Patek 240 Main plate repair

[FixinMyOwnWatch]

Hi long time lurker, first time poster.

I'm currently trying to fix a Patek 240 movement. One of the screw posts snapped off the main plate, resulting in the escape wheel bridge to come loose. I've attached a photo of what it looks like. On the right is what it should look like, on the left its become just an empty hole. How would I go about repairing this?

More importantly, what is this part even called? I've been having a hard time explaining it to others.

 

Thanks!

 

 

[Nucejoe]

Its called locating pin. 

A genuine patek is not pratice piece.  

Rgds

 

[FixinMyOwnWatch]

20 minutes ago, Nucejoe said:

Its called locating pin. 

A genuine patek is not pratice piece.  

Rgds

 

Thank you for replying! I do realize that a Patek should not be a practice piece. I've been extra careful with it. The locating pin was already loose and hence I am trying to repair it. Do you have any suggestions on how to proceed with this? Would a professional watch maker be able to repair it, or would I have to send it back to Patek for them to replace the entire main plate? Thank you!

[Nucejoe]

 Great to hear you know patek and  being careful, I was worrying about the pricy piece. 

I shall refrain from giving advice on this, as no doubt there are members here who can make the watch form scratch and sketch. 

Good luck.

 

 

 

[JohnR725]

7 hours ago, Nucejoe said:

A genuine patek is not pratice piece. 

Normally you can say that but this is the safe zone were supposed to be nice. Although that's not the actual wording with the safe zone is but were supposed be nice to the newbies in the safe zone. So is it proper to caution somebody that this might not be the best practice watch because it might upset the newbie?

It also probably means I'm not supposed to ask this question either but I'm going to.

10 hours ago, FixinMyOwnWatch said:

One of the screw posts snapped off the main plate

How exactly did it snap off the main plate?

6 hours ago, FixinMyOwnWatch said:

do you have any suggestions on how to proceed with this? Would a professional watch maker be able to repair it, or would I have to send it back to Patek for them to replace the entire main plate?

Taken the questions out of order I doubt they would replace the entire main plate. Then a lot a professional watchmaker's probably couldn't fix this because it might be called a manufacturing operation or restoration operation a lot of professional watchmakers don't actually do this type of work.

Then we need more information. Look carefully at the back side of the main plate is the post a separate post that's pressed into the plate or is it machined in the plate?

If it was just a separate post with the threaded part for the screw whatever's left could be pushed out and a new one could be manufactured. If it was machined into the main plate which conceivably this company would've done then. So if it's not a separate post what somebody would have to do is mounted in a lathe all the plate make sure it's Apsley centered from where the post used to be bore out a section to make a new press in post with the thread for the screw. This is not your casual watchmaking type of operation. Probably because the expense of the watch it be better to send back the factory and let them handle it.

But we need a second opinion. nickelsilver Does this kinda stuff and conceivably is familiar with this watch. He would really be the one to answer the question of how to fix this.

 

[nickelsilver]

It looks like the threaded tube that acts as both the female thread and a locating pin has gone missing, if the black hole in the red circle to the left is where it's supposed to be. These are usually made with a shoulder, sometimes very small, sometimes larger, like the pic (small shoulder on that one). They are pressed in from the opposite side, so the action of tightening the screw pulls against the shoulder. In rare cases they might not have a shoulder, in which case they often but not always, have a sort of knurled surface where it's pressed into the plate. This helps prevent it turning when tightening the screw.

 

In your case, if it's missing, a new one must be made. If it's broken off (looks missing, but maybe it's broken?), then it would need to be pressed out and a new one made. I don't think there's any chance of getting one from Patek.

 

 

[JohnR725]

8 minutes ago, nickelsilver said:

looks missing,

Thinking about it after I posted what  I did up above I wonder if it is missing? Yes it bothers me that there's a whole there so it's not broken off in its not broken off is it stuck to the plate up above? Of course that wouldn't explain why the plate is loose or whatever the problem is. It's nice when things really don't go missing they just relocate themselves the somewhere else

 

[Neverenoughwatches]

1 hour ago, JohnR725 said:

Normally you can say that but this is the safe zone were supposed to be nice. Although that's not the actual wording with the safe zone is but were supposed be nice to the newbies in the safe zone. So is it proper to caution somebody that this might not be the best practice watch because it might upset the newbie?

It also probably means I'm not supposed to ask this question either but I'm going to.

Funny. Advice is Advice John, i think we've all been very good just lately. I can't remember the last time a big argument ensued.

[Nucejoe]

I do apologize from OP for my poor choice of words, its was just that we don't have a Patek being worked on  everyday.  

 

Rgds

 

[FixinMyOwnWatch]

Long story short. Left my watches on my work bench during Christmas (case back opened). Had my entire extended family in my house, was busy cooking/ prepping/ cleaning. Went downstairs to see that my sister’s kids were playing with the watches. Some screws went missing including this screw post. Because of how small they are I’ve given up looking for them as well.

to answer your question John. It’s a combination of me being an idiot and not locking the door to my workshop and the kids being absolute monsters.

[Nucejoe]

A strong magnet will find the screws. 

[JohnR725]

11 hours ago, FixinMyOwnWatch said:

Some screws went missing including this screw post. Because of how small they are I’ve given up looking for them as well.

This is watch repair which requires desperate measures and we try to never give up looking for parts. But as you Had helpers it's possible that they relocated them much farther away.

5 hours ago, Nucejoe said:

A strong magnet will find the screws. 

Then yes definitely a strong magnet is needed

[FixinMyOwnWatch]

I've tried the magnet when I first discovered the crime scene, it yielded no results. My assumption is that it could be in their pockets or shoes or any number of places, perhaps even...consumed by accident?

 

Regardless. I'm now missing several screws and for two Patek pieces, and apparently an entire screw post. Happy holidays to me. 

[JohnR725]

46 minutes ago, FixinMyOwnWatch said:

when I first discovered the crime scene

You may have to expand your crime scene considerably.

It's amazing how far things can go if nobody's really paying attention I doubt that they would've strolled the screws they probably wouldn't even have seen them but they could easily fall on the floor and depending upon your floor get kicked across the room or other places. In watch repair we get really good at scouring the scene of the crime and then expanding outwards. Sometimes it also helps to get another set of eyes on the situation.

[mikepilk]

After no results with a strong magnet, I move on to the Dyson. Clean the bin out, then vacuum everything and everywhere. Empty the bin on to a clean sheet of white paper, and use the magnet

 

[lexacat]

What kind of magnet are we talking about here?

Personally, I've had a lot of luck with neodymium-iron-boron magnets pulled from old computer hard drives. They are incredibly powerful and easily attainable. I'm planning to make a "broom" out of a line of them so I can sweep a large area in one pass.

Only issue is that you need to demagnetise your parts afterwards, but that's a small price to pay.

Personally, if I'd lost parts from a Patek I'd be all up in that carpet like a crime scene investigator.

[mikepilk]

I have a strong neodymium magnet - you only have to get close to the piece to catch it !

I also use a super bright led torch sat on the floor and shining along it. 

[lexacat]

Just thinking, is there a chance that piece is brass? If so a magnet won't help...

[mikepilk]

20 minutes ago, lexacat said:

Just thinking, is there a chance that piece is brass? If so a magnet won't help...

Also jewels. That's where the torch and Dyson are useful

[FixinMyOwnWatch]

Thanks everyone. It seems like I'll have to get send it off to a watchmaker. The screw post needs to be remade and my AD just told me this kind of work would take close to 1 year for Patek. (insane)

[JohnR725]

17 hours ago, lexacat said:

that piece is brass? If so a magnet won't help

The missing post from the main plate is brass. But the screws should be steel and you should find those and conceivably the brass part looks shiny and gold color should be relatively easy to find. At least for those of us who spent time searching for stuff

5 minutes ago, FixinMyOwnWatch said:

It seems like I'll have to get send it off to a watchmaker. The screw post needs to be remade and my AD just told me this kind of work would take close to 1 year for Patek. (insane)

It's a shame if we had been earlier I just discovered something looks like you could've bought your missing part with a few bonus pieces unfortunately we don't see a price here. But one of the search results was earlier and it did have a price which was around C$1700 not bad for a part that you normally would never be able to buy at all.

https://www.chrono24.com/patekphilippe/movement-parts-patek-philippe-main-plate-240--id25550548.htm

Then as far as waiting one year that's not really insane. Currently due to a shortage of watch repair people most shops with watches that they can get parts for are still months behind in their work. Then for something like this which is a specialty watch with a limited quantity of service centersthere probably normally a year behind anyway.