Fixed Lug Frustration

[rehajm]

Do you think they couldn’t pop the “spring bar” off so they decided to cut it off? …

…shame. It’s a beautiful watch. The movement looks and acts like new

Edited July 31, 2024 by rehajm

[agg221]

32 minutes ago, rehajm said:

Do you think they couldn’t pop the spring bar off so they decided to cut it off? …

…shame. It’s a beautiful watch. The movement looks and acts like new

Fortunately it's a fairly easy repair on that one.

Alec

[Nucejoe]

Its cut to fit a common leather strap on. 

 

[RichardHarris123]

9 minutes ago, Nucejoe said:

Its cut to fit a common leather strap on. 

 

How would that work? 

[Neverenoughwatches]

21 hours ago, rehajm said:

Do you think they couldn’t pop the “spring bar” off so they decided to cut it off? …

…shame. It’s a beautiful watch. The movement looks and acts like new w

Looks like a fixed lug bar to me, which is why it didnt pop off,  ahhh i see sarcasm

Good way to spread the lugs as well, snipping the pin with nippers.

1 hour ago, RichardHarris123 said:

How would that work? 

I think Joe means a simple one piece leather strap to thread through.   Common leather strap on ?  not from around where i live matey, dont know bout you Rich i but I'm still old school  . If it aint working pop a pill.

[Nucejoe]

1 hour ago, RichardHarris123 said:

How would that work? 

 You slightly bend a half of the bar, to fit the leather strap on the other half, then slightly bend  the side with the strap to the same height as the one you bent before and manouver in the half bar into the tube of the strap, finish by  bending  back both halves of the bar to a straight bar as if one bar.

 You can drill out a hole in the lug, but might find the bar comes out as well ,  leaving a wide hole, too wide to fit in a spring bar.

 

Edited July 31, 2024 by Nucejoe

[Neverenoughwatches]

4 minutes ago, Nucejoe said:

 You slightly bend a half of the bar, to fit the leather strap on the other half, then slightly bend  the side with the strap to the same height as the one you bent before and manouver in the half bar into the tube of the strap, finish by  bending  back both halves of the bar to a straight bar as if one bar.

 

That sounds like a risky manoeuvre that could bend the lug as well if its not supported. Then trying to re-align the pins with the strap fitted sounds fun. I'd prefer altering the strap, unpick the stitching and re-sew it.

[oldhippy]

That is not a spring bar it is molded to the case. Open ended straps are for this type. Now it has been cut you will have to drill holes each end and fit a spring loaded bar, then you can fit a stitched strap or whatever floats your boat.

[Nucejoe]

Just now, oldhippy said:

That is not a spring bar it is molded to the case. Open ended straps are for this type. 

  that's how it was meant to be.

[rehajm]

I’m going to have to be more earnest with this group…

Yes, fixed lugs on all The Dirty Dozens. This particular one is like new-It’s mind boggling to me why someone would cut the lug to…fit a spring bar strap instead of cinch or glue a fixed lug strap…

..was it a watch repair shop? C’mon, confess if you’re out there

…something else fun with this one…

See it? 

Fun fact: Vertex is the only British Dirty Dozen supplier…

Edited July 31, 2024 by rehajm

[rehajm]

I don’t know what the equivalent watch term is but in classic automobile terms this Vertex is a ‘garage queen’, broken lug and all. I am very very reluctant to make mods or remove scratches on military collectibles. Mainsprings and crystals are consumables but even there I try so save them…

[Neverenoughwatches]

2 hours ago, rehajm said:

I’m going to have to be more earnest with this group…

Haha, i did say " ahh sarcasm " . You gotta get up early to catch me out with that style of humour. 

2 hours ago, rehajm said:

Fun fact: Vertex is the only British Dirty Dozen supplier…

Recently re-established if I'm not mistaken , by the grandson of the original importer in the UK.

10 minutes ago, rehajm said:

I don’t know what the equivalent watch term is but in classic automobile terms this Vertex is a ‘garage queen’, broken lug and all. I am very very reluctant to make mods or remove scratches on military collectibles. Mainsprings and crystals are consumables but even there I try so save them…

I have something special coming,  its not in a military case but this watch does house the KF 320 .

Edited July 31, 2024 by Neverenoughwatches

[rehajm]

1 hour ago, Neverenoughwatches said:

Haha, i did say " ahh sarcasm " . You gotta get up early to catch me out with that style of humour.

You get me!!

4 hours ago, Neverenoughwatches said:

I'd prefer altering the strap, unpick the stitching and re-sew it.

I’ve seen a couple fixed lug mils like that

1 hour ago, Neverenoughwatches said:

have something special coming,  its not in a military case but this watch does house the KF 320

Grana! I speak for everyone…pics please !!

4 hours ago, oldhippy said:

Now it has been cut you will have to drill holes each end and fit a spring loaded bar, then you can fit a stitched strap or whatever floats your boat.

Yes, Ty…and I think  those thick spring bars look clean in that type of repair…there’s still the other fixed lug which may be an issue with a spring bar/stitched style strap but a nato or pass thru isn’t going anywhere

 

Edited August 1, 2024 by rehajm

[HectorLooi]

https://www.cousinsuk.com/product/female-0180mm-5mm-to-24mm-iso-swiss

Cousins has female spring bars. I'm wondering if the fixed bar could be cut off in the middle, leaving 2 short projections on each end for the female spring bar to latch on.

[Neverenoughwatches]

I forgot to ask and you mentioned something.  Was there only one clipped lug on the Vertex? 

[agg221]

11 hours ago, oldhippy said:

That is not a spring bar it is molded to the case. Open ended straps are for this type. Now it has been cut you will have to drill holes each end and fit a spring loaded bar, then you can fit a stitched strap or whatever floats your boat.

Personally, I would repair it as it is rather than drill holes for spring bars. I have done three fixed lug repairs in the past couple of months and am probably doing another one in the next few weeks, although the owner has not yet decided whether they would rather keep the originality of the fixed lug or have more choice of straps.

The OP's example is a very straightforward one to repair, in practice a lot less work than drilling out spring bar holes well at both ends.

Alec

[Neverenoughwatches]

8 hours ago, rehajm said:

Grana! I speak for everyone…pics please

I got you a bit too excited there lol, no unfortunately its not Grana labelled , its a Kurth's later branded Certina watch but carries the 320.

[mikepilk]

11 hours ago, rehajm said:

I’m going to have to be more earnest with this group…

Yes, fixed lugs on all The Dirty Dozens. This particular one is like new-It’s mind boggling to me why someone would cut the lug to…fit a spring bar strap instead of cinch or glue a fixed lug strap…

Fun fact: Vertex is the only British Dirty Dozen supplier…

I would use a touch of solder to fix it. 

It looks like a cal 59? I have the same movement in a gold case with fixed lugs. One of my favourite watches. Nice quality movements.

Vertex are British the same way Rolex are.

I like the look of their Dirty Dozen inspired Heritage model :

Edited August 1, 2024 by mikepilk

[rehajm]

3 hours ago, Neverenoughwatches said:

I forgot to ask and you mentioned something.  Was there only one clipped lug on the Vertex? 

Yes…

2 hours ago, agg221 said:

The OP's example is a very straightforward one to repair, in practice a lot less work than drilling out spring bar holes well at both ends.

Yes, and maintaining originality is important in this case so that’s how I’m leaning at the moment. Ty…

1 hour ago, mikepilk said:

12 hours ago, rehajm said:

I would use a touch of solder to fix it. 

It looks like a cal 59? I have the same movement in a gold case with fixed lugs. One of my favourite watches. Nice quality movements.

Vertex are British the same way Rolex are.

I like the look of their Dirty Dozen inspired Heritage model

Thanks- solder may be the way to go…I’m kind of amazed at the quality of the movement. Mine was out of beat at just over 2ms but one turn of the collet has it zeroed and running like a chronometer…

…that heritage model is classy…

Edited August 1, 2024 by rehajm

[Neverenoughwatches]

1 hour ago, mikepilk said:

I would use a touch of solder to fix it. 

It looks like a cal 59? I have the same movement in a gold case with fixed lugs. One of my favourite watches. Nice quality movements.

Vertex are British the same way Rolex are.

I like the look of their Dirty Dozen inspired Heritage model :

The simple ideas are the best Mike, make it back as it was. For Vertex if i can remember,the UK importer appeared to portray Vertex as British. 

20 minutes ago, rehajm said:

3 hours ago, Neverenoughwatches said:

I forgot to ask and you mentioned something.  Was there only one clipped lug on the Vertex? 

Yes…

Strange just one, if the idea was to slide a strap between the cut then why just one ?

[rehajm]

6 minutes ago, Neverenoughwatches said:

Strange just one, if the idea was to slide a strap between the cut then why just one ?

I know, right? I can only imagine they thought the spring bar was stuck. their surprise when they learned the mistake

[praezis]

You don‘t want to drill holes in the lugs here.

9 hours ago, HectorLooi said:

Cousins has female spring bars. I'm wondering if the fixed bar could be cut off in the middle, leaving 2 short projections on each end for the female spring bar to latch on.

Exactly what you can do, but originality will be lost a little bit.

2 hours ago, mikepilk said:

I would use a touch of solder to fix it. 

That is what I would do. 
But not at all soft solder - then you better do nothing - it will prevent any future proper repair. Use silver solder for repair.

Frank

[rehajm]

2 hours ago, praezis said:

That is what I would do. 
But not at all soft solder - then you better do nothing - it will prevent any future proper repair. Use silver solder for repair.

Thank you Frank…general purpose okay? 40 precent?

[Nucejoe]

18 hours ago, rehajm said:

Vertex is the only British Dirty Dozen supplier…

I imagine to clean a Dirty dozen watch, you ought to give two dozen baths in ultrasonic. 

Well a serious question, is replacing brass bushing holes with jewels an improvement ? 

 

Edited August 1, 2024 by Nucejoe
Add question

[agg221]

It looks like the case and the bar are stainless? If so I would would use TIG with 316 filler. Once polished back it would be invisible. If it actually brass or nickel with the plating in excellent condition then I would use a silver alloy (technically a braze rather than a solder due to melting point). I usually use Silver Flo 55 which is relatively low temperature and cadmium free.

If it is stainless then using a silver filler is possible but the fluxes are sufficiently nasty that I prefer to weld, plus it leaves a neater result in the end.

If it is brass or nickel then the bar is likely to be brazed in. You can't tell whether the filler you are using is higher or lower melting point than that holding the bar in place, however with a fine enough flame you can get the heat into the ends of the bar before the lugs heat up. Some support and heat shielding by using clay would probably be how I went with it, unless I was feeling lucky. This also helps to avoid plating being damaged beyond the immediate region of the joint.

Alec