What's your favourite YouTube watch repair channel?

[rehajm]

3 hours ago, RichardHarris123 said:

No, I meant the restoration. Many people think the case and dial should of been left as is. 

Haha- yes, soory. Indeed there was a lot of change- I winced at the failed chrome stripping. It was kind of over at that point, then he went on to ‘stabilize’ the dial…ooh!

…I will say when I have one that condition I struggle with how much to address and how much to leave…

[mikepilk]

2 hours ago, rehajm said:

Haha- yes, soory. Indeed there was a lot of change- I winced at the failed chrome stripping. It was kind of over at that point, then he went on to ‘stabilize’ the dial…ooh!

…I will say when I have one that condition I struggle with how much to address and how much to leave…

If it was just a bit of scratching and wear, I would have left the case. But as it was so badly pitted, I would have restored it. It was never meant to look like that. It's like arguing that you should never restore old paintings, just let the lacquer get darker and darker until you can't see anything.

I don't know what he was doing with the stripping - I only strip nickel, but the current looked too high. I would have copper plated to help fill the pitting.

He looked a bit heavy handed with the dial - but it looked good in the end. I would have stripped the radium with water and buds.  

[RichardHarris123]

4 minutes ago, mikepilk said:

If it was just a bit of scratching and wear, I would have left the case. But as it was so badly pitted, I would have restored it. It was never meant to look like that. It's like arguing that you should never restore old paintings, just let the lacquer get darker and darker until you can't see anything.

I agree but many won't, I did like the end result. 

[tomh207]

In the professional world I guess you have to ask if an item is to be restored, as this was, or conserved as a museum or serious collector would want. I don’t see an issue with either approach as long as historical pieces are conserved, do what you like to anything else as you see fit.

 

Tom

[SwissSeiko]

On 10/3/2024 at 7:43 AM, Malocchio said:

 All that filming and editing is really time consuming so I hope he gets compensated reasonably well. 

He makes over $6,000 USD for each video just from Patreon. He's compensated very well

[gpraceman]

Where is this $6,000 number coming from?

[thor447]

21 minutes ago, gpraceman said:

Where is this $6,000 number coming from?

It's on the home screen of his Patreon page.

[gpraceman]

Anyone who had watched Marshall's latest video, on the 1913 Elgin pocket watch, do you know where he got that tool that he used to hold the balance cock?  Spring loaded pins that can be locked in place to hold irregular shaped parts.  Might be useful.

[Neverenoughwatches]

32 minutes ago, gpraceman said:

Anyone who had watched Marshall's latest video, on the 1913 Elgin pocket watch, do you know where he got that tool that he used to hold the balance cock?  Spring loaded pins that can be locked in place to hold irregular shaped parts.  Might be useful.

Tbh i can't watch the guy...something about him just irritates me...i had a quick look but without knowing the time stamp i just cant watch the whole video  

[gpraceman]

Here's where he first shows the tool.

 

[Neverenoughwatches]

33 minutes ago, gpraceman said:

Here's where he first shows the tool.

 

Nifty little gadget ...thats the most I've watched of Marshall for 3 years , apologies Marshall....too much " ohhhh would ya look at that " 

 

[mbwatch]

That is a neat tool, but I would be nervous to use it for that specific purpose, with high risk to damage the regulator pins and also lose the tiny jewel screws down in whatever is inside there.

I will be watching this in full later since that Elgin is 100% my kind of thing, but when I saw the thumbnail my heart sinks thinking about the number of total novices who are going to show up on the watch repair reddits with fine railroad watches they were inspired to butcher. Youtube has that effect over there.

[SwissSeiko]

9 hours ago, gpraceman said:

Anyone who had watched Marshall's latest video, on the 1913 Elgin pocket watch, do you know where he got that tool that he used to hold the balance cock?  Spring loaded pins that can be locked in place to hold irregular shaped parts.  Might be useful.

I noticed in his video, he had to move the rate adjuster all the way to the end of its adjustment, and that is caused by a regulator pin resting on the hairspring. He needs to adjust the pins, and then the regulator put back in the center. He also installed the lower balance hole jewel in upside down, with the oil reservoir facing the balance. His videos are so incorrect, and he has such a wide audience that its frustrating that he doesn't do the repairs correctly. His oiling of cap jewels is probably the most frustrating. Most books ive read are against placing the oil on the cap jewel, and then placing them together, as it doesn't always have the capillary action to lubricate the jewel hole. He also said cap jewels are for keeping dust out, but they are what the pivot rests on.

 

the tool is on aliexpress and is called a number of things, but usually movement base fixing seat or something along those lines. $130-ish. Seems unnecessary, but also cool.

[gpraceman]

2 hours ago, SwissSeiko said:

I noticed in his video, he had to move the rate adjuster all the way to the end of its adjustment, and that is caused by a regulator pin resting on the hairspring. He needs to adjust the pins, and then the regulator put back in the center. He also installed the lower balance hole jewel in upside down, with the oil reservoir facing the balance. His videos are so incorrect, and he has such a wide audience that its frustrating that he doesn't do the repairs correctly. His oiling of cap jewels is probably the most frustrating. Most books ive read are against placing the oil on the cap jewel, and then placing them together, as it doesn't always have the capillary action to lubricate the jewel hole. He also said cap jewels are for keeping dust out, but they are what the pivot rests on.

 

the tool is on aliexpress and is called a number of things, but usually movement base fixing seat or something along those lines. $130-ish. Seems unnecessary, but also cool.

Got a link?  I haven't been able to find that tool, as I don't know what it's called.  I would be concerned about the regulator pins if using that tool, but thought it might come in handy.

I do see many people on YouTube oiling cap jewels in that manner.  Hadn't heard of that being a problem, till now.  He actually uses an auto oiler in that video.

I had noticed that he was near the end of that regulating adjustment too.

Edited October 23, 2024 by gpraceman

[mbwatch]

I have not seen a barrel complete go into the parts cleaner fully assembled before this. Is that a strategy you would use for any reason?

[nickelsilver]

You would never clean a barrel assembled. Back in the dark days when there was a surplus of watchmakers and they were all cutting each other's throats, there were cheats like a final rinse that "lubricated the movement" (which was cleaned assembled). "Better" watchmakers would remove the balance jewels, the barrel bridge, take out the barrel and open it but leave the spring in. I worked in a trade shop like that in the 90s when I was in school... Didn't have any comebacks, but I would actually disassemble the whole movement contrary to my orders: we weren't to remove the balance jewels in that place,  or do anything beyond pulling and opening the barrel.

 

With the barrel open, there's at least a chance for the cleaning fluids to get out; closed, no way. Obviously cleaning the barrel with the spring in is just a dumb idea, period. Honestly better not to clean it at all, leave it closed, and add some lube to the arbor.

[mbwatch]

@nickelsilver Well thanks - that is exactly the reply I expected but needed to hear it from a pro.

[mpe7383]

5 hours ago, SwissSeiko said:

I noticed in his video, he had to move the rate adjuster all the way to the end of its adjustment, and that is caused by a regulator pin resting on the hairspring. He needs to adjust the pins, and then the regulator put back in the center. He also installed the lower balance hole jewel in upside down, with the oil reservoir facing the balance. His videos are so incorrect, and he has such a wide audience that its frustrating that he doesn't do the repairs correctly. His oiling of cap jewels is probably the most frustrating. Most books ive read are against placing the oil on the cap jewel, and then placing them together, as it doesn't always have the capillary action to lubricate the jewel hole. He also said cap jewels are for keeping dust out, but they are what the pivot rests on.

 

the tool is on aliexpress and is called a number of things, but usually movement base fixing seat or something along those lines. $130-ish. Seems unnecessary, but also cool.

Please can we go back to the cap jewel oiling, so what is the preferred method for these, as you say, the pivot rests on the cap jewel so that could do with a bit of oil, I must admit that I oil the cap and assumed the capillary action sorted the jewel. If the correct method is to oil the jewel and allow the capillary action to oil the pivot end on the cap, I'm ready to change my ways as of now, oiling the cap jewel is a pain in the rear.

[mbwatch]

I don't think the lower balance hole jewel went in upside down. There is a lip on those settings so they can only go in one way. Otherwise the cap jewel would have sat proud of the mainplate because the hole setting would be about 0.3mm too high. The screws did sit proud but that is probably because the cutouts in the cap setting were not aligned with the screw hole. The is no oil reservoir because of the cap jewel, and the dome points down over the pivot rather than up toward the cap.

I'm surprised Elgin didn't put mean time screws on this grade.

 

[mpe7383]

Just had a look at a couple of seiko technical sheets as they're the easiest to find quickly, they specify oiling the cap jewels, so looks like there are differing opinions on this.

[rjenkinsgb]

21 hours ago, gpraceman said:

Got a link?  I haven't been able to find that tool, as I don't know what it's called. 

Look for "Universal watch parts holder" - that produces tools such as he showed, around £100

[SwissSeiko]

18 hours ago, mpe7383 said:

Please can we go back to the cap jewel oiling, so what is the preferred method for these, as you say, the pivot rests on the cap jewel so that could do with a bit of oil, I must admit that I oil the cap and assumed the capillary action sorted the jewel. If the correct method is to oil the jewel and allow the capillary action to oil the pivot end on the cap, I'm ready to change my ways as of now, oiling the cap jewel is a pain in the rear.

So, the theory on this may have changed, but my information is from the old books, and they say to put a drop of oil on the pivot side of the jewel after it has been installed, then use a fine oiler or something similar(I sharpened an old oiler to a very fine point) and press it into the hole, and let the capillary action pull in the oil. I think its probably OK to do it with his shown method, but the method described by Grant Hood I think is better. He explains that when oiling the jewels separate, the capillary action pulls the oil to the surface of the cap jewel, instead of keeping it in the middle. Again, the old saying goes, if you ask 5 watchmakers how to oil a watch, you'll get 10 different answers.

18 hours ago, mbwatch said:

I don't think the lower balance hole jewel went in upside down. There is a lip on those settings so they can only go in one way. Otherwise the cap jewel would have sat proud of the mainplate because the hole setting would be about 0.3mm too high. The screws did sit proud but that is probably because the cutouts in the cap setting were not aligned with the screw hole. The is no oil reservoir because of the cap jewel, and the dome points down over the pivot rather than up toward the cap.

I'm surprised Elgin didn't put mean time screws on this grade.

 

I could be wrong, but at 32:34 of the video, it looks like the jewel surface is the domed towards him and I don't see the oil reservoir, but I could be mistaken. Its not super clear in the video, but something that I thought looked off.

[mbwatch]

11 minutes ago, SwissSeiko said:

, it looks like the jewel surface is the domed towards him and I don't see the oil reservoir

Agreed - that is exactly what I expected to see. The hole jewel's dome meets the flat surface of the cap jewel installed atop it just as in Hood's drawing. No reservoir between the jewels.

[SwissSeiko]

3 minutes ago, mbwatch said:

Agreed - that is exactly what I expected to see. The hole jewel's dome meets the flat surface of the cap jewel installed atop it just as in Hood's drawing. No reservoir between the jewels.

Crap you are right. I wonder where I got that idea.

[mpe7383]

Excellent information thanks SwissSeiko, all makes good sense, leads me onto another question about auto oilers though, which I don't use, can't justify the cost, given the above theory there's a chance the oil doesn't get through the jewel hole?

But as you say, many different opinions regarding this, suppose as long as oil is applied that's the main thing, but I will give it a go, got an old oiler that I'll sharpen up, and this method you know oil has reached all the required surfaces before fitting wheel/balance and not relying on capillary action to finish the job.