Girard Perregaux High Frequency (As1920) Completed

[DJT2]

Hi guys, just wanted to share my latest completed project. TBH I'm extremely proud of the results, as its the first watch I've done without any instructional videos or manuals etc.

I purchased the Watch for £50 off ebay as a non runner, partially due to the price & I've developed a liking of 36000 vph movements. When it arrived I immediately noticed the glass was cracked, dial had dirt spots & crown was stuck in the setting position. The case wasn't in particular good shape either. after doing abit of research on dial cleaning, ordering a new glass & a new mainspring I felt ready to take the plunge.

Firstly I removed the movement & cracked glass. Once out, I could see someone had sprayed the the whole movement with oil or something,it was dripping with the stuff. I removed the dial & placed it in a shot glass full of l&r extra fine watch cleaner. Left it for 10mins whilst dabbing the dirt spots & diamonds with an ear buddy, after a few more swills round I removed it & placed in watch rinse for a further 10 mins whilst doing shaking motion to adgetate any remaining dirt & finally a good rinse under the tap. A quick blast with the air gun & dial complete. Next, was the case. luckily it was a gold filled job, so a quick buff on the machine & a bit if autosol to finish. The case came up like new(well alot better anyway).

Next the movement. Complete disassemble & clean. finally the rebuild. This was quite a challenge as I didn't really have a starting point. I started with the mainspring & train bridge. It was after about an hour in I realised I should of started with the keyless as the screw that holds the stem in place is located slightly under the train bridge. However, it's a learning curve. After assembly, I put it on the timegraph, managed to get it in beat & regulated perfectly. Slight concern with the amplitude as I thought it would be higher however I proudly present my finished watch http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/08/16/1b5d26f16bc7d24daa11add604ad8119.jpghttp://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/08/16/dc1353432ea983734fb9157a0342e27e.jpg

http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/08/16/1242ae43d68b10979b6e53883a7ac9dd.jpghttp://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/08/16/e2c4cbdd7167588163004835a31481a6.jpg

Your thoughts would be very welcome.

Sent from my GT-I9505 using Tapatalk

Edited August 16, 2015 by DJT2

[Marc]

Nicely done, excellent result.

[DJT2]

Sent from my GT-I9505 using Tapatalk

[dadistic]

Fantastic! That is definitely a win.

[DJT2]

Fantastic! That is definitely a win.

Nicely done, excellent result.

Thanks guys for your kind words.

Sent from my GT-I9505 using Tapatalk

[Geo]

Cracking job, you should be well pleased. You've ended up with something a bit special for no money!

[DJT2]

Cracking job, you should be well pleased. You've ended up with something a bit special for no money!

High praise indeed, Thanks Geo.

I only have one question. The day jumper spring! should the screw holding it in place be tight? I've just noticed while changing the date that the day wheel moves intermittently. I tried it tight & the day wheel wouldn't seat properly, so slackened it off & wheel seemed OK. Now after playing with it the date changes great & crisp, but the day seems like something is not right.

Sent from my GT-I9505 using Tapatalk

[Geo]

I'm not familiar with this movement, but I would have thought the screw would be tight end properly when everything is aligned properly. I hope someone can chip in with some positive advice for you.

[GuiBer]

Very interesting watch and a fantastic work! Congratulations!

[DJT2]

Thanks again guys for your kind words of encouragement. I can't believe I've just learnt something new which was puzzling me. The Crown would not go all the way in (stuck out maybe 2mm) I assumed that the previous owner had changed the stem & that's were his problems had started. However, this ties in with my day change issue. The Crown sticking out acts as a push button for quickset date feature. Thankgod I didn't chop the stem, that was going to be my next job lol [emoji1]

Sent from my GT-I9505 using Tapatalk

[WillFly]

Superb!

 

Will

[clockboy]

Great job done,nice watch. As a matter of interest as it has an unusual quick date setting function ie the crown is a bit proud has the crown stem got a seal to keep it water resistant.

[DJT2]

Great job done,nice watch. As a matter of interest as it has an unusual quick date setting function ie the crown is a bit proud has the crown stem got a seal to keep it water resistant.

Thanks for the compliment & I must admit, I've started to wonder about this myself. It may account for the movement being soaked with what I assumed was lubricant. But no I didn't see any seal on the case, stem or crown. Also, there was no gasket on the caseback.

Sent from my GT-I9505 using Tapatalk

[clockboy]

Thanks for the compliment & I must admit, I've started to wonder about this myself. It may account for the movement being soaked with what I assumed was lubricant. But no I didn't see any seal on the case, stem or crown. Also, there was no gasket on the caseback.

Sent from my GT-I9505 using Tapatalk

Found this PDF if it helps however no mention of seals etc.

 

AS 1920.pdf.pdf

[DJT2]

[

Thanks for taking the time to look, I'd already downloaded that from cousins & your right. No mention of seals. I'm going to have a look at the stem this weekend to see if it's obvious that there should be a seal.

Found this PDF if it helps however no mention of seals etc.

AS 1920.pdf.pdf

Sent from my GT-I9505 using Tapatalk

[frenchie]

Very nice watch !!! You did quite an amazing job ! Enjoy it (or put at least $500 in your pocket ;) ) !

[DJT2]

Very nice watch !!! You did quite an amazing job ! Enjoy it (or put at least $500 in your pocket ;) ) !

Thankyou Frenchie, I've decided to keep it, as it has now become the first of what I hope to be many of my 36000 vph fetish.

Sent from my GT-I9505 using Tapatalk

[Gary]

Excellent work! I hope to be that proficient one day!

Nice!

[DJT2]

Excellent work! I hope to be that proficient one day!

Nice!

Your too kind Gary. I think I was lucky getting a good example to begin with. OK it was a none runner, but it was just the hack/keyless. I started at 10am & finished at 8pm lol. Not exactly a fast worker

Sent from my GT-I9505 using Tapatalk

[agoldflam]

Really awesome piece, thanks for all the pics, I want one!

Through watchmaking I restore connections in people's lives!