After 21 Months

[rossjackson01]

Just a quick update. I still feel like a beginner. Slow learning but hopefully reasonably thorough.

State of play. Working watches. 

Left to right.

First two. Battery changes.

Seiko 6309. Full service and parts. 

Sekonda 2428. Full service

Sekonda 2427. Full service

Sekonda 2427. Full service (my favourite)

 

 

I do have many others that are work in progress

Seiko's. 6119. 6309. 6319. 7009. 7S26

Citizen 8200

3 Enicar with differnet movements. St69. 2 x AR167

I watches of Switzerland Seafarer.

 

 

Ross

Edited July 21, 2023 by rossjackson01
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[Galilea]

That's really impressive! There might be hope for me yet. I will try to get that much done in the next 21 months. Also, do you find you are getting faster?

[Charette]

Looks like you're having fun Ross! Congrats on successes.

[rossjackson01]

6 hours ago, Galilea said:

That's really impressive! There might be hope for me yet. I will try to get that much done in the next 21 months. Also, do you find you are getting faster?

Faster?

On the disassemble yes. On the rebuild, a little. I'm far more careful. I look at each item removed to see if it has a problem. I look a the same item again before assembling, then check the motion of the movement at each stage. I use tweezers far more gently and pegwood to hold and re-position. Never screw tight on input, only after final check for motion. 

I am slower as I as trying to use my Digital Microscope at all times. Same working position, as I only use the microscope recording and for visual checks of problems. For this Chronoglide is a great help as 'Kalle' is like 'Mark' in deep explanations on what may have caused the problem in the first place.

 

 

I do spend a lot of time looking at Youtube videos of teardown and assemblies. These do help.

Still a lot to learn. 

Ross 

Edited July 23, 2023 by rossjackson01
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[Galilea]

It's a luxury, having time to ponder and putter, and really do things correctly. I do so much pondering, I call my house The Ponderosa.

I use a digiscope too, a Dino-Lite. I also have a Bulova watchmakers microscope but I am trying to figure out an illuminator strategy for it. Which one do you use?

What's a Chronoglide?

Edited July 23, 2023 by Galilea

[rossjackson01]

2 hours ago, Galilea said:

It's a luxury, having time to ponder and putter, and really do things correctly. I do so much pondering, I call my house The Ponderosa.

I use a digiscope too, a Dino-Lite. I also have a Bulova watchmakers microscope but I am trying to figure out an illuminator strategy for it. Which one do you use?

What's a Chronoglide?

Pondersa. Way to go. I am old enough to have been around when the original TV series was shown. 

My microscope is a Chinese LCD -G1200). £35. Purchased by my bride as a Christmas present for me (reduced from £120 to £80 then to the £35) Great bargain. I have a 2TB micro Sd card.

Illumination. Head set magnifying glass with LED. Normal glasses 1.5. Two lenses in line (2.5 and 3.5) for normal work, and x8 monocle drop down. Don't use the monocle now as I have the microscope.

New photograph shows the head set. And you can see my collection of ongoing projects. Getting there!

Chronoglide is a Youtube site. Kalle, the owner does a 'live' breakdown on a movement each Tuesday at 1930hrs BST (British Standard Time). When I first saw it I though, rubbish! Too technical for me. However as I progressed and learned a bit about movements. I realised that he dealt with things at  Mark's level 3, Fault finding course. Over 100 YouTube videos in lesson format.

I also use Alex Hamilton's Youtube 'watch repair tutorials' lessons as an addition. Over 40 videos in lesson format. First few lesson he swears. Nearly stopped watching as I am old school. He no longer swears.

Glad to have been able to converse with someone on the far side of the pond.

Great fun innit?

Ross

 

Edited July 23, 2023 by rossjackson01
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[Galilea]

18 minutes ago, rossjackson01 said:

llumination. Head set magnifying glass with LED. Normal glasses 1.5. Two lenses in line (2.5 and 3.5) for normal work, and x8 monocle drop down. Don't use the monocle now as I have the microsope.

Well I actually meant for the Bulova watchmaker's microscope I have. I can append a photo of it when I get around to it. I am reorganizing so nothing is easy to find. I like the optics, and the magnification is ideal, and the stand is great because it is multi -directional.. let me go get a pic. The trouble is it has no illuminator and is

 

18 minutes ago, rossjackson01 said:

First few lesson he swears. Nearly stopped watching as I am old school. He no longer swears.

Glad to have been able to converse with someone on the far side of the pond.

not made to accept one. How did they do it? Maybe I can find a manual.

18 minutes ago, rossjackson01 said:

Chronoglide is a Youtube site. Kalle, the owner does a 'live' breakdown on a movement each Tuesday at 1930hrs BST (British Standard Time). When I first saw it I though, rubbish! Too technical for me. However as I progressed and learned a bit about movements. I realised that he dealt with things at  Mark's level 3, Fault finding course. Over 100 YouTube videos in lesson format.

So then you took the classes? I am on Level 1 now. Helpful stuff already!

Well, the last thing is that I have never met anyone from Scotland, nor have I ever met anyone opposed to swearing. I suppose the thinking is that there are more succinct ways to express oneself. In any case, thanks for the heads up and maybe you can convince me to give it up. I can see why swearing is listed as a bad habit: it is very habitual, lol.

Yes, great fun, and it took me a while to decipher "innit". I love it.

[rossjackson01]

Not swearing. Just a personal thing. Never sworn in front of friends family or people I met.  Anyway, back to watches.

Ross

[Neverenoughwatches]

6 hours ago, Galilea said:

I do so much pondering, I call my house The Ponderosa.

I ate there for breakie a few times when i was in Florida, half decent and cheap. I might have to visit you if you can match it .

[RichardHarris123]

6 minutes ago, Neverenoughwatches said:

I ate there for breakie a few times when i was in Florida, half decent and cheap. I might have to visit you if you can match it .

I ate there too, forgot all about it until now. 

[Neverenoughwatches]

On 7/21/2023 at 9:51 PM, rossjackson01 said:

Just a quick update. I still feel like a beginner. Slow learning but hopefully reasonably thorough.

State of play. Working watches. 

Left to right.

First two. Battery changes.

Seiko 6309. Full service and parts. 

Sekonda 2428. Full service

Sekonda 2427. Full service

Sekonda 2427. Full service (my favourite)

 

 

I do have many others that are work in progress

Seiko's. 6119. 6309. 6319. 7009. 7S26

Citizen 8200

3 Enicar with differnet movements. St69. 2 x AR167

I watches of Switzerland Seafarer.

 

 

Ross

I love your updates Ross, you're making good progress. Do you have any immediate plans to learn some repair techniques involving staking and jewelling tools ?

Just now, RichardHarris123 said:

I ate there too, forgot all about it until now. 

Many years ago now but It was my first time for having bacon eggs and honey pancakes on the same plate, i remember thinking # what the hell is this all about #

13 hours ago, Galilea said:

That's really impressive! There might be hope for me yet. I will try to get that much done in the next 21 months. Also, do you find you are getting faster?

You can do it Nessie, organise that space , set up the scope, lay out the tools, crack your knuckles stretch out them pinkies and off you go. 

7 hours ago, Galilea said:

also have a Bulova watchmakers microscope.

Is this the single eyepiece accutron scope ?

[rossjackson01]

17 minutes ago, Neverenoughwatches said:

I love your updates Ross, you're making good progress. Do you have any immediate plans to learn some repair techniques involving staking and jewelling tools ?

Yes. Done one with using my home made staking set. Would love to own a proper set. I do feel confident enough. Using my saving method it will take me 17 weeks to get enough to place an order for a cheap Chinese set. Ah well.

[Neverenoughwatches]

7 hours ago, Galilea said:

also have a Bulova watchmakers microscope but I am trying to figure out an illuminator strategy for it. Which one do you use?

Ideally something you can mount on the scope just above the objective lens. Or how about just some kind of usb spot light that you can direct at the movement ? 

10 minutes ago, rossjackson01 said:

Yes. Done one with using my home made staking set. Would love to own a proper set. I do feel confident enough. Using my saving method it will take me 17 weeks to get enough to place an order for a cheap Chinese set. Ah well.

You'll get there Ross.

[rossjackson01]

Neverenoughwatches

Working on it

Edited July 23, 2023 by rossjackson01
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[Waggy]

13 hours ago, Neverenoughwatches said:

how about just some kind of usb spot light

Just thinking, maybe one if those lights you clip on a book for reading in the dark, they usually have some form of alligator clip... Just an idea.

Something like this?

Edited July 24, 2023 by Waggy

[valleyguy]

ross, the plastic container is a cracking idea, do you dissamble and reassemble in the container, it's such a good idea as it stoped you loosing any parts that have pinged, i've lost a few never to be found again.

How much space do you have to work under the microscope, is there enough height to use a screwdriver, it looks a good set up, does it take getting used to looking at the screen and not the movement, a microscope is on my list but not sure what model to go for.

I'll nick your container idea, a trip around the shops tomorrow to find something suitable.

Edited July 24, 2023 by valleyguy

[rossjackson01]

valleyguy

Not a problem. copy anything you like.

Yes. The plastic box was a container from the supermarket. I just cut away the front. The box is secured to the tray with red sticky matting, same as you see on top of the printer. I always put everything away in the bottom shelf of the cabinet on the right when I finish, and the tweezers and screwdrivers in the sample jars. Thank you Doctors.  I lift the upturned tray and box onto the top of the printer, then I can use the computer, as I am doing now. This is the only space I have. 

The microscope on purchase, I set at the highest level. This allows me to use the tweezers easily, as you can see on the photograph. However to use it for filming, the microscope was limited to a 1/2 watch view. To allow full filming I have extended the height with a wooden block. This works well . See my Youtube video.

I do not use the microscope for natural work. I still prefer my head magnifier. However I can easily see defects at the jewel level if I lower the microscope. If you look at the video you will see the yellow light from the microscope is good.  The white is from the LED on the head magnifier.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WfIyohGFYzM&t=8s

Thank you for your interest

Ross

 

[valleyguy]

Thanks ross,  i've ordered the g1200 microscope you have, it's a good price on banggood it'll take a couple of weeks to arrive, i watched your video and a couple of other reviews on youtube, the g1200 microscope looks to be more than adequate for my needs at this stage, examining parts and jewels it may even help me sort an hairspring out that i haven't been able to do with just a loupe.

[rossjackson01]

valleyguy

Wow! Glad to have helped. You're right about looking at the hairspring. I've actually done one when I first got the microscope,  and I straightened it and did not break it. Didn't use it as I purchased a donor unit. Keep me posted.

Regards

Ross

Edited July 25, 2023 by rossjackson01
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