lot of people online (I.e what tools to use/where to get them) and the names of the different parts of the movement. I still don’t know everything but I think I know a little more on how an escapement works and it’s wondrous!
Sometimes you need to simply "stay in your lane".
Watch making is NOT a DIY project. At least no serious watchmaking.
Can we see the results of the re-assembly? haha
I would say that you need to know what you are able to do and what not. You can easily break a quartz watch during a battery change, but with a little bit of experience the task is within the range of what the average person can accomplish. (But even then it has to be taken seriously.
The same goes for many modding tasks. The problem is that you are only one step away from disaster, and you eventually will break stuff in the process. It will take the right tools, too.
Even experienced watchmaker may put a movement back together and may have to start over, because something was missed. There are people on this forum who are able to service a movement. But there is also a very valid reason why many will not even consider attempting such a task.
A higher than normal frustration tolerance is a good start ...
P.S.: I agree with you on the importance of the reassembly.
I would recommend working on an old pocket watch movement to learn the basics. They tend to be simpler and with larger parts.
As a beginner, do NOT work on something you can't afford to write off.
And the right tools... not cheap tools which will actually make tasks far harder than they should be. There's a tendency, as a beginner, to buy cheap tools as you are only "tinkering" but I would recommend you buy a few, high quality basic tools as a start. Good screwdrivers and tweezers are essential. A decent movement holder. You can add tools as you learn. Don't skimp... its false economy.
Be patient .. you will make mistakes.
And most importantly... enjoy it. It's hugely challenging and can be frustrating but it is also hugely rewarding.
I would recommend working on an old pocket watch movement to learn the basics. They tend to be simpler and with larger parts.
As a beginner, do NOT work on something you can't afford to write off.
And the right tools... not cheap tools which will actually make tasks far harder than they should be. There's a tendency, as a beginner, to buy cheap tools as you are only "tinkering" but I would recommend you buy a few, high quality basic tools as a start. Good screwdrivers and tweezers are essential. A decent movement holder. You can add tools as you learn. Don't skimp... its false economy.
Be patient .. you will make mistakes.
And most importantly... enjoy it. It's hugely challenging and can be frustrating but it is also hugely rewarding.
Thank you for the advice. I’ll be sure to heed it as I keep learning!
I appreciate the encouragement too!