Jump to content

Recommended Posts

Of course I talk at work about my new watchmaking hobby. So my manager told me that his son has a watch from his grandfather (the son not the manager) which has great sentimental value but is not working anymore. 
A vintage omega. He told me they hear something rattling when they shake it (not a good sign I would say). I told him I didn’t feel confident enough to even open it and look at the interior. Let alone try to repair it. 
But I could post here for advices. RenderedImage.thumb.jpeg.210b4b6163888df98b54793c6be0d81e.jpegRenderedImage.thumb.jpeg.b8fab76b2ea5ff4c90cea141ae843e54.jpeg

 

from the pictures is there a chance to identify the movement and to know if parts would be available. 
 

Also does someone know a reputable watchmaker around Boston who could take a look and how much a diagnostic could cost (of course I assume repair price would depend on what is wrong). 
 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Sounds like the oscillating weight has come adrift could have have broken the axcel. If you have a good case opener just have a look, no harm in taking a look at least you will be able to tell him what is wrong. Post a good photo here and we will be able to confirm for you.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 6/27/2024 at 7:02 PM, Terrinecold said:

I didn’t feel confident enough to even open it and look at the interior. Let alone try to repair it.

Always listen to the voice in the back of your head which says in this particular case extreme caution. Versus jumping in and breaking something that you really don't want to do.

Then somewhere in the group we've had the discussion of all the friends whatever who find out what your hobby is and suddenly they have a watch that needs to be serviced. Because conveniently the you're the only watchmaker still alive on the planet at least that they know of. Not that they couldn't find a watchmaker Conveniently they don't because They would then have to make a serious commitment of paying money.

1 hour ago, Bonefixer said:

The ball might work, if not you need a screw down case opener. The bench mounted ones are the best rather than the hand held ones, and the chinese clone of a Bergeon one I got was about 1/10th the price and works great. 

On a case like this it was properly tightened the ball definitely will not work but it might it just shouldn't because it should be really nice and tight. If you have the proper hand held ones most of the time that work fine but they can slip and scratch things up.

Then I'd be curious to see a picture of the  Bergeon Case (as there's probably more than one choice in their catalog I'm curious about which one the Chinese have cloned?

 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I totally agree with those that have urged caution if you don’t feel comfortably able to tackle this repair. Don’t learn on other people’s watches. 

That said, it sounds as if the noise the watch makes is caused by excessive play in the automatic winding rotor. This is a common issue for this watch. 

There is a pinion, a combined bushing and gear pressed in at the axis of the rotor. 

As this part wears, it allows the rotor to flop around, causing it to rub against the movement and the case back. 

The proper repair is to replace this pinion.

The worn pinion is pressed out. The replacement is pressed in and the hole is then reamed to fit the axle it turns upon. It is lubricated and it’ll be good to go for a long time.

It is not uncommon to encounter watches where instead of a proper repair, this pinion has been punched on the staking set to close the hole, then reamed to fit the axle. There is very little thickness to the bearing surface between the pinion and the axle, this dodgy repair doesn’t tend to last for long and it is bad practice.

This should solve the rattling when the watch is shaken, but the watch will also at minimum require a service, too.

Best Regards,

Mark

Link to comment
Share on other sites

18 hours ago, JohnR725 said:

Because conveniently the you're the only watchmaker still alive on the planet at least that they know of.

So true. Fortunately for the amateurs these people are our friends and some of us enjoy a good deed…the other benefit of the ‘friend watch’ is they usually haven’t been knackered by someone rooting about, unless it was the ‘professional’ at the jewelers…

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

All advice given has been good and best followed. Minimum to expect is a service plus any parts, and a fair sized hole in the pocket. The fact that the rotor has been sloshing around you can expect metal shavings and dust in the movement, the rate of damage depends for how long was it Isee in a deteriorating state.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

thanks for all the advices.  I asked my friend (and manager) how he felt about me opening the case and taking a look with no intention to do much more than taking pictures of the movement and see if indeed the noise is coming from the rotor.

I did tell him I will attempt opening the case with a rubber ball which may not work but won't leave marks for sure.

He would then go to a real watchmaker anyway at least to get a quote

Link to comment
Share on other sites

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

    • All the holes on the cutter holders are drilled on the lathe. The drill bit in the chuck on the spingle, the holder in place. The holes in the bolt heads are drilled after the bolts are tightened in place, the holders are mounted in order to hold the bolts perprndiculat to the drill bit. After drilling, the heads of the bolts are turned on their down side as to alow tightening of the cutter when the nut is tightened. Height position of the cutter tip is adjusted by slight turning of the bolt head by force. The cutters are preset and ready to use, and sharpenning them practically doesn't change height adjustment.
    • Hopefully this doesn't raise too much ire. Very often when someone presents a timing machine result on a newly serviced watch and the amplitude is on the low side, someone will chime in right away to say something to the effect of "don't bother reading those results until you get the amplitude closer to 270, take it apart and clean again." Then I remembered watching Mark's service of a 1960's Cyma where he states "we would normally expect a vintage watch such as this one to be within the range of 180 to 220 degrees." Later after servicing and troubleshooting that movement to fix the barrel arbor bearing, it reaches somewhere around 195 degrees and he says he is much happier with that result. Ultimately it goes to about 215 (and somehow then 245 when shown on the Weishi 1000, unexplained). 200-210 is closer to what I am typically able to achieve on an older Swiss movement, even with a new mainspring and I have been working under the assumption that I need to keep doing better. But do I? Is the "270 or start again" mentality shared by most professional watchmakers or is this "180-220 is probably pretty good for a 70 year old movement" attitude okay?      
    • Bulova also had watches with this style case so they also sold their version of a press. These purpose-made tools are nice, but as you found out you can find other ways to push them apart and together.  My advice is to be careful with the crystal on these - they have a unique side wall geometry (as shown on the patent diagram above) and are not that easy to replace. Some NOS crystals are out there, and there are some ways to bodge other crystals to work (you can search for some other threads here on WRT) but it's best to maintain what you have if it's not badly damaged. The "official" opening fixture has a wide clearance so the crystal isn't subjected to pressure when the case is popped apart, and the closing fixture very tightly conforms to the crystal so the pressure is evenly distributed during closing (see picture).
    • I'm attaching the service guide and a parts list. Then if you referring to the colorful images that look like a service guide but are not. Omega went and consolidated common issues into some general working instructions but they have an issue so you don't get the have them. For instance I have a link below for a  for a specific search on the cousins documentation site. All sorts of interesting things that you may want to download https://www.cousinsuk.com/document/search?SearchString=Working Then if you download the Omega documents for which to nice impressive list except that just a tiny fraction of what Omega has. In a case if you download the document look carefully at the corners of each of the pages do you see something like this? So we know exactly who downloaded the document their contact information and an exact date and time. Swatch group is very paranoid over who downloads or documents and of course cousins no longer has access the Swatch group. So if you did have access to somebody who had access the Swatch group it would not be in your best interest to post those documents publicly but some kind soul might snip images out. Then as far as servicing information only one attached is what's existence watch companies usually assume that people know how to service watches except for common things that require special instructions which is why even modern Swatch group or Omega doesn't actually have service guides the you have parts list or the general instructions that covers several calibers of special problems or things   418_Omega 1010New19-10-12.pdf 1001750927_Omega_Omega 1010 1011 1012 1020 1021 1022 1972.pdf
    • I find a lot of people are clueless over how to hold things in the timing machine  microphone. Then when the Chinese clone their timing machine microphone they didn't do quite as nice job as the Swiss did for instance here's a comparison between us witschi microphone and your timing machine. Even though it isn't quite as nice it still work so here's an example in a microphone just like yours of how you're supposed to hold the movements if you would like to Be able to move the regulator as it's going to a little difficult the way you're doing it Then occasionally see people holding a watch in the movement holder then put a timing machine the problem is the watch really has to make contact with the outer metal part as that's where the sensor is. It's been covered somewhere else in the group As you're not the first asked the question how to properly use it. But yes if you use a wrong you'll magnetize everything The world of lubrication and continuous bickering. I like 9010 no-brainer I guess I don't have a brain because I don't use 9010. Then you don't need the HP 1300 if you're using it on the keyless as you can use grease. Because technically if you're going to use it on the keyless you need the epilam to keep It from spreading all across the universe.
×
×
  • Create New...