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An update on my JL Powermatic- I found an original mainspring for this caliber- the one with the circular end…and decided to replace the GR spring I installed… …here’s the GR mainspring I installed then removed… …I don’t see anything wrong with the GR but on disassembly there was significant power remaining after it stopped naturally and I tried to remove any residual power via the (two) clicks. The power wound down quite a bit more after I pulled the pallet fork, like perhaps the 10 hours of reserve the indicator was showing. Perhaps it was a poor job of lubricating the barrel or some error with the clutch mechanism I did not detect during a careful disassembly… …now I’ve reassembled with the new original spring and the indicator easily synced with the spring power in the way nevenbekriev describes- full wind brought the indicator in sync then it read zero at stop. Thanks! …so unfortunately I cannot conclude for certain if it was an issue with the length of the replacement spring or a bodge of the first assembly… …Here it is with the restored dial and hands relumed…

I pride myself for having only lost one or two watch parts over the last four years. Including clocks. But I lost a c-clip the other day. I fabricated one from razor blade material. Using a dremel, I cut a small piece and made a slot in it. Then, using a fine round file, I cut a circle at the end of the slot. Not aesthetic, but it works.

Hi All, I came across this thread while doing some family research. I'm the granddaughter of Paul and Emily Louisa Schick— my grandfather, Paul Schick, founded Southern Watch & Clock Supplies LTD. He was a Jewish refugee who fled the Nazi occupation of former Czechoslovakia. He arrived in England with nothing but his car, and met my English grandmother during the war. He ran SWCS with my grandmother and they created a lot of local jobs in Orpington and beyond. He passed away in 1991, and is survived by his two children (my father and his sister), 4 grandchildren, and 6 great grandchildren. It is heartening to see that their local business still inspires watchmakers and enthusiasts today

This maybe of interest to you.

I'm sorry I can't as I have zero experience with the earlier 22xx calibres. That said, In the past (I haven't checked recently), I've seen several lots on eBay with the 2409 and 2414 movements. The automatic calibres such as the 2415, 2416, and 2431, etc., are much less common. That's great! I guess my bad experiences come from when I was new and bought many, many complete watches. The Ukrainian sellers always overstated the status of the watches and would almost always say "Serviced by Master Watchmaker". When they arrived, they would most often tick, but the inside was a rat's nest. Well, it suited me well as I bought them to learn repair and service, but for a normal buyer, it would have been a major disappointment. I seldom had these kinds of problems with the Russians. BTW, in my opinion, watches have nothing to do with politics.

Neat! For info, scrap CD / DVD drives from old PCs are often a good source of small shafts and clips etc.

VWatchie's service walk-throughs are excellent. There are also excellent videos on YT for working on Vostoks I've found some Ukrainian sellers on eBay good for buying movements for parts. Most issues, where they're sold as movements, can be seen where pictures of front and back are provided. I don't want to get political here, many, many people do not agree with their governments: I've recently bought movements on eBay that from a seller in a country purported to be politically aligned with Ukraine, and on the border with Russia. The watch was sent from well inside Russia. After receiving it I checked the details again and the country it was to be sent from differed from the seller's country, and neither were Russia. Most parts like that are interchangeable between the 24xx series I think. VWatchies link earlier covers most that aren't obvious.

All Vostok 2414 movements have a date complication, regardless of whether they include the small "a" or not. I believe—but I'm not entirely sure—that the small "a" indicates the movement has chamfered bridges, as shown on the 17jewels.info page you linked. Vostok 2409 in the calibre w/o a date complication. The watch is a Russian Komandirskie Paratrooper, which, in my opinion, has the coolest dial—so, of course, I own one myself СДЕЛАНО В СССР is Cyrillic letters for MADE IN USSR. My Paratrooper has the inscription "ЗАКАЗ МО СССР" on the dial, meaning "By Order of the Ministry of Defense of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republic," which is more desirable among collectors. The only difference between the Vostok 2409 and the Vostok 2414 is the date complication. Here is my service walkthrough of the 2409: And if you need help with the date complication, you can read the following post: Exactly! eBay is usually a good place. With a bit of luck, you can find a whole batch of movements for very little money. Unfortunately, Russian sellers are no longer on eBay since they were removed, so you’ll have to turn to mostly Ukrainian alternatives. However, don't trust Ukrainian sellers. They often promise much more than they deliver, and in many cases, they are borderline fraudulent. The Russian sellers were generally more honest, service-oriented, and faster, although, of course, there were a few bad apples among them as well. A little anecdote about Russians: When I was new to servicing and repairing watches, I had no idea that parts could be found on eBay. So, I emailed Dimitry at meranom.com and asked if he could help me with some screws for a Vostok movement, telling him I was willing to pay well. Ten minutes later, I received a friendly reply saying he could send the screws later that afternoon if I could transfer $10 to his PayPal to cover the shipping cost. When I insisted on also paying for the screws and his trouble, he refused to accept any extra money and simply wished me "good luck." My screws arrived in less than two weeks! Later, I started talking to many Russians on the Russian forum at watchuseek.com, and they were always very helpful and friendly. So, it’s no surprise that this further fueled my interest in Russian watches. This is a picture of my latest "love" that I just serviced and repaired—a Raketa Big Zero. It’s said that Mikhail Gorbachev wore this watch during a visit to Italy in the 1980s, though this hasn’t been confirmed.

I did a very quick check without my loop, the stem appears to not wobble at all having done presses in all directions twice. I'll pull off the glass then report back with more pictures. If it's not a split stem, it's either a lever by the dial or screw off crown. I'm doing this hobby to relax?

Update, they were a perfect fit. Nice one. Thanks @AndyGSi and @rehajm

I think that's this watch he's just bought.

No, it shows that there are apparantly 2 different versions for use with a shock protection: one with a hollowed out roller and one which has a non-hollowed out roller. You need the simple 721, so without the DAc or DAnc added.

There are a few different 12 volt ones Rich that are a bit cheaper, either with or without the transformer. I seem to think that there is only one 240v model.

I am working in two locations every other week. As luck would have it, a part I need is at the other location. I do ha e some clips at the other place. I wanted to wrap up this clock (my personal clock) so I just fabricated one to get it off the bench!! I have tons of old electronics...so yeah, that is a treasure trove of screws. Clips and stuff.

I have a 240v Proxon Rich. I think it was about a 100 quid on its own. Its Accurate, i can barely detect any run- out at magnification. I got the drill press with it as well, another 100 ish with a small vice that slides up and down the base. The headstock can spin 90° so it can be used as a mini bench grinder. I also have a couple of rechargeable Parkside ones for rough work and a few smaller rotary tools made be Minicraft , a German company, those are quite accurate as well with very little run-out, last week I sharpened up the tips of a V-Conic balance with one of the Minicraft tools, they made a decent job too. The speeds are super fast on all of them starting at 5000 rpm for the Proxon and 20,000 fixed for the minicraft. I wanted something slower with more control so I added in a voltage regulator and pulled the minicraft ones down to around 300 rpm. The regulator is fitted inside a chewing gum tub supported in a cup to keep it weighted steady. This is the Proxon and drill press, I bought mine from Chronos Engineering.

Hi! I'm Leo and I live in Stockholm where I work as a software engineer. I became sort of a watch nerd a few years ago. I collected a couple nice pieces that I will never dare to tinker with, but I'm also quite fond of a few things that just need a good service and are low in commercial value: a couple Seikos, a Swatch automatic I bought in 2001, a Landeron chronograph from the 50s, a Timex hand-wound, an Omega quartz from the early 80s. So far I've only replaced bracelets and straps and opened casebacks to peek inside. Then recently Marshall's Wristwatch Revival channel encouraged me to consider actual watch repair, and in turn I followed Marshall's endorsement of Mark's courses, which I am now following. In the meantime I ordered some tools from Cousins, including the Chinese Unitas knock-off to practice on. I'll see what I manage to do with the Unitas. The ambition is to eventually learn to service common movements like the eta 2824 / sellita sw200 (I have a few of those already) or even some common but nice pocket watch movements like the Hamilton railroad ones. Or common Seikos would be useful, since there are so many cheap ones around that just need a good service.

@VWatchie Since it seems like the more recent (80's/90's) movements like the 2414 & 2416 are not always as easy to find bulk donors as the older movements like the 2209, can you comment on parts interchangeability of the more basic parts like the OP's broken winding pinion? To OP: I will add that I have not had any bad experiences with Ukrainian sellers on either ebay or etsy, typically about 3 weeks for delivery to USA. The only thing that went less than according to plan was a parts watch I bought which the seller then could not find in inventory. He sent me 4 others with the same movement instead.

The answers to your questions can probably fill a few books. The 2 jewels in this clock are hidden in the tube of the floating balance. The wire passing through the jewels must be straight, corrosion free and clean. Soak the balance in a water free solvent like lighter fluid to soften any dried lubricants and brush it with a soft brush. Dry thoroughly and apply a tiny amount of 9010/9020 on the wire where the jewels sit and work the balance up and down slightly to distribute the oil. Do a free oscillation test. The balance wheel should turn freely. If the movement is really dirty, I'd do a preclean with odorless kerosene. I used to use petrol or turpentine, but I found odorless kerosene gentler on the nose. Kerosene does a pretty good job on its own but it doesn't brighten up the brass. So an ammoniated clock cleaning solution would be needed, such as Horolene or Elma Red 1:9. A couple of rinses with distilled water is needed, followed by a quick dip in 98% IPA to displace any water. These are water based cleaners and can cause steel parts to rust if not dried quickly and thoroughly.

Hi watch folks, I just wanted to post these up in case of interest, pros and lathe guys. I was struck by the high quality of them, way above the Chinese ones . Not so much pin but plug gauges.

Yep, that seems to be the way to go. I found this person using that method to make stainless steel bows: https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1H1qY3PBDY/. I'm going to use 3mm Nickel Silver instead, however.

OPs followed by eBay.

Its definitely a Hermle movement. Hermle make these for other clock makers and add their branding to the backplate. The movement design may have changed slightly over the years, but definitely the same one. Here's an example from 1984, looks identical to the one in your pictures.

Seiko made a front loader (branded by others) that required you to slip a small screwdriver between the edge of the dial and case to push a lever to release the stem. Really sucked.

Does the crown wobble a little on one axis? If so, it is a split stem. IMO, as others have stated, it is missing a bezel. The ebay link Kalanag seems to indicate otherwise. First step is to remove the crystal and present more pictures.

This watch model on ebay.ca for reference

That a good read Andy, Hakan has terrific knowledge on Russian watches.

Pretty sure thats a given OH, I'd say the op needs to next figure out how to remove the stem.

I still say it comes out from the front.

Still looks a little odd, like a front piece of the case iis missing. But I agree and go with my last comment that the step is just part of the crystal shape, and this is a one piece case. There is a wristwatch case design that has a stem release by the edge of the dial face, so I wouldn't yank the stem just yet hoping that it's a split stem. Have a look around once the crystal is removed.

Wow! Mbwatch, you have no idea how much I value your help! I couldn’t even figure out the name on the dial. I will see if I can find a donor movement on eBay. Again thank you so much for your help!

If you search online for "Ebauches SA Dictionnaire Technologique" you'll find a catalogue with the parts numbering system. The specific part you're showing has "DAnc" under the 721. That tells you that it has a non-hollowed out roller for a shock protection system. On ebay you can also see Renata parts that will tell you on the package if it is for a shock or non-shock protected movement by mentioning "inca". The Renata catalogue can be found as a pdf online (cousins uk for instance) as well and tells you you'll want Renata 164:

That is a beautiful watch.

The stem slot is open so won't be a split stem. If this is just the edge of the crystal then you're missing the bezel.

An inexpensive generic crystal lift, under $20 on Esslinger.com, is fine to remove the crystal on a vintage watch and fine to reinsert one. If you start working on more valuable watches, getting a better crystal lift might be necessary since these cheaper ones can be a little rough in the jaws. If you are not careful it is easier to scratch a crystal with these than with a $120 version. The other difference is in how smooth the screw action is on the more expensive Swiss one. It does take some practice no matter what to install a crystal with this tool, and you can expect to not get your first one or two right without some scratches when installing. But if @caseback is right and this is a 2 piece case, then it opens up other better options to install a new crystal with a press of some sort instead.

Don't worry, Chris! We've all been there, and it's a part of the learning process. You never stop making mistakes, but gradually, you develop strategies to minimize the risks. The way out here will be to replace the balance staff. However, that's something that requires quite a few tools, such as a staking set and suitable punches. Perhaps the easiest way out will be to try to source a balance complete (balance wheel + balance staff + balance spring) from a donor movement if one can be found.

Nice floating balance clock. Case looks pretty decentm You need to get a mainspring let down tool and a mainspring winder. Thick gloves and eye protection. Hopefully you won't need to rebush any holes. Just clean and oil. Materials needed - clock cleaning solution, Moebius 9020, clock oil, D5/HP1300, general purpose grease and a lot of elbow grease.

Looks bent, but that might be an optical illusion. It's funny how that works sometimes. Do you have truing calipers to check?

So after filing a claim with eBay the seller still blames me for the parcel going missing as I didn't check the tracking and change the date of delivery but has still agreed to refund my money.

The seller does not have a clue about how the law works! In English law, the item is the responsibility of the seller/sender until it has been properly delivered. Any postal or delivery service is acting as a subcontractor for the sender, and the sender has total responsibility for their failure to correctly deliver the item. See here: https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/consumer/somethings-gone-wrong-with-a-purchase/if-something-you-ordered-hasnt-been-delivered/ ps. That applies to UK sellers, not overseas ones.

A bit late as I already have these, but anyway: I got interested in the Seiko Kinetic watches (see the end for the reason), and wanted a smart wearable one, so found this; titanium cased, 5M23 movement and in really nice and fully working condition. It came from Japan & has a Chinese inscription on the back which when translated reveals it was someone's retirement gift after 30 years service! Also wanting something to mess with, I found a pair of non-workers from a charity shop on ebay: The one on the left (5M43 movement) has a really bad, worn away case so I'm saving that until needed. The one on the right (5J22 movement) started up after an hour on a pendulum charger and has run perfectly ever since! It easily lasts a week at a time. It's a "relay" version so the hands stop moving to save the battery/capacitor if not worn for a day or two, then it sets the hands once it's being worn or moved again. It needs a bit of cleaning and polishing, but it's pretty good for one supposedly dead. And this - given to me by an old friend, who I'd happened to show one of the old watches I'd restored. He is an Apple fan and told me he's never going to wear it again, so he wanted someone interested in watches to have it! It's complete with everything - box, paperwork, case, guarantee and receipt! It needs a bit of a cosmetic clean but is otherwise near mint, just slight wear on the raised bezel around the small dials. It has a 9T82 movement which is apparently "Grand Seiko" grade - and (officially) unserviceable except by Seiko Japan. The capacitor battery is a bit tired and it only lasts about a week rather than a month, but not too bad. The chronometer is purely mechanical and has a tenth second dial, with the hand rotating once per second; the minutes dial has two hand for hours and minutes. There a photos of one being fully rebuilt in a thread here; the capacitor change requires dis-assembly of the chronograph! Servicing this is beyond my present skill level, as a single damaged part means it's wrecked. It will have to go to Seiko once that's unavoidable. https://forumamontres.forumactif.com/t263764-remplacement-batterie-sur-une-seiko-9t82 ps. The dirt on the back was not obvious in normal room lighting...

Hi, there is absolutelly no mater how You assemble the indicator. If You continue winding the movement, the indicator will sync with the mainspring condition by it'sself. If the indicator reaches 'full wind' before the spring is wound to the end, it will stop moving and continuing winding the spring wil wind the spring to the end, thus syncinc the indicator. If the spring is fully wound but the indicator is not at 'full wind', then continuing winding will move the indicator until it reaches the end and thus get synced. Well if the indicator never gets to '0', this will only mean that the real power reserve is smaller, and it is probably due incorrect mainspring fitted. PS Now I see there is 'stopwork' and it is probably connected with the power indicator. If this is the case, then this stopwork must be activated when the power indicator reaches '0' and this is the one and only needed indicator adjustment. But if it is done and still the indicator never gets to 0, this again means that the real reserve is smaller than needed.