Jump to content

Recommended Posts

Posted

Hey everyone.  I just joined up after trying to track down info regarding glass replacement.
 

 I threw my watch in my nightstand and a few days later I dug it out and found that the face had a huge crack across it.  Don’t know how it went down but I’m definitely interested in fixing it.  It’s a Vestal Observer.  Yea you may say it’s a cheapo but I like the way it looks and it’s a great challenge.

 

I look forward to learning a bunch and fixing my watch

Posted

Go to Esslinger's website and check out their resource library. There is a video on how to measure a watch for a replacement crystal. There are also videos on how to fit and glue the crystal, etc

Posted
On 12/15/2020 at 12:02 AM, Poljot said:

Photo please.

The first is the damaged watch with the glass pressed out. The second photo is both , the one on the left being a donor watch

image.jpg

image.jpg

Posted (edited)
1 hour ago, Paul83 said:

The first is the damaged watch with the glass pressed out. The second photo is both , the one on the left being a donor watch

Donor for parts, or you are thinking about swapping the crystal?

I was confused by your " I threw my watch in my nightstand and a few days later I dug it out and found that the face had a huge crack across it." Did you mean Crystal  or Glass, as i do not see any cracks on the dial. That's why i asked to provide photo.

If it's just about installing a new Glass, it is very simple if you've got the right glass and basic tools. HectorLooi already suggested visiting Esslinger's website. The basic concept is:

- look at your old broken glass to determine if it was Mineral Glass or Acrylic (plastic). In your case it is Glass

- using a caliper, measure Outside Diameter and Thickness of the old Glass (put broken pieces together) and also measure Bezel's Internal Diameter

- Note if the old glass was glued or pressed in (was there a PTFE i-shaped or L-shaped gasket around the old glass?)

That info should be enough to order your new Glass with i-gasket and you will need a Press with Dies.

You better watch lots of videos on youtube also to avoid ordering wrong parts or cracking your new glass. This type of glass is so cheap that you may want to order 2 - just in case :-).

I am going on two-week vacation down South soon to enjoy +28C+30C White Sand New Year, thus if i do not answer your questions, someone else will. Good luck.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z2AlqBV82hM

 

Edited by Poljot

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Restore formatting

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

  • Recently Browsing

    • No registered users viewing this page.
  • Topics

  • Posts

    • I have stripped and cleaned a Hermle ships clock. It was just oily, no major faults, and I reassembled it, following my photos in reverse order. The time train is fine but the strike train will not play the ships bell strike for half-past. Ships bells play a four hour sequence for the 'watches' and play double 'ding' for the hour and the double dings plus one for the half past (eg half past the second hour is 'ding-ding' 'ding-ding' 'ding'). Sounds complicated but it isn't really. The strike wheel consists of pairs of bumps (for the ding-ding) and no single bumps. There must me some mechanism on the half-past that lifts the strike lever over one of the bumps so only one ding is played. When I get to a half past, it still plays double ding. I have a feeling it is to do with the lever in front of the rack (there is a sprung attachment  on it) and the position of the wheel (to the right) with the two pins that lets that lever fall, but no matter where I place that wheel I cannot get a single ding at half past! Please can someone help with advice on positioning so I can fix this? BTW Happy Easter 🐣 
    • No it's not 52. I had looked at the Pocket Watch lift angles thread, which lists Elgin 6s as something really high like 62° but visually that is not at all what this watch is doing. I think 42° is more correct and that's where my machine is setup. The watch has a million problems but I have made solid progress. Impulse jewel replaced. Hairspring didn't match the balance (which also doesn't match the serial) but I got it down into range this weekend with 8 or 10 huge timing washers. Replaced the mainspring, balance and train are nice and free. At this point it is running consistently and in beat at about 160°, the third wheel has a bend that sends the timegrapher on a little roller coaster every 8 minutes or so. Remaining amplitude problems may be down to the escapement. The banking pins were way out and it didn't run at all before I started. It has one of the old brass escape wheels rather than steel, and I assume the faces its teeth are probably worn or scored in a way I can't yet fix (or see without a microscope). I know this watch is not going to run above 250° but I am going to keep trying to get above 200. But the best part about this watch? Some unscrupulous person stamped "21 JEWELS" on the train bridge sometime in the past, right on top of the Damascening. It's a 15 jewel movement.
    • I think it would rather be the blast of high current drain that would do the damage. But if used occasionally to maybe fix a mainspring or do dial feet it might be worth trying especially if the mainspring or a replacement couldn’t be found.    Tom
    • This is indeed a unique site and members including myself genuinely care about it.  All we want is the site to continue. 
    • Hello Mark,  thank you for the ad removal , like JohnR725 , I appreciate any revenue from such would be helpful.  This is the one forum which encourages conversation and social interaction and in that sense it is unique  All the others I frequent can be a little intimidating and answers some what terse some quite rude. I think on here we try to do justice to your site in keeping with your principals. In my opinion it is like no other. The contributors  behave and act like gentlemen and ladies. And long may it continue to be so.
×
×
  • Create New...