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Your are right there Geo, without patience a person will not get far with watch repairing and even if someone has patience, have they got the touch? It`s one of the things I like about watches as a hobby, being able to go from wielding a 4ft. wrecking bar to adjusting a hairspring, talk about extremes.

In one word"..................... Patience! Yesterday I decided to replace the rear shock absorbers on my car. This should have been an easy job 'cause is was only seven bolts per side and five of these held on the wheel. Thinks to myself total time for both sides about fifty minutes................wrong! The lower bolts that hold the shocks to the axel took one and a half hours per side to unscrew 3/4". If it hadn't been for "Plus Gas" a four foot lever and PATIENCE they would not have unscrewed. Thank goodness for the Zen of horology!

I have had, on occasion, watches where the stud has been replaced by a non-original part and does not fit the hole exactly. This can take some tweaking to get right - that's why I asked if the hairspring was sitting straight when the screw was tight because if the stud is incorrect then it will adjust the springs position depending on wether the stud is secure or not (naturally). But also is the spring attached to the stud correctly? The stud (usually) will need to be pointing upwards at 90 degrees from the spring once the taper pin tightened in the stud. I have seen these poorly attached before where the stud is at a funny angle, again causing the hairspring to be at an angle. Loosening the stud will cause the spring to change position in this case also. It is in cases like this where lots of practice with hairspring adjusting will be your saviour. A word of encouragement for watch repairers with less experience in this area: I cannot emphasise enough how important it is to get as many scrap movements as you can and strip down the balance components - study them and burn into your memory how they should be - that way when you see a watch with a faulty escapement or balance you will instinctively know what looks out of place. The key word is practice. Watch repairing is like learning to play a musical instrument in that respect.

I am an extremely impatient person (just ask my wife) but miraculously watch repairing is my therapy. I am at my most calm when at the bench. Having two teenagers on the other hand...... :growl:

This is my biggest hurdle as I'm not a patient person by nature! Many a time I have to stop working on something and calm my nerves or I will get frustrated and either brake something or loose my mind! :roadrage:

Ouch, it looks like they used a cold chisel to do the job.